Washington state’s steadily growing population is another victim of COVID-19, according to recent U.S. Census figures.
From July 1, 2020 to July 1, 2021, the population of Evergreen State increased by 19,900 for a growth rate of 0.3%. The state ranked 24th out of 50 states. The US population only grew by 392,665 last year, or 0.1%. This is a slower pace than any other year since the country started collecting statistics.
“Population growth has been slowing for years due to falling birth rates and declining net international migration, while death rates are rising due to the country’s aging population,” said Kristie Wilder , demographer in the Population Division of the Census Bureau. “Now, with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, this combination has resulted in a historically slow pace of growth. “
The state has grown almost 15% over the past 10 years to over 7.7 million. But the jump no longer allowed Washington to sit in the United States House of Representatives, which remains at 10.
The Census Bureau estimates a statistically insignificant net loss of 29 people in Washington between 2020 and 21, compared to a net gain of 37,000 in 2019. Internal migration was a major factor in the state’s steady growth before the pandemic. The state had the seventh highest national migration total – 336,000 – from 2010 to 2019. Even so, Washington fared better than many states. Between 2020 and 21, 17 states and the District of Columbia decreased their total populations. Texas has seen the largest cumulative numeric gain in the past year, and Idaho has seen the fastest annual and cumulative population increase. New York has experienced the largest annual and cumulative population decline.
COVID has claimed the lives of more than 9,800 people in Washington state. Across the country, more than 818,000 Americans have been killed by the pandemic.