Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA Metro Area Immigration

Population

The Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) population 1/ increased from 1,832,896 in 1970 to 3,439,809 in 2010. That was an increase of 87.7 percent.

The foreign-born (FB) population increased from 104,540 in 1970 to 578,402 in 2010. That was an increase of 453.3 percent. The foreign-born share changed from 5.7 percent to 16.8 percent.

The share of the overall population that was native-born (NB) increased by 65.6 percent.

	Seattle MSA: Population  1970-2010

Sources of Population Change

The primary sources of population change are:

Natural Change [Births minus Deaths or B-D];
Net Domestic Migration [NDM - movement between states]; and
Net International Migration [NIM - movement into and out of the country].
There is also a residual "other" amount that isn't placed in one of those three categories.

The first chart below shows the three population change factors for three periods adjusted for annual average amounts. Natural change (B-D) was the primary factor in population increase in all periods.

The second chart shows the same data but with an adjustment to reflect births to immigrants shifted to NIM. In it, international migration (NIM) became the primary factor in population increase in all periods.

	Seattle MSA: Sources of Population Change 1990-2014 		Seattle MSA: Sources of Population Change (Adjusted) 1990-2014

		B-D	 NDM	 NIM						 B-D	 NDM	 NIM	
	90-'99	50.0%	27.7%	22.3%					90-'99	 32.9%	27.7%	39.5%
	00-'09	53.3%	11.0%	35.6%					00-'09	 25.6%	11.0%	63.4%
	10-'14	40.8%	26.2%	32.9%					10-'14	 16.4%	26.2%	57.4%

1/ King and Snohomish counties.

Links:

MSA Factsheets by state, and alphabetically.

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