Washington covers 66,544 square miles, with a 2019 estimated population of 7,614,893 people – 762,984 living in rural Washington (USDA-ERS). Olympia, the capital, is located in the western region of the state. The state's largest cities are Seattle, Spokane and Tacoma. According to 2019 data from the U.S. Census Bureau, 78.5% of the state's population is white, 4.4% is African-American, 9.6% is Asian, 1.9% is American Indian or Alaska Native, 0.8% is Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and 13.0% is of Hispanic or Latino origin.

Washington Rural Healthcare Facilities

According to data.HRSA.gov, as of January 2021 Washington had:

• 39 Critical Access Hospitals
• 124 Rural Health Clinics
• 75 Federally Qualified Health Center sites located outside of Urbanized Areas
• 6 short term hospitals located outside of Urbanized Areas

Selected Social Determinants of Health for Rural Washington

6.6% of Washington residents lack health insurance (Kaiser, 2019). According to the USDA Economic Research Service, the average per capita income for Washingtonians in 2019 was $64,758, with the rural per capita income at $46,634. The ERS reports, based on 2019 ACS data, that the poverty rate in rural Washington is 13.2%, compared with 9.4% in urban areas of the state. 11.2% of the rural population has not completed high school, while 8.4% of the urban population lacks a high school diploma according to 2015-2019 ACS data reported by ERS. The unemployment rate in rural Washington is 6.1%, while in urban Washington it is 4.1% (USDA-ERS, 2019).

Washington State Office of Rural Health
Phone: 360.236.2800
Email: ruralhealth@doh.wa.gov
Supports rural and underserved communities in the state of Washington by providing assistance and resources for health systems planning and development to improve health and access to healthcare.
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