The table below compares Seattle’s child and teen populations to those of King County, Washington State, and the United States.

Young children comprise smaller percent of Seattle's population in 2000.
Even as the city's population grew by 9 percent between 1990 and 2000 the number of children under 5 years of age fell by 10 percent. In contrast, the number of children ages 5 to 9 rose 2.6 percent during the decade; those 10 to 14 increased by 17 percent; and teens 15 to 19 expanded by 16 percent. Overall, children and teens comprised about one (0.7) percent less of Seattle's population in 2000 than they did in 1990.

Click here to view a larger version of the graph: Seattle's Proportion Young Doesn't Conform to County, State, or National Populations

Age structure shifts since 1990.
In addition to youth becoming a slightly smaller percent of the population (declining from 19 to 18 percent), people in the age group 35 to 54 increased by 4 percentage points (from 27 to 31) and those 65 or older declined by 3 percentage points (from 15 to 12 percent). There was no change in the relative size of the groups comprised of people aged 20 to 34 and those aged 55 to 64.

King County, Washington State, and the U.S. have higher proportion of children than Seattle.
Youth under 20 years of age represent only 19 percent of Seattle's population compared to 25 percent of King County and 29 percent for both Washington State and the U.S. as a whole. All four five-year age groups under age 20 show the same pattern between Seattle and larger jurisdictions; Seattle has the lowest proportion of children.

Seattle has higher proportion young adults than county, state or U.S.
Young adults, on the other hand, those ages 20 to 34, comprise a much larger percent of Seattle's population --31-- percent than they do of King County's, 24 percent; or of Washington State and total US populations--both at 21 percent. Seattle's proportion in these ages is not unusual for a city.

Three age groups similar for Seattle, county, state, and U.S.
The proportion of the population ages 35 to 54 is nearly identical across all four levels of geography. Thirty-one percent of Seattleites are in this age group, 33 percent of King County, 31 percent of Washington State, and 29 percent of the United States. Similarly, those ages 55 to 64 form about the same proportion of each population. Seven percent of Seattle's population is in these ages, 8 percent of both King County's and Washington State's populations, and 9 percent of the United States. Twelve percent of Seattle's population is ages 65 or older - the same proportion as for the nation. The populations of King County and Washington State include 11 percent in these ages.

Seattle is above county, state, and nation in proportion of population over age 85.
However, the percent of people in Seattle ages 85 and older (2.0 percent) is one-third higher than it is for the total U.S. population (1.5 percent). Both in King County and the state of Washington 1.4 percent of the population is age 85 or older.

OTHER INFORMATION ON POPULATION TRENDS:

• DPD Population Trends Home
• Race
• Ethnicity
• The Census and Seattle's Housing Goals
• Household Characteristics
• Living Alone in Seattle
• Home Ownership in Seattle
• Vacancy Rates