Census: Shoreline, LFP Slightly More Racially Diverse, Older and Losing Population

While the state of Washington’s population has increased 14.1 percent since 2000, the city of Shoreline has seen no overall increase while Lake Forest Park has declined in population.

Both cities are becoming more racially diverse and older, according to new U.S. Census figures released today.

Shoreline’s population declined by 18 people from 53,025 to 53,007, Census figures show.

Neighboring Lake Forest Park declined even more in overall population dropping from a city of 13,142 in 2000 to 12,598 in 2010, a 4.1 decrease.

Shoreline went from being the 13th largest city in the state in 2000 to the 19th largest in 2010.

What it all means will take further examination of household data and its components, said Rob Beem, community services manager for the city of Shoreline. 

"At that growth level I'm awaiting further information," Beem said.  "I don't know what to say without access to the underlying data...The issue for us is what's happened to household size. We can speak more knowledgably when we can look at the component parts of things." 

The numbers are important to states, counties and cities because they help determined how more than $400 billion in federal funding is distributed, for things such as schools, roads, public works projects, job training, low-income education support and how U.S. House of Representative seats are apportioned. Washington will gain one Congressional seat, most likely in the Olympia area.

Washington state’s population rose reached 6,724,540 in 2010. The state is slightly more diverse, with 77 percent of the population identifying themselves as white, vs. 82 percent in 2000.

 The Hispanic and Latino population grew the fastest, rising 71 percent to about three-quarters of a million people. That group makes up about 11 percent of the state’s population, up from 7.5 percent in 2000.

Among people who identified themselves as one race, the population of native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders grew the fastest, up 69 percent. Asians grew 49 percent; blacks grew 26 percent; American Indian and Alaska natives grew 11 percent; and the white population rose just under 8 percent. People who identified themselves as “Some Other Race” rose 53 percent."

 People who identified themselves as two or more races rose 47 percent. They’re still just a small portion of the population, at about 313,000, or just under 5 percent.

King County’s population grew 11 percent from 2000 to 2010.

In Shoreline, the population became more racially and ethnically diverse in the last 10 years.

Shoreline's white population fell from 40,824 in 2000 or 77 percent of the population to 37,849 or 71.4 percent of the population in 2010. The black population nearly doubled increasing from 1,467 or 2.8 percent to 2,652 or 5 percent. The Asian population also rose going form 7,016 or 13.2 percent to 8,051 or 15.2 percent. Hispanics or Latinos, who can by of any race, increased from 2,054 or 3.9 percent to 3,493 or 6.6 percent.

People who identify with two or more races increased from 2,266 to 2,678, going from 4.3 percent to 5.1 percent of the population. 

Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders maintained the same percentage of the population 0.3 percent, increasing in number by only four, 168 to 172. American Indians and Alaskan Natives declined in population from 485 to 442, falling from 0.9 percent to 0.8 percent. 

In 2000, 77.5 percent of Shoreline's population was 18-or-older; by 2010, 80.9 percent was 18-or-older. 

Lake Forest Park became slightly more racially and ethnically diverse and older.

LFP's white population dropped from 11,213 or 85.3 to 10,456 or 83 percent of the total.

The Asian population increased from 1,043 or 7.9 percent to 1,105 or 8.8 percent.

The Hispanic population increased from 294 or 2.2 percent to 455 or 3.6 percent.

The black population increased from 216 or 1.6 percent to 229 or 1.8 percent.

The American Indian or Alaskan Native population increased from 56 or 0.4 percent to 77 or 0.6 percent.

The Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander population increased from 15 or 0.1 percent to 23 or 0.2 percent.

People identifying with two or more races increased from 476 or 3.6 percent to 588 or 4.7 percent.

In 2000, 77.4 percent of Lake Forest Park's population was 18-or-older; by 2010 more than 79.2 percent of the population was 18-or-older. 

Shoreline was passed in population by four growing cities counted in both the 2000 and 2010 Census: Renton (90,927, 2010 pop.) Auburn (70,180 pop.), Marysville (60,020 pop.) and Pasco (59,781 pop.).

Meanwhile, stagnant growth trend in Shoreline has been apparent in the Shoreline School District, which includes Lake Forest Park, which had a 4.1 percent drop in population.

The District’s enrollment in October 2000 was 10,202 and today it is about 8,800.

The district closed two elementary schools, North City and Sunset, at the end of the 2006-2007 school year.

“We’ve continued to decline somewhat since then,” district spokesman Craig Degginger said.

The district’s demographer, told the district staff in 2006 that Shoreline’s enrollment would fall in the earlier part of this decade and then slowly start to increase in 2013, Degginger said. 

The top six most populous Washington cities remained unchanged. They are, respectively: Seattle, Spokane, Tacoma, Vancouver, Bellevue and Everett.

At the county level, King County is still home to the most people: 1,931,249 in 2010, up from 1,737,034 in 2000. That change represents an 11.2 percent change in population.

Look for more census data and analysis later today as this story develops. 

Assistant regional editor Margaret Santjer and Kirkland Patch Editor Greg Johnston contributed to this report.