• county
  • FIPS 53033
  • Largest town: Seattle

King County, Washington

King County had 2,340,211 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 2,115.7 square miles of land. It is the most populous of Washington's 39 county-equivalents.

Population
2,340,211
#1 of 39 in Washington · #12 in US
Area
2,115.7 sq mi
#11 of 39 in Washington · #264 in US
Density
1,106 / sq mi
#1 of 39 in Washington · #146 in US
Median household income
$120,672
#1 of 39 in Washington · #39 in US

Census Vintage 2024 estimates · SAIPE 2023 income · 2024 Gazetteer land area

King County within Washington. Pin: Olympia.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from King County

King County population, land area and income

King County had 2,340,211 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 2,115.7 square miles of land. It is the most populous of Washington's 39 county-equivalents. That works out to 1,106.1 people per square mile, 11.5 times the US average of 96.3, and in the top tenth nationally.

The median county-equivalent in Washington has 69,632 residents, so King County is 33.6 times that size.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $120,672 is in the top tenth among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

2,340,211

3144th1st

12th of 3,144 (US)

Land area

2,116 sq mi

3144th1st

264th of 3,144 (US)

Density

1,106.1 / sq mi

3144th1st

146th of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$120,672

3143rd1st

39th of 3,143 (US)

Rank within Washington (39)

Population

2,340,211

39th1st

1st of 39 (WA)

Land area

2,116 sq mi

39th1st

11th of 39 (WA)

Density

1,106.1 / sq mi

39th1st

1st of 39 (WA)

Median household income

$120,672

39th1st

1st of 39 (WA)

How King County's population changed since 2020

King County gained 65,862 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a rise of 2.9%. That ranks 21st of 39 in Washington for growth. The median Washington county changed by +3.2%, and the state as a whole by +3.0%.

Since the April 2020 estimates base, King County recorded 97,982 births and 64,005 deaths, a natural change of +33,977. Net international migration added +125,232 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to -86,374. The largest single component was international migration, which added 125,232 people.

2.27M20202.25M20212.27M20222.30M20232.34M2024
Census Vintage 2024 county estimates for July 1 of each year. The axis starts above zero so year-to-year changes are visible.

Components of change, April 2020 to July 2024

Births
97,982
Deaths
64,005
Net international migration
+125,232
Net domestic migration
-86,374
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
+43,398

Where King County is

The Census internal point of King County is at 47.490600, -121.834000. It sits in UTM zone 10N. The map shades Washington's 39 county-equivalents by population change from 2020 to 2024, darker for faster growth, with King County outlined. Dots are towns of 1,000+ people with residents in it.

King County: +2.9%Thurston County: +2.3%Garfield County: +4.7%Adams County: +2.1%Kitsap County: +2.0%Mason County: +5.5%Stevens County: +5.2%Walla Walla County: -0.9%Whitman County: +1.2%Pierce County: +1.9%Benton County: +5.2%Columbia County: +1.8%Skamania County: +5.1%Douglas County: +6.4%Kittitas County: +2.9%Klickitat County: +5.7%Pacific County: +3.2%Grant County: +5.3%Grays Harbor County: +2.7%Jefferson County: +2.7%Lincoln County: +8.6%San Juan County: +4.7%Skagit County: +2.2%Island County: -0.6%Ferry County: +4.8%Chelan County: +2.4%Clark County: +4.3%Asotin County: +0.9%Franklin County: +4.2%Whatcom County: +3.3%Snohomish County: +4.1%Pend Oreille County: +6.1%Yakima County: +0.7%Clallam County: +0.8%Wahkiakum County: +7.9%Spokane County: +2.7%Okanogan County: +6.6%Cowlitz County: +2.7%Lewis County: +5.4%
Change 2020 to 2024
  1. < +1.9%
  2. < +2.7%
  3. < +4.2%
  4. < +5.3%
  5. ≥ +5.3%
no data

Orange pin: King County internal point. Dark pin: Olympia.

Internal point

Decimal
47.490600, -121.834000
DMS
47°29'26.16"N 121°50'2.40"W
UTM
10N 587830.6E 5260343.9N
Geohash
c23q5t7hy
Plus code
84VWF5R8+6C

Towns in King County

36 incorporated places of 1,000+ people have residents in King County, 2,095,766 people together, or 90% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside King County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Seattle with 780,995.

  1. 01Seattle780,995
  2. 02Bellevue154,377
  3. 03Kent136,588
  4. 04Renton105,543
  5. 05Federal Way100,252
  6. 06Kirkland95,499
  7. 07Redmond82,195
  8. 08Auburn (part)75,813
  9. 09Sammamish66,474
  10. 10Shoreline66,251
  11. 11Burien52,046
  12. 12Issaquah39,664
  13. 13SeaTac34,024
  14. 14Des Moines33,207
  15. 15Bothell (part)31,507
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering King County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 6 neighbors for King County. The most populous is Pierce County, WA, with 941,170 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Olympia and the nearest big city

Olympia is 59.0 miles WSW of King County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Bellevue, WA (population 154,377), 16.8 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Snoqualmie, WA (population 13,748), 4.0 miles away.

King County FIPS code

The FIPS code of King County is 53033: state code 53 for Washington plus county code 033. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $120,672.

Questions people ask

What is the population of King County, Washington?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 2,340,211. That is up 65,862 people (2.9%) from the July 2020 estimate of 2,274,349.

What is the FIPS code of King County?

53033. The first two digits (53) are Washington; the last three (033) identify the county.

What is the largest town in King County?

Seattle, with 780,995 residents inside King County in 2024.

Which counties border King County?

6 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Pierce County, WA; Snohomish County, WA; Kitsap County, WA; Yakima County, WA; Chelan County, WA; Kittitas County, WA.

Sources and data as of

Data as of: Census Vintage 2024 population estimates, 2024 Gazetteer land area and internal points, SAIPE 2023 median household income.

  1. 01Census Vintage 2024 county population estimates
  2. 02Census 2024 Gazetteer, counties
  3. 03Census SAIPE 2023 state and county estimates
  4. 04Census Vintage 2024 subcounty population estimates
  5. 05Census 2024 county adjacency file
  6. 06Census 2024 cartographic boundary file, counties (1:5,000,000)

How every number is computed: methodology. Spotted a wrong figure? Report an error.