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Across most of America, the African American and Hispanic communities comprise "most of the minority". We're not totally sure that's a term, but it's an accurate reflection of the state of race in America.
Asians are a "minority of the minority", generally. But not everywhere.
There are now over 17 million people who identify as Asian living in America, making up 5.6% of the total population. According to the most recent American Community Survey, the Asian population in Washington is 625,682 - at 8.5% of the total population of Washington.
And, unlike African Americans that fall under one group in the Census, Asian Americans have many sub-groups -- Chinese, Filipino, and Indian being the three largest sub-groups.
So, what how does the Asian population stratify across Washington? Which cities and towns in Washington have seen the greatest increase in their Asian population?
Here are the cities in Washington with the largest Asian population in 2021:
Which city in Washington had the largest Asian population? Redmond took the number one over all spot for the largest Asian in Washington for 2021. 36.38% of Redmond identify as Asian.
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your town ranked.
To see where Washington ranked as a state on diversity, we have a ranking of the most diverse states in America.
And if you already knew these places were Asian, check out the best places to live in Washington or the most diverse places in Washington.
The 10 Most Asian Cities In Washington For 2021
/10
Population: 65,558
% Asian: 36.38%
# Of Asian Residents: 23,847
Percent Change Since 2010: 96.84%
More on Redmond: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 144,403
% Asian: 35.7%
# Of Asian Residents: 51,559
Percent Change Since 2010: 67.25%
More on Bellevue: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 11,750
% Asian: 32.89%
# Of Asian Residents: 3,864
Percent Change Since 2010: 50.58%
More on Newcastle: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 64,674
% Asian: 31.7%
# Of Asian Residents: 20,503
Percent Change Since 2010: 143.97%
More on Sammamish: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 20,196
% Asian: 24.68%
# Of Asian Residents: 4,985
Percent Change Since 2010: 45.89%
More on Tukwila: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 101,484
% Asian: 24.07%
# Of Asian Residents: 24,424
Percent Change Since 2010: 39.08%
More on Renton: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 37,965
% Asian: 23.15%
# Of Asian Residents: 8,790
Percent Change Since 2010: 92.81%
More on Issaquah: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 131,118
% Asian: 20.48%
# Of Asian Residents: 26,853
Percent Change Since 2010: 121.98%
More on Kent: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 21,336
% Asian: 19.7%
# Of Asian Residents: 4,204
Percent Change Since 2010: 52.6%
More on Mukilteo: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 25,675
% Asian: 19.28%
# Of Asian Residents: 4,949
Percent Change Since 2010: 46.42%
More on Mercer Island: Real Estate | Data | Photos
How We Determined The Cities In Washington With The Largest Asian Population For 2021
We still believe in the accuracy of data -- especially from the census. So that's where we went to get the breakdown of race across Washington.
That lead us to the Census's most recently available data, the 2015-2019 American Community Survey data from the US Census.
Specifically, we looked at table B03002: Hispanic OR LATINO ORIGIN BY RACE. Here are the category names as defined by the Census:
- Hispanic or Latino
- White alone*
- Black or African American alone*
- American Indian and Alaska Native alone*
- Asian alone*
- Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone*
- Some other race alone*
- Two or more races*
Our particular column of interest here was the number of people who identified as Asian alone.
We limited our analysis to non-CDPs with a population greater than 5,000 people. That left us with 115 cities.
We then calculated the percent of residents that are Asian. The percentages ranked from 36.4% to 0.2%.
Finally, we ranked each city based on the percent of Asian population with a higher score being more Asian than a lower score. Redmond took the distinction of being the most Asian, while Quincy was the least Asian city. You can download the data here.
Read on for more information on how the cities in Washington ranked by population of Asian residents or, for a more general take on diversity in America, head over to our ranking of the most diverse cities in America.
There You Have It - Asian Populations Across Washington
If you're looking for a breakdown of Asian populations across Washington according to the most recent data, this is an accurate list.
