The 2020 Census numbers are collated and crunched and – guess what? – Port Townsend is still old and getting older.
If there was such thing as a demographic profile of PT and Jefferson County, she would be a white woman, pushing 60, college-educated, who lives alone or with her spouse in a home that was worth $350,000 a couple years ago.
But that profile would miss some more unsettling statistics, including fewer kids, an imbalance of low household income and high housing costs, and a poverty rate 50 percent higher than the statewide rate.
So let’s take things one at a time. The following tables summarize 2020 Census data for Port Townsend and for Jefferson County (including PT) plus, for purposes of comparison, Clallam County and statewide.
Population: From 2010 to 2020, Port Townsend and Jefferson County grew by about 9 percent – slightly more than Clallam, but lower than the statewide rate of 12.7 percent.
| Population 2020 | Change from 2010 | |
| Port Townsend | 10148 | +8.8% |
| Jefferson County | 32977 | +9.6% |
| Clallam County | 77155 | +7.4% |
| Washington State | 7705281 | +12.7% |
Age: Jeffco’s median age (half the population is older and half is younger) is 59 years. That makes Jefferson the oldest county in the state, and one of the oldest in the US. Port Townsend is slightly lower at 56 years. So we are nearly a generation older than the rest of Washington. At the other end, fewer and fewer of us are kids. Just 11.8 percent of Jefferson’s population is under 18, compared to 21.8 percent statewide. An aging population brings a range of consequences for housing, health care, schools and employment — some of which we explored in an earlier posting Senior city? Why should we care?
Race and ethnicity: Port Townsend is overwhelmingly white, 93.1 percent compared to 67.5 percent statewide. African Americans make up just 1 percent of the county population, with 4 percent Hispanic, 2 percent Asian and 2% Native American.
| Black | Hispanic | Asian | Native American | White | |
| Port Townsend | .9% | 4.1% | 1.6% | 1.1% | 93.1% |
| Jefferson County | 1.1% | 3.8% | 2.0% | 2.2% | 88.2% |
| Clallam County | 1.2% | 6.6% | 1.9% | 5.6% | 82.4% |
| Washington State | 4.4% | 13.0% | 9.6% | .8% | 67.5% |
Gender: Women in Jeffco outnumber men by 1800, enough to fill the Rose Theater 11 times. (To our knowledge, this has never happened.) Jefferson is 52.7 percent women, compared to 49.9 percent statewide.
| Port Townsend | 52.7% |
| Jefferson County | 51.1% |
| Clallam County | 50.6% |
| Washington State | 49.9% |
Business ownership: More PT businesses are owned by women than by men. (The gender columns don’t add up because the total also includes firms owned by gender ambiguous corporations.)
Population Density: Ok, who cares? But, while Jefferson is one of the least densely populated counties, PT is quite …. ummm…. dense.
| Land Area Sq. Miles | Population per square mile | |
| Port Townsend | 6.98 | 1305.80 |
| Jefferson County | 1,803 | 16.6 |
| Clallam County | 1,738 | 41.1 |
| Washington State | 66,455 | 101.2 |
Housing: Port Townsend’s rate of home ownership is the same as the statewide rate, but Jeffco’s is higher. This reflects more apartment rentals in PT than in county communities such as Kala Point or Cape George. Home values are rising so fast that the median value may be meaningless, but a couple years ago they were close to the statewide median.
| Percent owner-occupied | Median value 2020 | |
| Port Townsend | 62.4% | $352,400 |
| Jefferson County | 15051 | $362,300 |
| Clallam County | 33197 | $267,900 |
| Washington State | 2,905,822 | $366,800 |
Household size: This is simple division – population divided by the number of homes. With a rate of 1.90, Port Townsend’s rate is one of the state’s lowest – few kids and lots of single-person households.
| Households | Persons per household | |
| Port Townsend | 5039 | 1.90 |
| Jefferson County | 15051 | 2.06 |
| Clallam County | 33197 | 2.27 |
| Washington State | 2,905,822 | 2.53 |
Education level: Nearly 54 percent of Port Townsend residents have a college degree, one of the highest rates in the state, almost twice the rate of Clallam County – a difference that reflects the number of retirees here.
Percent HS grad/ BA degree or higher
Jefferson County 96.3% 42.5%
Port Townsend 98.7% 53.8%
Clallam County 92.1% 28.8%
Washington State 91.7% 36.7%
| Percentage HS Grad | BA degree or higher | |
| Port Townsend | 96.3% | 42.5% |
| Jefferson County | 98.7% | 53.8% |
| Clallam County | 92.1% | 28.8% |
| Washington State | 91.7% | 36.7% |
Income: Median incomes in the city and county are much lower than statewide. This probably reflects income & investments of mostly-secure pensioners. In addition, we are a rural county that is reliant on tourism, natural resources, a paper mill, hospital and other non-technical work compared with high earned tech incomes in Seattle and other urban areas. On the other end, however, Port Townsend’s 14.2 percent poverty rate is 50 percent greater than the statewide rate.
| County | Median household income | Per capita income | Poverty rate |
| Port Townsend | $53,690 | $38,915 | 14.2% |
| Jefferson County | $57,693 | $38,176 | 10.6% |
| Clallam County | $55,090 | $31,601 | 13.3% |
| Washington State | $77,006 | $40,837 | 9.5% |
Health: An aging population translates to more people with disabilities, but fewer people living without health insurance.
| Port Townsend | 11.3% | 6.1% |
| Jefferson County | 10.8% | 8.6% |
| Clallam County | 13.5% | 9.7% |
| Washington State | 8.8% | 7.7% |
In future articles we hope to explore these numbers in greater detail.
Thanks so much for this report. I have been wondering if PT broke the 10,000 mark and so, it seems, we have. So glad to know that you are here and still reporting!
The biggest problem Jefferson County has had in the last 50 or so years is making it possible for young people to live in the community they grew up in. Most can’t find a job so cannot afford to live here. What a pity. Another statistic that would be interesting is how many older residents have been in the same house for many years because they can’t afford to move anywhere else. Their homes they bought in the 1970s and 1980s are worth a lot more, so they stay because they love the area and they have a home paid for. Some seniors have to sell their homes in order to afford long term care. The idea of living in the home is the ideal solutions but who’s going to care for them. One of the things I love about Jefferson County is people are so giving and friendly. I would hate for the town to turn into a over 55 community. (or has it already?) Young people keep us involved in what’s happening in the world. I get tired of talking about my aches and pains.
Thanks for another great analysis Ross! I’d love to write more family history and other research but am always swamped.
An enlightening and entertaining look at us. I hope you do drill down on the portion of our people who live in poverty. Wouldn’t it be great if this community could turn that number around.