‘They still want the high-paying jobs’: Gee says data proves people aren’t fleeing the state, just King County

King County saw a loss of roughly 13,000 residents between 2022 and 2023, when around 105,000 people moved out of the county and about 92,000 moved in, according to The Seattle Times. Those leaving took around $8.7 billion, while those moving in brought in $6.7 billion, leaving King County with a $2 billion loss.

However, many people didn’t leave for sunnier states. Instead, 47,800 people moving out of King County left for another Washington county, with Pierce County gaining around 6,700 King County residents and Snohomish County gaining 6,200.

KIRO host Gee Scott pushed back on the narrative that people are fleeing Washington, saying the data proves people still want what the state has to offer, even if they’re leaving King County to find it.

“People still want the high-paying jobs in this state,” Gee said on “The Gee and Ursula Show” on KIRO Newsradio. “They still want the mountains. They still want the water. They still want the quality of life here.”

Ursula: ‘Is King County a place where people can get a good job but can’t afford to build a life?’

KIRO host Ursula Reutin noted that the data doesn’t identify how many of the people moving were millionaires, nor does it reveal whether taxes, housing costs, retirement, remote work, or family decisions drove their moves, but said that from her own experience living in the area, King County has simply become unaffordable for a lot of people.

“They’re moving to Pierce County. They’re moving to Snohomish County. They’re moving to places like Cle Elum, even, and doing a commute because you can buy a lot more for your buck,” she said. “Well, it’s getting harder and harder, even as you go out, but you can still do more, and I think that’s what this is showing. And again, we don’t have the most recent numbers, but it gives you something to think about. And one question would be: is King County just a place where people can get a good job but cannot afford to build a life?”

Watch the full discussion in the video above.

Listen to Gee and Ursula on “The Gee and Ursula Show” weekday mornings from 9 am to 12 pm on KIRO Newsradio.