If you're curious enough, here are the least Asian places in Washington:
- Quincy
- Woodland
- Sunnyside
For more Washington reading, check out:
- Richest Cities In Washington
- Best Places To Retire In Washington
- Best Counties To Live In Washington
Detailed List Of The Most Asian Cities In Washington
| Rank | City | % Asian |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Redmond | 36.38% |
| 2 | Bellevue | 35.7% |
| 3 | Newcastle | 32.89% |
| 4 | Sammamish | 31.7% |
| 5 | Tukwila | 24.68% |
| 6 | Renton | 24.07% |
| 7 | Issaquah | 23.15% |
| 8 | Kent | 20.48% |
| 9 | Mukilteo | 19.7% |
| 10 | Mercer Island | 19.28% |
| 11 | Mill Creek | 19.03% |
| 12 | Lynnwood | 17.95% |
| 13 | Bothell | 17.13% |
| 14 | Shoreline | 15.49% |
| 15 | Seattle | 15.32% |
| 16 | Pacific | 15.04% |
| 17 | Kirkland | 14.36% |
| 18 | Fife | 14.21% |
| 19 | Seatac | 14.05% |
| 20 | Mountlake Terrace | 13.48% |
| 21 | Kenmore | 12.95% |
| 22 | Burien | 12.85% |
| 23 | Federal Way | 12.56% |
| 24 | Covington | 12.43% |
| 25 | Pullman | 12.04% |
| 26 | Des Moines | 11.62% |
| 27 | Auburn | 11.41% |
| 28 | Snoqualmie | 11.32% |
| 29 | Woodinville | 10.84% |
| 30 | Oak Harbor | 10.64% |
| 31 | University Place | 10.53% |
| 32 | Everett | 9.15% |
| 33 | Tacoma | 8.64% |
| 34 | Lakewood | 8.57% |
| 35 | Lacey | 8.51% |
| 36 | Camas | 8.08% |
| 37 | Normandy Park | 8.05% |
| 38 | Edmonds | 8.02% |
| 39 | Lake Forest Park | 7.74% |
| 40 | Brier | 7.13% |
| 41 | Olympia | 6.97% |
| 42 | Steilacoom | 6.85% |
| 43 | Maple Valley | 6.42% |
| 44 | Port Orchard | 6.4% |
| 45 | Gig Harbor | 6.11% |
| 46 | Marysville | 6.1% |
| 47 | Bellingham | 5.92% |
| 48 | Dupont | 5.83% |
| 49 | Bremerton | 5.78% |
| 50 | Airway Heights | 5.67% |
| 51 | Vancouver | 5.45% |
| 52 | Ferndale | 5.23% |
| 53 | Fircrest | 5.22% |
| 54 | Puyallup | 5.1% |
| 55 | Milton | 4.45% |
| 56 | Richland | 4.27% |
| 57 | Ocean Shores | 4.1% |
| 58 | Duvall | 4.04% |
| 59 | Arlington | 4.03% |
| 60 | Poulsbo | 3.91% |
| 61 | Lake Stevens | 3.77% |
| 62 | Sequim | 3.67% |
| 63 | Washougal | 3.53% |
| 64 | Liberty Lake | 3.52% |
| 65 | Bonney Lake | 3.47% |
| 66 | Burlington | 3.4% |
| 67 | Edgewood | 3.36% |
| 68 | Tumwater | 3.06% |
| 69 | Bainbridge Island | 2.99% |
| 70 | Mount Vernon | 2.96% |
| 71 | Cheney | 2.95% |
| 72 | Snohomish | 2.86% |
| 73 | Spokane | 2.69% |
| 74 | Monroe | 2.59% |
| 75 | Ellensburg | 2.58% |
| 76 | North Bend | 2.52% |
| 77 | Anacortes | 2.47% |
| 78 | Lynden | 2.44% |
| 79 | Port Angeles | 2.44% |
| 80 | Kennewick | 2.29% |
| 81 | Walla Walla | 2.27% |
| 82 | Prosser | 2.26% |
| 83 | Port Townsend | 2.2% |
| 84 | Sumner | 2.14% |
| 85 | Pasco | 2.12% |
| 86 | College Place | 1.98% |
| 87 | Longview | 1.82% |
| 88 | Moses Lake | 1.65% |
| 89 | Centralia | 1.64% |
| 90 | Ephrata | 1.56% |
| 91 | West Richland | 1.56% |
| 92 | Spokane Valley | 1.51% |
| 93 | Clarkston | 1.45% |
| 94 | Aberdeen | 1.44% |
| 95 | Kelso | 1.42% |
| 96 | Stanwood | 1.34% |
| 97 | Sedro-Woolley | 1.3% |
| 98 | Othello | 1.3% |
| 99 | Yakima | 1.27% |
| 100 | Yelm | 1.17% |
