Washington

Washington is a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. The state capital is Olympia and the largest city in Washington is Seattle. As of the 2000 census, the state population was approximately 5.9 million and the state work force numbered about 3.1 million. Residents are called "Washingtonians" (emphasis on the third syllable, which rhymes with bone).

Demographics

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2004, Washington's population was 6,203,788. This includes 631,500 foreign-born (10.3% of the state population), and an estimated 100,000 illegal aliens (1.6% of state population).

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Race and Ancestry

The racial makeup of the state:

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• 78.9% White
• 3.2% Black
• 7.5% Hispanic
• 5.5% Asian
• 1.6% Native American
• 3.6% Mixed race

The five largest reported ancestries in Washington are: German (18.7%), English (12%), Irish (11.4%), Norwegian (6.2%) and Mexican (5.6%).

Related Topics:
German - English - Irish - Norwegian - Mexican

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Many Mexicans are migrant farm workers, living in the southeast-central part of the state. Wahkiakum County has many residents of Scandinavian origin. Washington has the fifth largest Asian population of any state, with Filipinos being the largest group.

Related Topics:
Wahkiakum County - Scandinavia

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6.7% of Washington's population were reported as under 5, 25.7% under 18, and 11.2% were 65 or older. Females made up approximately 50.2% of the population.

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Religion

The religious affiliations of Washington's population are:

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• Christian – 71%
• Protestant – 45%
• Baptist – 7%
• Lutheran – 7%
• Methodist – 4%
• Presbyterian – 3%
• Other Protestant or general Protestant – 24%
• Roman Catholic – 22%
• Mormon – 5%
• Other Christian – 1%
• Other Religions – 2%
• Non-Religious – 27%

As with many other western states, the percentage of Washington's population identifying themselves as "non-religious" (an umbrella term which is sometimes synonymous with or includes elements of atheism, agnosticism, skepticism, freethought, humanism, secular humanism, heresy, logical positivism, and even apathy) is much higher than the rest of the U.S. The percentage of non-religious people in Washington is the highest of any state, and church membership is among the lowest of all states.

Related Topics:
Umbrella term - Atheism - Agnosticism - Skepticism - Freethought - Humanism - Secular humanism - Heresy - Logical positivism - Apathy

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