Washington-born residents leaving as newcomers flock to King County

The number of Washington-born residents in King County has declined for the first time in at least a decade, according to The Seattle Times.

It’s not clear yet if it’s a trend, but The Times reports that between 2014-2015, the number of locally-born residents dropped by 2 percent. There are now 850,000 Washington-born people living in King County (40 percent of the population).

It’s the first time that number has declined since the US Census Bureau started keeping track in 2005.

The Times reports the data also suggests that more longtime residents are leaving the county and other Washingtonians aren’t replacing them at the same rate.

Why are Washington-born residents moving?

The Census Bureau doesn’t provide reasons for the shift, but one could make their own conclusions about the rising cost of living and more traffic, just to list a couple of reasons to exit King County.

So where is everyone headed? How about Bellingham, the City of Subdued Excitement?   The Seattle Weekly reported in August 2015 there is a northern migration of middle-aged people heading north where the parking is free and the lines are short.

And hey, the mayor of Bremerton is touting cheap rent. The city of Bremerton spent $5,000 earlier this year on a video campaign to encourage young tech workers to work in Seattle, but live in Bremerton. The mayor says they’re building four to 500 new townhouses, condos and apartments.

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