Washington state’s 10 fastest growing cities 

We here in the “evergreen state” are for the most part proud of our state. It’s beauty, culture, and communities. Over the years a place can change quite a bit so I thought it would be interesting to find out what cities are growing the fastest in Washington. 

I ran across several lists online, but I thought this one from movoto.com was the most interesting. Movoto.com is a real-estate web site that I think gives us a little more insight into what are the drivers for growth in a particular town. 

Here is what we have.

10. Bellevue

This is a bigger city, but the natural setting of this place alone is worth the trip.  Lots of people want to see the “beautiful view” and live near it. 

9. Ferndale

The little city of Ferndale is all about community.  With festivals, picnics, parades, and even races throughout the year. Between 2010 and 2014, the population rose a total of over 11 percent, 

8. Pasco

Pasco is one that makes up the Tri-Cities area of Washington, along with Kennewick and Richland. However, this place definitely has a style all its own. They are now up to their 5th Annuel Pasco Chamber Crawfish festival July 15th.  

7. Snoqualmie

Just off I-90, Snoqualmie is by far the smallest place on the list. I drive by there all the time but hardly ever stop. You might want to keep an eye on this place in the future. This city won’t be so little much longer.  

6. West Richland

West Richland has seen pretty steady growth over the last five years. On a personal note I know we have listeners and contest winners in West Richland. West Richland is often very green, very small-town in feel, and is near much larger cities such as Kennewick. 

5. Port Orchard

Port Orchard is a beautiful place to be. The views of the mountains are stellar, the port is gorgeous, It’s no surprise that people would want to live there.  

4. Bothell

The downtown has had a bit of a facelift. There was a massive jump in population due to annexation. From 2013 to 2014, the population jumped almost 21 percent. Bothell grew a total of about 24.3 percent over a five year span. 

3. Kent

Certainly one of the largest cities on the list, with a population of about 121,000 in 2014.   

2. Burien

This is the town where I grew up back in the day. It is a very different town now. For five year growth, Burien did well in general, growing a total of almost 45 percent measured from 2011, easily making it the second fastest growing city in the state. 

1. Kirkland

The 12th largest city in the state, Kirkland grew a total of over 69 percent over only five years, You have access to shopping, entertainment and Seattle is close by. Kirkland is also close to the “tech hub” that is Redmond.