States / Washington

Washington

68.6%

Population of State Living in Coastal Areas

$162 Billion

Coastal Employment
Annual Wages

8

Climate and Weather Disasters
(Affecting Washington 2010 to 2018)*

Coastal Demographics

Of the total population of approximately 7 million in Washington, over 4.8 million people live in coastal portions of the state.

Coastal Economy

Coastal Washington employs almost 2.4 million people annually, earning a total of over $162 billion. This equates to almost $419 billion in gross domestic product.

Natural Hazards

One billion-dollar weather disaster affected Washington in 2018—and a total of 8 affected the state between 2010 and 2018. Wildfires and drought accounted for the vast majority of costs and destruction.*

Washington graphic
Graphic is presentation-ready: copy and paste for use in a handout or presentation.

Sources:

American Community Survey Five-Year Estimates (NOAA Data)

*Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters (NOAA Website)

(All economic and demographic facts represent the latest data available [2015] and are regularly updated as new data become available)

Making a Difference
in Washington

NOAA Boosts Coastal Hardiness

The Takeaway: The agency and its partners help coastal communities lessen hazard dangers, curb carbon emissions, and protect the coast’s environmental and economic assets.

Learn More

NOAA Provides Assistance to Coastal Communities

The Takeaway: Some U.S. coastal communities have plentiful data for creating robust resilience plans. Others are struggling to catch up. NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management is focused on providing equal access to the data, tools, and expertise they deserve.

Learn More
View More Stories