Wahkiakum County Demographic Profile
q Wahkiakum County had 3,824 residents as of April 1, 2000, which represents an increase of 497 persons from 1990 and a growth rate of 14.9%. The April 1 2002 county population estimate is 3,800. (1)
q Wahkiakum County grew at a faster rate (14.9%) than neighboring Cowlitz (13.2%) and Pacific (11.1%) counties, over the decade of 1990-2000. (1)
q Although Wahkiakum County has the second-lowest population of any county in the state, new people are moving into the county at almost twice the rate of the state, as a whole. (2)
q Between 1990 and 2000, the Wahkiakum County population experienced a natural increase of –67, meaning that there were 67 more deaths than there were births over the decade. However, 564 persons moved into Wahkiakum County, overcoming this negative natural increase. Today, about 1 out of every 7 residents is a relative newcomer to the county. (1)
q The population of persons 65 years of age and older increased by 17.1%. Increases are expected to continue with the most rapid gains occurring after the turn of the century, when the leading edge of the baby boom turns age 65. (1)
q By the year 2000, persons age 65 or over represented nearly one-fifth or more of the population in 8 counties, including Wahkiakum, which weighed in at 18.5%. The others were Clallum, Jefferson, Pacific, Garfield Lincoln, San Juan, and Columbia. The state average is only 11.2% (1)
q Households with children under the age of 18 represented 29.3% of all households in Wahkiakum County in 2000, compared to 35.2% for the state. (3)
q The occurrence of poverty is the same for Wahkiakum County as it is for the state, at 10.2%. The poverty rate for children is 14.6% in Wahkiakum County and 15.2% for the state.(2)
q Students in Wahkiakum County have had consistently lower dropout rates than students across Washington State, and significantly lower than the dropout rate among rural counties in the Lower Columbia region. (2)
q Students in Wahkiakum County schools out-performed students around the state in reading during the 2000 academic year, and matched the state levels of students meeting WASL standards in math at the middle and high school levels. (2)
q Median household income in 2001 was $38,792 for Wahkiakum County, and $50,689 for the state. Over the past decade, median income grew 36.3% in Wahkiakum, and 51.5% throughout the state. Median household income in 2002 is $42,000. (2, 4)
q Per capita personal income (PCPI) in 1999 was $21,061 in Wahkiakum County. This PCPI ranked 20th in the state, and was 69% of the state average of $30,380 and 74% of the national average, $28,546. Per capita incomes grew 29.9% in Wahkiakum County and 51.7% over the state between 1990 and 1999. (5)
q The rate of homeownership is higher in Wahkiakum County (79.7%) than it is for the state as a whole (64.6%). Approximately 20.3% of the county population rents housing. (3)
q In 1995, the median price of a home was $80,000. By 1998, the median had risen to $100,000 for an average annual change of 7.7%, the third fastest growth in the state. Wahkiakum County experienced the fastest decline in ownership housing affordability from 1996 to 1999 of all 39 counties. (6)
q In the first quarter of 2002, the median home sales price in Wahkiakum County was $175,000. The Housing Affordability Index (HAI) was 89.4, the lowest of all 39 counties, and one of only two counties with affordability indices below 100. The state index stood at 130.6 during the first quarter of this year. (An index of 100 indicates a balance between the family’s ability to pay and the cost. Higher indexes indicate housing is more affordable.) For first time homebuyers, the HAI was only 56.0. (7)
q Between 1990 and 1999, Wahkiakum County had the highest rate of growth in the state for multifamily housing (67.9%) and mobile home/other housing (76.8%). (6)
q Private, non-farm employment in Wahkiakum County grew 39% between 1990 and 1999, the fourth-fastest growth in the state. The agricultural sector lost about a quarter of its workforce. The state experienced only 25.4% growth in private, non-farm employment. (8)
q The county’s largest industries in 1999 were durable goods manufacturing, 35.89% of earnings; state and local government, at 21.6%; and services, 10.8%. Of the industries that accounted for at least 5% of earnings in 1999, the slowest growing from 1998 to 1999 was retail trade, which increased 2.2%; the fastest was durable goods manufacturing, which increased 13.9%. (5)
q There are 111 firms in Wahkiakum County with only 0-4 employees, representing 77.6% of all firms, and 18.9% of all jobs. Sixteen companies have 5-9 employees, representing 11.2% of all companies, and 13.5% of all employment. There are eleven firms that employ 10-49 workers, representing 7.7% of all employers, and 19.2% of all employment. Three firms employ 50-99 persons, representing 2.1% of companies, and 30..4% of all employed persons. (8)
q The amount of land in farms increased 6% from 1992 to 1997, from 12,611 acres to 13,379 acres. The number of farms decreased from 110 to 108 over the same period. The average size of farms increased 8%, from 115 acres to 124 acres. The number of full time farms decreased 15%, from 55 farms in 1992 to 47 farms in 1997. (8)
q The market value of agricultural products sold decreased 46% between 1992-1997. Livestock sales accounted for 97% of the market value. The average market value of agricultural products sold per farm decreased 45% over the same period. (8)
q Retail sales per capita in 2000 was $4,135 in Wahkiakum County, and $14,479 per capita for the state of Washington. (2, 3)
q Wahkiakum County has a relatively high rate of women-owned firms, representing 62.7% of all firms. The state rate was 27.5%. (3)
q Wahkiakum County contains 264 square miles, which averages out to about 14.5 persons per square mile. The average density for the state is 88.6 persons per square mile, about six times greater than in Wahkiakum County. (3)
Data Sources:
(1) Washington Office of Financial Management
(2) Washington Health Foundation
(3) U.S. Census
(4) U.S. Dept. Housing & Urban Development
(5) U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
(6) Washington State Consolidated Housing Plan 2001
(7) Washington State University Center for Real Estate Research
(8) 1997 Census of Agriculture