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 April 2021 Washington had:

• 39 Critical Access Hospitals
• 126 Rural Health Clinics
• 75 Federally Qualified Health Center sites located outside of Urbanized Areas
• 7 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.
view details