Over 63% of GH residents were born in WA; 3rd most among counties

More than 63% of Grays Harbor residents were born in Washington, according to research done by Stacker. This is a higher percentage than 92% of the counties within the state.

The report by Stacker is part of a series utilizing data automation and it looked at which Washington counties had the most born-and-bred residents. 

In their article, they note that a combination of inflation and increased work-from-home opportunities brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic has shifted migration patterns across the United States, with the effects still being felt in 2024, according to the latest Census Bureau data.

A 2022 analysis of movement out of crowded cities showed that many people leaving city centers moved to nearby suburbs in the same state.

According to the latest data from the Census Bureau, released in September 2023, 53.5% of people who moved in 2022 did so within the same county and an additional 24.3% remained in state, meaning more than three-quarters of movers stuck close to home.

Many young people in particular are remaining in the state, town, or even house that they grew up in. Before the pandemic, the number of younger adults living with their parents was on the rise and those patterns have continued. 

A late 2023 survey released by Lending Tree found that 57% of millennials and Gen Zers live in their hometowns.

In order to determine where people stay put in your home state, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the most born-and-bred residents in Washington using data from the Census Bureau. The data does not track how many residents were born and still live in the county or those who left the area and returned.

Counties were ranked by the highest percentage of residents born in the state according to the latest data, which is 2022 five-year estimates. 

The data showed that out of the over 75,000 Grays Harbor residents, 63.4% were born in Washington, with 30.4% born in another state, and only 4.7% born in another country. This placed Grays Harbor with the 3rd highest Washington-born residents across the counties.

Pacific County fell much further down the list, with only 43.3% of the population born in Washington, 48.7% born in another state, and 7.2% born in another country. That placed the county 28th among the 39 Washington counties.

Kittitas County held the highest percentage of residents born in Washington at 66%, and Asotin County, on both the Idaho and Oregon border, saw the lowest percentage with only 23.8% of Washington-born residents.

#39. Asotin County

– Population: 22,370
– Born in Washington: 5,329 (23.8% of population)
– Born in a different state: 16,207 (72.4% of population)
– Born in U.S. territories: 118 (0.5% of population)
– Born in another country: 716 (3.2% of population)

#38. Klickitat County

– Population: 22,798
– Born in Washington: 7,275 (31.9% of population)
– Born in a different state: 12,898 (56.6% of population)
– Born in U.S. territories: 321 (1.4% of population)
– Born in another country: 2,304 (10.1% of population)

#37. San Juan County

– Population: 18,001
– Born in Washington: 6,052 (33.6% of population)
– Born in a different state: 10,233 (56.8% of population)
– Born in U.S. territories: 344 (1.9% of population)
– Born in another country: 1,372 (7.6% of population)

#36. Skamania County

– Population: 12,118
– Born in Washington: 4,127 (34.1% of population)
– Born in a different state: 7,388 (61.0% of population)
– Born in U.S. territories: 131 (1.1% of population)
– Born in another country: 472 (3.9% of population)

#35. Clark County

– Population: 504,091
– Born in Washington: 175,195 (34.8% of population)
– Born in a different state: 267,523 (53.1% of population)
– Born in U.S. territories: 7,057 (1.4% of population)
– Born in another country: 54,316 (10.8% of population)

#34. Island County

– Population: 86,510
– Born in Washington: 32,086 (37.1% of population)
– Born in a different state: 46,388 (53.6% of population)
– Born in U.S. territories: 1,529 (1.8% of population)
– Born in another country: 6,507 (7.5% of population)

#33. King County

– Population: 2,254,371
– Born in Washington: 885,496 (39.3% of population)
– Born in a different state: 774,059 (34.3% of population)
– Born in U.S. territories: 41,477 (1.8% of population)
– Born in another country: 553,339 (24.5% of population)

#32. Wahkiakum County

– Population: 4,476
– Born in Washington: 1,777 (39.7% of population)
– Born in a different state: 2,492 (55.7% of population)
– Born in U.S. territories: 10 (0.2% of population)
– Born in another country: 197 (4.4% of population)

