Key Contact for Washington

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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Washington Nonmetro Population

7,512,465

Estimated population

769,815 (10.2%)

People living in nonmetro areas

Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020 estimate

Washington Rural Healthcare Facilities

39

Critical Access Hospitals

127

Rural Health Clinics

78

Federally Qualified Health Centers*

7

Short Term/PPS Hospitals*

*Sites located outside of Urbanized Areas according to data.HRSA.gov. July 2022.

Selected Social Determinants of Health for Rural Washington

7.2% of Washington residents lack health insurance (Kaiser, 2021). According to the USDA Economic Research Service, the average per capita income for Washingtonians in 2020 was $67,126, with the rural per capita income at $49,577. The ERS reports, based on 2020 ACS data, that the poverty rate in rural Washington is 13.0%, compared with 9.1% in urban areas of the state. 10.4% of the rural population has not completed high school, while 8.1% of the urban population lacks a high school diploma according to 2016-2020 ACS data reported by ERS. The unemployment rate in rural Washington is 6.3%, while in urban Washington it is 5.1% (USDA-ERS, 2021).