Clark County Is State’s Fastest-Growing Region Its Population Has Increased 33.1 Percent Since 1990 Census; Spokane County Comes In 28th Out Of 39 In Growth Rate
Clark County and its main city, Vancouver, remain the fastest-growing part of Washington, according to a new statewide population survey.
According to state Office of Financial Management figures, Clark County is the fastest-growing county in the state. It grew by 4.4 percent for the 12 months ending April 1 and is home to 316,800 people, up from 303,505 one year ago.
The overall state population, meanwhile, grew 1.6 percent in the past year.
Clark County, enjoying a high-tech employment boom, a diversified economy and proximity to Portland has grown 33.1 percent since the 1990 census - tops among the state’s 39 counties.
Clark was followed in 1990s growth by three small counties - Jefferson, Pend Oreille and Mason. State population experts previously have attributed that growth largely to those counties’ retirement and recreational opportunities.
Spokane County ranked only 28th among 39 counties and is home to 409,900 people after gaining 13.4 percent.
Pend Oreille led Eastern Washington counties with a growth rate of 25.6 percent, while Grant was fifth overall with a gain of 24.6 percent.
Other Eastern Washington counties, their population and growth rates include Stevens County, 37,400, up 20.8 percent; Adams, 15,800, up 16.2 percent; Ferry, 7,300, up 16 percent; Lincoln, 9,800, up 10.6 percent; and Whitman, 41,200, up 6.3 percent.
Vancouver experienced a population increase of nearly 90 percent in the past year, thanks largely to annexation of neighboring communities.
On Jan. 1, Vancouver took in 17.6 square miles and an estimated 58,171 residents in the Cascade Park, Evergreen and Mill Plain areas. But the latest city population estimate also reflects new residential development within the old and new city limits.
In the past year, 459 units of housing were built in Vancouver, adding 1,200 residents, said David Perlick, an associate planner for the city. He said this figure doesn’t include another 48 new units, which added another 130 residents, in the newly annexed area during the first four months of this year.
The new Vancouver population estimate of 127,900 also includes the Columbia Heights annexation, which added 825 residents in June 1996.
Vancouver is now the state’s fourth-largest city, behind Seattle, Spokane and Tacoma. It was ninth largest in 1990.
After Vancouver, the Clark County cities of Battle Ground and Washougal grew by about 30 percent.
State law requires the Office of Financial Management to track city and county populations. These numbers determine how much each community receives in state-shared revenue.
The latest figures, released Monday, show that every county in the state has had population growth in the 1990s. The slowest growing, at 4.4 percent, is rural Columbia County, population 4,200, in southeastern Washington.
Despite the Puget Sound region’s humming economy, none of its three biggest counties ranks among the top 15 in rate of growth since 1990. Snohomish was 16th fastest-growing at 18.4 percent, Pierce ranked 26th with 15 percent and King was 35th with 9.2 percent. King, the state’s most populous county, has 29 percent of the state’s population.
xxxx WASHINGTON’S LARGEST CITES Here is a list of Washington city populations and their ranking. The information was reported by the state Office of Financial Management: 1. Seattle, 536,600 2. Spokane, 188,300 3. Tacoma, 185,600 4. Vancouver, 127,900 5. Bellevue, 104,800 6. Everett, 84,130 7. Federal Way, 75,960 8. Yakima, 63,510 9. Lakewood, 62,240 10. Kent, 62,006 11. Bellingham, 61,240 12. Shoreline, 50,380 13. Kennewick, 49,090 14. Renton, 45,920 15. Kirkland, 43,720 16. Redmond, 42,230 17. Olympia, 38,650 18. Bremerton, 38,600 19. Auburn, 36,720 20. Richland, 36,550 21. Edmonds, 35,470 22. Longview, 33,620 23. Lynnwood, 33,070 24. Puyallup, 29,490 25. Univ. Place, 29,160 26. Walla Walla, 29,100 27. Burien, 27,930 28. Lacey, 27,570