‘Seattle is not dying’: Population surpasses 800,000, making it one of the fastest-growing cities

Seattle continues to be one of the country’s fastest-growing cities after its population surpassed 800,000, according to new estimates from Washington’s Office of Financial Management.

Seattle’s population is approximately 816,600 as of April 1, up 18,900 people from 2024. It’s the fifth consecutive year that Seattle’s growth rate has increased by at least 2%.

“Seattle is not dying, which is a theme that we’ve had on the show since its inception,” KIRO host Ursula Reutin said on “The Gee and Ursula Show.” “We have some big problems, for sure, but the city is not on the verge of collapse.”

Ursula pointed to many signs that the city is thriving, not dying. The Downtown Seattle Association (DSA) reported that pedestrian traffic has returned to 92% of pre-pandemic levels. The city has added approximately 30,000 local jobs in the past year, while more than 10,000 new housing units have been approved.

“There are new restaurants, bars, and small businesses that are opening on a regular basis,” Ursula said. “We can recognize [people] want the city to be the best that it can be. You want it to be like whatever you thought the glory days of Seattle were. But this whole idea of, oh my god, it’s so horrible here, I can’t wait to leave. That’s not being part of the solution.”

European tourist ‘never felt so unsafe’ than when he was in Seattle

Earlier this month, A European tourist claimed he “never felt so unsafe [than] in Seattle downtown” after visiting the Emerald City with his family. His comments sparked extensive discussion on Reddit and other social media platforms.

“My good buddy brought up a very good point,” KIRO host Gee Scott shared. “When you think of Victoria and Vancouver, B.C., it’s beautiful there, right? It’s beautiful, but there are a couple of streets, oh my goodness, in Vancouver, right off Richards Street, where you would feel it’s the most unsafe city in the entire world. Imagine if I go to Vancouver right now, and I take pictures of people right there off of Richards in downtown, and I write a whole thing about how terrible Vancouver, B.C. is.”

“And by the way, lower Queen Anne right now, it’s horrible,” Ursula added. “There are parts of lower Queen Anne, if I focus on a couple of blocks, that are horrible.”

Listen to the full conversation here.

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