New Census Figures Show How Mercer Island Grew In 2018

MERCER ISLAND, WA — Mercer Island's population remained essentially flat in 2018, adding just 223 people compared to 2017, according to Census population estimates released Thursday. But the larger Seattle-Bellevue area grew by close to 55,000 people last year, and the region's population now stands at close to 4 million.

Overall, Washington gained over 110,000 residents in 2018 and had a total population of 7,535,591. According to the figures, the 2018 population for Mercer Island was 25,976, up from 25,753 in 2017. Mercer Island has grown relatively slowly since 2010, adding about 3,200 residents since 2010.

The population of the Seattle-Bellevue metropolitan area now stands at 3,939,363, an increase of 499,554 people compared to 2010. Seattle alone added 15,354 people in 2018, and added 134,316 since 2010.

But Seattle wasn't even the fastest growing city in the U.S.

According to the estimates, more people moved to Phoenix than any other American city in 2018. Phoenix was among a handful of cities mainly in the West and the South that had the largest population increases in 2018.

New York City remains America’s most populous city but more than 39,000 residents fled the Big Apple in 2018, the figures show. On the country’s opposite coast, Los Angeles — the second-most populous city — gained nearly 8,500 residents.

San Antonio, Fort Worth, Seattle and Charlotte rounded out the top five cities with the largest population increases.

Ten communities in America exceeded the 50,000-population mark in 2018 while another three crossed the 100,000-population mark.

Overall, the 15 cities with the largest population increases in 2018 were:

• Phoenix, Arizona
• San Antonio, Texas
• Fort Worth, Texas
• Seattle
• Charlotte, North Carolina
• Austin, Texas
• Jacksonville, Florida
• San Diego, California
• Denver, Colorado
• Frisco, Texas
• Columbus, Ohio
• Henderson City, Nevada
• McKinney, Texas
• Las Vegas, Nevada
• Miami, Florida

To see more Census figures for Puget Sound or other cities, head to the American FactFinder website.