Population 16,400 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Port Townsend
Household size in Port Townsend
| Period | Port Townsend | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1.92 | 2.56 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.05 | 2.62 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.04 | 2.62 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 1.92 | 2.61 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.01 | +0.05 | −0.03 |
Households in Port Townsend are small: just 1.92 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. No other Washington city with 5,000+ people has smaller households.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Port Townsend
| Period | Port Townsend | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 53.4 | 38.0 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 56.0 | 38.7 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 56.5 | 39.3 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 59.8 | 39.6 | 40.1 |
| Change | +6.3 | +1.6 | +2.3 |
Port Townsend skews older: half of its residents are older than 59.8, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 53.4, mirroring the country. Only two of the 219 Washington cities with 5,000+ people are older.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Port Townsend
| Period | Port Townsend | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.2% | 10.9% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 5.8% | 10.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 7.4% | 10.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.9% | 10.1% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.3 pts | −0.8 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 6.9% of households in Port Townsend, well below the national share of 11.6%. Port Townsend has a lower share of single-parent households than most Washington cities.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Port Townsend
Renters in Port Townsend
| Period | Port Townsend | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 29.1% | 35.2% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 33.1% | 37.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 30.2% | 37.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 26.0% | 36.2% | 34.8% |
| Change | −3.1 pts | +1.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Just over a quarter of households in Port Townsend rent their homes (26.0%), below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. More than half of owners (55.1%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the center and least common in the southwest. The renter share is down 3.1 points from 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Port Townsend
| Period | Port Townsend | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.8% | 9.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.7% | 9.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 14.4% | 8.2% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.4% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.4 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Port Townsend as nationally: 9.4%, against 9.6%. The rate is higher than in Washington overall (7.6%). Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 3.4 points, mirroring the country.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Port Townsend
| Period | Port Townsend | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1984 | 1977 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1983 | 1979 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1984 | 1980 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1983 | 1984 | 1980 |
| Change | −0 | +6 | +6 |
The typical home in Port Townsend was built around 1983, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). The newest homes are mostly in the west, the oldest in the east.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Port Townsend
| Period | Port Townsend | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $856 | $1,018 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $946 | $1,127 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $971 | $1,390 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,643 | $1,875 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$788 | +$858 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Port Townsend costs $1,643 a month with utilities, close to the national median of $1,571. Rents here are lower than in Washington as a whole ($1,875). Rent has climbed $788 a month since 2006–10, up 92%, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 30.5% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Port Townsend
Bachelor's degrees in Port Townsend
| Period | Port Townsend | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.3% | 31.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 45.3% | 32.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 54.8% | 35.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 52.1% | 38.8% | 35.6% |
| Change | +11.8 pts | +7.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Port Townsend: 52.1% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 35.6% nationally. Education tends to track local incomes and the kinds of jobs nearby. The share with a degree is up 11.8 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Port Townsend
| Period | Port Townsend | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 95.3% | 89.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 96.5% | 90.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 96.4% | 91.0% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 96.7% | 91.9% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.3 pts | +2.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Port Townsend: 96.7% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has edged up 1.3 points, a smaller shift than nationally. Port Townsend has a higher share of high school graduates than the great majority of Washington cities.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Port Townsend
| Period | Port Townsend | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.0% | 7.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.9% | 8.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.8% | 5.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.3% | 5.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | +0.3 pts | −2.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Port Townsend runs well above the national rate: 8.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. Of the 219 Washington cities with 5,000+ people, only 14 have higher unemployment. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Port Townsend compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Port Townsend | 1.92 | 59.8 | 6.9% | 26.0% | 9.4% | 1983 | $1,643 | 52.1% | 96.7% | 8.3% |
| Glen Cove | 2.06 | 52.2 | 12.7% | 28.3% | 5.8% | 1994 | $1,722 | 45.7% | 94.6% | 10.7% |
| Port Hadlock-Irondale | 2.49 | 46.6 | 12.5% | 20.7% | 11.1% | 1986 | $1,285 | 26.5% | 94.3% | 3.4% |
| Nordland | 2.24 | 62.5 | 3.3% | 14.8% | 18.1% | 1993 | $1,458 | 44.5% | 94.1% | 0.0% |
| Port Hadlock | 2.05 | 57.8 | 1.1% | 14.6% | 18.1% | 1972 | $1,065 | 46.7% | 85.4% | 9.2% |
| Chimacum | 2.26 | 53.3 | 8.2% | 23.1% | 15.3% | 1986 | $1,344 | 36.0% | 94.7% | 6.9% |
| Gardiner | 2.07 | 66.2 | 4.1% | 15.9% | 23.5% | 1992 | $1,036 | 49.8% | 98.4% | 6.2% |
| Prairie Center | 2.05 | 64.0 | 1.5% | 15.5% | 9.4% | 1998 | $2,011 | 51.1% | 96.6% | 4.6% |
| Coupeville | 2.27 | 57.1 | 4.0% | 16.0% | 18.3% | 1990 | $1,455 | 44.8% | 97.8% | 3.8% |
| Greenbank | 2.02 | 66.4 | 3.9% | 7.4% | 32.1% | 1993 | $1,915 | 58.6% | 98.3% | 4.4% |
| Discovery Bay | 2.30 | 60.1 | 7.3% | 15.7% | 19.5% | 1992 | $1,390 | 30.6% | 93.3% | 8.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Scotts Valley, CA · Fort Thomas, KY · Fostoria, OH · Fullerton, PA · Galion, OH · Gardendale, AL · Gaylord, MI · Glenn Heights, TX · Rio Linda, CA · Riverside, RI
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Port Townsend. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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