Washington's population is growing, but slower than before

The state's population continues to grow, but that growth appears to be slowing because of faltering economies across the nation, according to the state's Office of Financial Management.

As of April 1, the state population was 6,587,600, a 1.5 percent increase over 2007, according to figures released this week. The state gathers population numbers from April to April each year.

The state's chief demographer, Theresa Lowe, says the biggest reason for the slowdown is housing prices.

The annual growth last year was 99,600, a figure that includes births, deaths and people moving into the state. In 2006, it was about 120,000.

Slowing economic conditions appear to be limiting the number of people migrating to Washington for jobs, Lowe said. While Washington's economy is still among the healthiest in the nation, migration has dropped steadily: 81,000 in 2006, 70,000 in 2007 and 59,000 in 2008.

Many job seekers are having difficulty selling their homes in the states they are moving from and are being forced to carry two mortgages if they decide to take jobs here, said Lowe.

"People are not accepting regional transfers because of the housing situation," said Lowe. "There's an undercurrent going on that weighs heavily on all people who usually move with labor-market opportunities."

Even though the 2008 figure is lower than previous years, it's still higher than the average migration of 48,000 compiled from records dating back to 1954.

Washington isn't going down the tubes, she said. "We're just slowing down. We're still at pretty strong levels."

The state's population information is culled from school-enrollment numbers, housing, voter records, driver's licenses and other data.

Other findings:

• The economy of nearby states, particularly California, has a huge impact on Washington's growth. Driver's license data show that, over time, 40 to 50 percent of those who move to the state come from California. The number of people moving to Washington from California in the previous 12 months was 27,900, compared to 38,000 for the same period in 2006. Movement from Oregon, the second-largest source of new residents, also has slowed.

• Annual housing growth in the state dropped from 47,791 in 2007 to 41,322 in 2008.

• The fastest-growing counties since the 2000 census are Franklin, with 42 percent growth; Clark, 29 percent; and Thurston, 18 percent.

• Over the past 10 years, King County grew 13 percent, the 18th-highest in the state. During that time, the county added 218,400 residents. Snohomish County grew 23 percent, adding 128,500 residents.

• Seattle and Spokane remain the largest cities in the state, followed by Tacoma, Vancouver and Bellevue. Seattle now has a population of 592,800. Renton, 13th in size last year, moved up to 11th this year.

• Since 2000, the state reported 662,802 births, 365,571 deaths and 396,226 new residents due to migration.

Susan Gilmore: 206-464-2054 or sgilmore@seattletimes.com