Between 1990 and 2015, the number of people living in the Washington region increased by 46.7 percent, exceeding the national growth rate (29.2 percent) and gains in all but five of the 15 largest employment metros. During this 25-year period, the composition of the residents in the region changed. The age distribution of the region, like the nation, shifted and older adults accounted for a larger share of residents in 2015 than in 1990. The region also became more racially and ethnically diverse, becoming majority-minority in 2008. The percentage of female residents in the region declined slightly between 1990 and 2015 but remained higher than the national rate.
Over the next 25 years, the Washington region and the nation are forecasted to have a growing share of older adults and minorities. The implications of the changing components of the Washington region’s population on housing, transportation, education, retail and other attributes will be studied through a series of reports issued by The Stephen S. Fuller Institute in the coming months
Demographic Change in the Washington Region: 1990-2015
March 2017
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Update: Demographic Change in the Washington Region: 2015-2106
June 2017
View Full Report as PDF ›
View Executive Summary as a Blog Post ›