This small western Washington town has seen a 46% increase in population. See where it is
Washington state’s population has been steadily increasing for multiple decades now. Evergreen State residents surpassed 7.7 million people in recent years, with recent estimates from the state’s Office of Financial Management reporting that 2024 will likely see Washington eclipse the 8 million mark.
But have you ever wondered which part of the state has been seeing the most growth?
Recently, the Census Bureau released population estimates for Washington from April 1, 2020, to July 1, 2023. The data shows that cities across the state, both large and small, are enjoying a population boom.
Here’s where:
Which WA city has the most new residents?
The small southwestern Washington town of Ridgefield has seen a 45.5% population increase over the past three years, according to Census data.
Ridgefield’s population was 10,330 in 2020, but by 2023, it had climbed to 15,027. That’s 4,697 new residents, or a 45.5% increase for the town.
Ridgefield offers small-town surroundings with proximity to larger metropolitan areas. It’s located in Clark County, along the I-5 corridor about 40 minutes north of Portland.
It has many natural offerings, including a wildlife refuge and a 40-acre waterfront site at the port downtown. The city was also announced earlier this year as the location of Washington’s first In-N-Out burger chain.
Here are a few of the other places with the largest population increases among Washington cities from 2020 to 2023:
Black Diamond
2020: 4,695
2023: 6,602
Population increase: 40.6%
Located about 25 minutes east of Auburn
Winlock
2020: 1,467
2023: 1,944
Population increase: 32.5%
Located about 45 minutes south of Olympia
Sultan
2020: 5,165
2023: 6,766
Population increase: 31%
Located about 30 minutes east of Snohomish
La Center
2020: 3,428
2023: 4,357
Population increase: 27.1%
Located about 37 minutes north of Portland and just a few minutes northeast of Ridgefield
Rock Island
2020: 1,275
2023: 1,613
Population increase: 26.5%
Located about 15 minutes southeast of Wenatchee
Toledo
2020: 629
2023: 762
Population increase: 21.1%
Located about 45 minutes south of Olympia
Tieton
2020: 1,388
2023: 1,638
Population increase: 18%
Located about 30 minutes northwest of Yakima
Stanwood
2020: 7,724
2023: 9,016
Population increase: 16.7%
Located just over 45 minutes south of Bellingham
Cusick
2020: 150
2023: 175
Population increase: 16.7%
Located just under 90 minutes north of Airway Heights
Winthrop
2020: 501
2023: 578
Population increase: 15.4%
Located about 47 minutes west of Omak
Have Washington’s big cities grown?
Washington’s largest city, Seattle, enjoyed a slight population increase of 2.5% from 2020 to 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Seattle’s population estimate was 737,018 in 2020, and by 2023, it had risen to 755,078, equating to a gain of 18,060 residents.
Here’s how some of Washington’s other most populous cities have fared over the past few years:
Tacoma
2020: 219,185
2023: 222,906
Population increase: 1.7%
Bellingham
2020: 91,481
2023: 94,720
Population increase: 3.5%
Kennewick
2020: 83,927
2023: 85,158
Population increase: 1.5%
Olympia
2020: 55,369
2023: 55,733
Population increase: 0.7%