#31. Jefferson County

– Population: 33,006
– Born in Washington: 13,158 (39.9% of population)
– Born in a different state: 17,711 (53.7% of population)
– Born in U.S. territories: 640 (1.9% of population)
– Born in another country: 1,497 (4.5% of population)

#30. Garfield County

– Population: 2,310
– Born in Washington: 945 (40.9% of population)
– Born in a different state: 1,294 (56.0% of population)
– Born in U.S. territories: 39 (1.7% of population)
– Born in another country: 32 (1.4% of population)

#29. Kitsap County

– Population: 275,411
– Born in Washington: 116,018 (42.1% of population)
– Born in a different state: 133,554 (48.5% of population)
– Born in U.S. territories: 7,097 (2.6% of population)
– Born in another country: 18,742 (6.8% of population)

#28. Pacific County

– Population: 23,396
– Born in Washington: 10,136 (43.3% of population)
– Born in a different state: 11,400 (48.7% of population)
– Born in U.S. territories: 187 (0.8% of population)
– Born in another country: 1,673 (7.2% of population)

#27. Thurston County

– Population: 294,272
– Born in Washington: 135,011 (45.9% of population)
– Born in a different state: 125,817 (42.8% of population)
– Born in U.S. territories: 8,782 (3.0% of population)
– Born in another country: 24,662 (8.4% of population)

#26. Clallam County

– Population: 77,333
– Born in Washington: 36,657 (47.4% of population)
– Born in a different state: 35,761 (46.2% of population)
– Born in U.S. territories: 1,037 (1.3% of population)
– Born in another country: 3,878 (5.0% of population)

#25. Whitman County

– Population: 47,141
– Born in Washington: 22,766 (48.3% of population)
– Born in a different state: 19,011 (40.3% of population)
– Born in U.S. territories: 899 (1.9% of population)
– Born in another country: 4,465 (9.5% of population)

#24. Snohomish County

– Population: 828,337
– Born in Washington: 412,001 (49.7% of population)
– Born in a different state: 255,054 (30.8% of population)
– Born in U.S. territories: 14,313 (1.7% of population)
– Born in another country: 146,969 (17.7% of population)

#23. Walla Walla County

– Population: 62,150
– Born in Washington: 30,975 (49.8% of population)
– Born in a different state: 23,264 (37.4% of population)
– Born in U.S. territories: 1,694 (2.7% of population)
– Born in another country: 6,217 (10.0% of population)

#22. Pierce County

– Population: 918,993
– Born in Washington: 461,572 (50.2% of population)
– Born in a different state: 332,997 (36.2% of population)
– Born in U.S. territories: 28,186 (3.1% of population)
– Born in another country: 96,238 (10.5% of population)

#21. Whatcom County

– Population: 226,523
– Born in Washington: 116,422 (51.4% of population)
– Born in a different state: 82,556 (36.4% of population)
– Born in U.S. territories: 5,166 (2.3% of population)
– Born in another country: 22,379 (9.9% of population)

#20. Pend Oreille County

– Population: 13,570
– Born in Washington: 7,010 (51.7% of population)
– Born in a different state: 6,234 (45.9% of population)
– Born in U.S. territories: 99 (0.7% of population)
– Born in another country: 227 (1.7% of population)

#19. Franklin County

– Population: 96,692
– Born in Washington: 50,176 (51.9% of population)
– Born in a different state: 23,379 (24.2% of population)
– Born in U.S. territories: 1,685 (1.7% of population)
– Born in another country: 21,452 (22.2% of population)

#18. Benton County

– Population: 207,560
– Born in Washington: 108,780 (52.4% of population)
– Born in a different state: 72,447 (34.9% of population)
– Born in U.S. territories: 2,334 (1.1% of population)
– Born in another country: 23,999 (11.6% of population)

#17. Cowlitz County

– Population: 110,621
– Born in Washington: 58,151 (52.6% of population)
– Born in a different state: 46,832 (42.3% of population)
– Born in U.S. territories: 1,064 (1.0% of population)
– Born in another country: 4,574 (4.1% of population)

#16. Spokane County

– Population: 538,711
– Born in Washington: 291,883 (54.2% of population)
– Born in a different state: 211,696 (39.3% of population)
– Born in U.S. territories: 7,077 (1.3% of population)
– Born in another country: 28,055 (5.2% of population)

