Population Density and Land Area Criteria Used for Rural Area Assistance and Other Programs
Annual July Update
This information has been prepared by the Office of Financial Management.
In 1999, the Washington Legislature designed an economic assistance plan to aid rural distressed areas throughout the state. In this legislation, "rural county" was defined as a "county with a population density less than 100 persons per square mile." Several statutes now use this definition for tax and other assistance programs.
Subsequent legislation expanded the definition to include "...a county smaller than two hundred twenty-five square miles." However, some statues will not use the revised definition until July 1, 2009. Eligible counties by each criteria are listed below. The statutes shown below may not represent all statutes using these definitions.
| A county with a population density less than 100 persons per square mile as of April 1, 2008 per RCW 43.160.020, RCW 43.168.020, RCW 43.330.086, RCW 53.08.005, and RCW 82.16.0491. | ||
|---|---|---|
| Adams (9.25) | Grant (31.55) | Pend Oreille (9.14) |
| Asotin (33.68) | Grays Harbor (36.99) | San Juan (92.04) |
| Benton (97.18) | Jefferson (15.87) | Skagit (67.72) |
| Chelan (24.68) | Kittitas (17.15) | Skamania (6.46) |
| Clallam (39.78) | Klickitat (10.74) | Stevens (17.63) |
| Columbia (4.72) | Lewis (31.03) | Wahkiakum (15.52) |
| Cowlitz (86.95) | Lincoln (4.50) | Walla Walla (46.12) |
| Douglas (20.32) | Mason (58.58) | Whatcom (90.11) |
| Ferry (3.49) | Okanogan (7.61) | Whitman (19.91) |
| Franklin (56.50) | Pacific (23.37) | Yakima (54.91) |
| Garfield (3.24) | ||
| A county with a population density less than 100 persons per square mile or a county smaller than two hundred twenty-five square miles as of April 1, 2008 per RCW 82.04.4483, RCW 82.04.4484, RCW 82.14.370, and RCW 82.60.020. | ||
|---|---|---|
| Adams (9.25) | Grant (31.55) | Pend Oreille (9.14) |
| Asotin (33.68) | Grays Harbor (36.99) | San Juan (92.04) |
| Benton (97.18) | Island (380.46) | Skagit (67.72) |
| Chelan (24.68) | Jefferson (15.87) | Skamania (6.46) |
| Clallam (39.78) | Kittitas (17.15) | Stevens (17.63) |
| Columbia (4.72) | Klickitat (10.74) | Wahkiakum (15.52) |
| Cowlitz (86.95) | Lewis (31.03) | Walla Walla (46.12) |
| Douglas (20.32) | Lincoln (4.50) | Whatcom (90.11) |
| Ferry (3.49) | Mason (58.58) | Whitman (19.91) |
| Franklin (56.50) | Okanogan (7.61) | Yakima (54.91) |
| Garfield (3.24) | Pacific (23.37) | |
Sources:
Related information:
- References to Population Density in Washington Law
- Distressed Areas List for 2008 - counties with three year average unemployment rates equal to or greater than 120 percent of the statewide unemployment rate (Employment Security Department)
Last modified: March 17, 2009
E-mail: OFM.Forecasting@ofm.wa.gov
