Seattle metropolitan area
The Seattle metropolitan area is an urban conglomeration in the U.S. state of Washington that comprises Seattle, its surrounding satellites and suburbs. The United States Census Bureau defines the Seattle–Tacoma–Bellevue, WA metropolitan statistical area as the three most populous counties in the state: King, Pierce, and Snohomish. Seattle has the 15th largest metropolitan statistical area (MSA) in the United States with a population of 4,018,762 as of the 2020 census, over half of Washington's total population.
"Seattle Metro" redirects here. For the public transit authority of Seattle and surrounding areas, see King County Metro.
Seattle metropolitan area
Seattle (762,500)
6,308.67 sq mi (16,339.4 km2)
5,869.72 sq mi (15,202.5 km2)
438.95 sq mi (1,136.9 km2)
Mount Rainier
14,411 ft (4,392 m)
Sea level
0 ft (0 m)
4,018,762
4,044,837
685/sq mi (264/km2)
$517.803 billion (2022)
53-42660
The area is considered part of the greater Puget Sound region, which largely overlaps with the Seattle Combined Statistical Area (CSA). The Seattle metropolitan area is home to a large tech industry and is the headquarters of several major companies, including Microsoft and Amazon. The area's geography is varied and includes the lowlands around Puget Sound and the Cascade Mountains; the highest peak in the metropolitan area is Mount Rainier, which has a summit elevation of 14,411 feet (4,392 m) and is one of the tallest mountains in the United States.
Government and politics[edit]
The Seattle MSA comprises three counties, nine federally recognized tribes, and 77 municipalities classified as cities or towns, each with their own governments.[148] These include 39 municipalities in King County, 23 in Pierce County, and 20 in Snohomish County; several cities also extend beyond the borders of a single county.[149] Approximately 71 percent of Puget Sound region residents live in an incorporated city or town; the rest are in unincorporated areas under the direct jurisdiction of counties, which act as the local government.[150][151] These developed unincorporated areas generally lie within the urban growth areas for existing cities that could annex them or in county-designated areas that would allow communities to vote for incorporation.[152][153] The incorporated city and town governments vary between mayor–council and council–manager systems, the latter using a council-appointed city manager to handle administration.[154]
All three counties have a home rule charter and are led by an elected county executive and a county council with members representing geographic districts.[155][156] The elections for the county executive and council, along with other major offices, are held in even-numbered years for Pierce County and odd-numbered years in King and Snohomish counties.[157][158] The county governments are responsible for various duties for all residents that are generally delegated to other elected and appointed officials, including the assessor, clerk, coroner and medical examiner, prosecuting attorney, and treasurer.[159] These duties include organization of elections and voter registration, enforcement of land use regulations, management of vital records, property assessment, tax collection, public health, and building inspections.[151][160] The counties also manage the criminal justice system, including the superior and district courts, public defenders, and jails.[161]
The Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC), the designated metropolitan planning organization for the Seattle MSA and Kitsap County, has voluntary membership from 82 municipalities, four tribes, four public ports, and six public transit operators.[150][162] It maintains a long-range plan for population growth, economic development, and regional transportation that is overseen by an executive board and general assembly of all members.[148][150] The organization also distributes state and federal funding for projects within the four-county area.[163] Other inter-county organizations include special districts and regional authorities for conservation, transit, libraries, and firefighting; as of 2007, there are over 220 special purpose districts in the Seattle metropolitan area.[149] Tax rates are set by local governments and can vary due to contributions to special districts; the combined sales tax ranges from 8.1% in parts of Pierce County to 10.6% in several Snohomish County cities, the highest rate in the state.[164][165]
The Seattle MSA is part of seven congressional districts (the 1st, 2nd, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th) that each elect a member of the United States House of Representatives.[166] The boundaries are redrawn every 10 years by the state's independent redistricting commission based on the results of the decennial census.[167] The 8th district is the only one to span all three counties, taking the rural eastern portions and including areas east of the Cascade Mountains.[168] According to the 2022 Cook Partisan Voting Index, six of the congressional districts lean towards Democratic candidates while the 8th district is even between both major parties.[169] In the state legislature, the metropolitan area is part of 28 districts that each elect two House members to a two-year term and one senator to a four-year term.[170][171] By the 2021 session, almost all legislative districts in the region were represented solely by Democrats in the Senate and House, with the exception of exurban districts.[172] According to a 2022 marketing survey by Nielsen, the Seattle metropolitan area is tied for the eighth highest percentage of adults who favored the Democratic Party, at nearly 55 percent—an 11-point increase from a similar survey conducted in 2004.[173] The area also decides most statewide elections due to their large population, which has contributed to an unbroken line of Democratic governors since 1984.[174]