Population 661 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in West Sound
Household size in West Sound
| Period | West Sound | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.00 | 2.56 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.01 | 2.62 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.02 | 2.62 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 1.99 | 2.61 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.02 | +0.05 | −0.03 |
West Sound is a place of small households, averaging 1.99 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children.
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 West Sound
| Period | West Sound | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 49.6 | 38.0 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 54.3 | 38.7 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 53.8 | 39.3 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 60.5 | 39.6 | 40.1 |
| Change | +10.9 | +1.6 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 60.5, West Sound is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. The median age has climbed from 49.6 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 West Sound
| Period | West Sound | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.7% | 10.9% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.3% | 10.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 5.4% | 10.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.2% | 10.1% | 11.6% |
| Change | −8.5 pts | −0.8 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 2.2% of households in West Sound, well below the national share of 11.6%.
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 West Sound
Renters in West Sound
| Period | West Sound | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.5% | 35.2% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 33.0% | 37.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 25.8% | 37.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 16.6% | 36.2% | 34.8% |
| Change | −17.0 pts | +1.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
West Sound is largely a place of homeowners: only 16.6% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Just over half of owners (51.8%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%.
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 West Sound
| Period | West Sound | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.2% | 9.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 44.6% | 9.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 44.6% | 8.2% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 39.2% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
| Change | +4.0 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 39.2% of the housing in West Sound, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
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 West Sound
| Period | West Sound | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1981 | 1977 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1985 | 1979 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1989 | 1980 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1985 | 1984 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +6 | +6 |
Homes in West Sound are a bit newer than the national norm: the median home was built in 1985, versus 1980 across the U.S. That is in line with the rest of Washington.
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 West Sound
| Period | West Sound | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $932 | $1,018 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $817 | $1,127 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $944 | $1,390 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,160 | $1,875 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$228 | +$858 | +$606 |
The median renter in West Sound pays $1,160 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 22.4% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
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 West Sound
Bachelor's degrees in West Sound
| Period | West Sound | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 47.3% | 31.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 48.0% | 32.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 51.0% | 35.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 66.1% | 38.8% | 35.6% |
| Change | +18.8 pts | +7.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
West Sound is highly educated: about two-thirds of adults 25 and older (66.1%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, far above the national share of 35.6%.
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 West Sound
| Period | West Sound | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 95.7% | 89.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 95.7% | 90.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 95.0% | 91.0% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 97.6% | 91.9% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.9 pts | +2.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in West Sound: 97.6% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%.
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 West Sound
| Period | West Sound | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1.3% | 7.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.5% | 8.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.3% | 5.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.8% | 5.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | +6.6 pts | −2.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in West Sound: 7.8% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above the national rate of 5.4%. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's 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).
West Sound 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Sound | 1.99 | 60.5 | 2.2% | 16.6% | 39.2% | 1985 | $1,160 | 66.1% | 97.6% | 7.8% |
| Deer Harbor | 2.02 | 57.8 | 1.7% | 20.3% | 46.4% | 1983 | $1,207 | 68.7% | 98.0% | 7.2% |
| Orcas | 1.95 | 62.8 | 3.9% | 13.7% | 37.8% | 1985 | $1,154 | 58.8% | 97.2% | 7.0% |
| Eastsound | 2.01 | 51.9 | 9.7% | 22.5% | 29.6% | 1990 | $1,560 | 49.8% | 93.4% | 5.2% |
| Waldron | 1.84 | 51.8 | 8.4% | 16.1% | 41.3% | 1984 | $1,010 | 45.5% | 98.2% | 5.8% |
| Olga | 1.99 | 57.5 | 9.7% | 24.1% | 42.8% | 1985 | $1,997 | 57.9% | 95.8% | 10.2% |
| Shaw Island | 2.12 | 56.1 | 5.9% | 22.2% | 29.4% | 1986 | $1,246 | 52.0% | 97.7% | 2.7% |
| Blakely Island | 1.95 | 59.6 | 5.9% | 18.7% | 55.4% | 1981 | $1,385 | 51.1% | 97.7% | 4.7% |
| Friday Harbor | 2.07 | 54.9 | 5.2% | 24.0% | 21.9% | 1990 | $1,620 | 50.9% | 95.5% | 2.1% |
| Port Stanley | 1.96 | 59.9 | 6.2% | 17.4% | 56.4% | 1981 | $1,281 | 50.4% | 97.6% | 3.2% |
| Roche Harbor | 1.88 | 63.3 | 1.5% | 14.6% | 59.9% | 1992 | $1,393 | 61.9% | 99.3% | 0.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Wilton, NC · Harrodsburg, IN · Haverhill, NH · Worcester, VT · Hestertown, NC · Woodsprings, AZ · Hollansburg, OH · Homecroft, IN · Woodridge, VA · Wolsey, SD
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 West Sound. 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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