#15. Mason County

– Population: 66,053
– Born in Washington: 35,806 (54.2% of population)
– Born in a different state: 24,842 (37.6% of population)
– Born in U.S. territories: 1,175 (1.8% of population)
– Born in another country: 4,230 (6.4% of population)

#14. Adams County

– Population: 20,557
– Born in Washington: 11,190 (54.4% of population)
– Born in a different state: 4,594 (22.3% of population)
– Born in U.S. territories: 69 (0.3% of population)
– Born in another country: 4,704 (22.9% of population)

#13. Skagit County

– Population: 129,480
– Born in Washington: 70,752 (54.6% of population)
– Born in a different state: 44,476 (34.3% of population)
– Born in U.S. territories: 2,058 (1.6% of population)
– Born in another country: 12,194 (9.4% of population)

#12. Ferry County

– Population: 7,260
– Born in Washington: 4,070 (56.1% of population)
– Born in a different state: 2,797 (38.5% of population)
– Born in U.S. territories: 227 (3.1% of population)
– Born in another country: 166 (2.3% of population)

#11. Chelan County

– Population: 79,076
– Born in Washington: 45,441 (57.5% of population)
– Born in a different state: 21,600 (27.3% of population)
– Born in U.S. territories: 966 (1.2% of population)
– Born in another country: 11,069 (14.0% of population)

#10. Douglas County

– Population: 43,189
– Born in Washington: 24,969 (57.8% of population)
– Born in a different state: 11,166 (25.9% of population)
– Born in U.S. territories: 400 (0.9% of population)
– Born in another country: 6,654 (15.4% of population)

#9. Stevens County

– Population: 46,774
– Born in Washington: 27,181 (58.1% of population)
– Born in a different state: 18,176 (38.9% of population)
– Born in U.S. territories: 406 (0.9% of population)
– Born in another country: 1,011 (2.2% of population)

#8. Grant County

– Population: 99,145
– Born in Washington: 58,149 (58.7% of population)
– Born in a different state: 23,865 (24.1% of population)
– Born in U.S. territories: 808 (0.8% of population)
– Born in another country: 16,323 (16.5% of population)

#7. Lewis County

– Population: 82,663
– Born in Washington: 49,920 (60.4% of population)
– Born in a different state: 27,914 (33.8% of population)
– Born in U.S. territories: 691 (0.8% of population)
– Born in another country: 4,138 (5.0% of population)

#6. Yakima County

– Population: 256,143
– Born in Washington: 155,314 (60.6% of population)
– Born in a different state: 50,435 (19.7% of population)
– Born in U.S. territories: 2,375 (0.9% of population)
– Born in another country: 48,019 (18.7% of population)

#5. Okanogan County

– Population: 42,336
– Born in Washington: 25,682 (60.7% of population)
– Born in a different state: 10,860 (25.7% of population)
– Born in U.S. territories: 617 (1.5% of population)
– Born in another country: 5,177 (12.2% of population)

#4. Columbia County

– Population: 3,980
– Born in Washington: 2,445 (61.4% of population)
– Born in a different state: 1,375 (34.5% of population)
– Born in U.S. territories: 17 (0.4% of population)
– Born in another country: 143 (3.6% of population)

#3. Grays Harbor County

– Population: 75,672
– Born in Washington: 47,965 (63.4% of population)
– Born in a different state: 23,038 (30.4% of population)
– Born in U.S. territories: 1,078 (1.4% of population)
– Born in another country: 3,591 (4.7% of population)

#2. Lincoln County

– Population: 11,036
– Born in Washington: 7,131 (64.6% of population)
– Born in a different state: 3,587 (32.5% of population)
– Born in U.S. territories: 92 (0.8% of population)
– Born in another country: 226 (2.0% of population)

#1. Kittitas County

– Population: 44,424
– Born in Washington: 29,316 (66.0% of population)
– Born in a different state: 13,157 (29.6% of population)
– Born in U.S. territories: 450 (1.0% of population)
– Born in another country: 1,501 (3.4% of population)