Pierce County, Washington

Pierce County is a county in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, the population was 921,130, up from 795,225 in 2010, making it the second-most populous county in Washington, behind King County, and the 59th-most populous in the United States. The county seat and largest city is Tacoma. Formed out of Thurston County on December 22, 1852, by the legislature of Oregon Territory, it was named for U.S. President Franklin Pierce. Pierce County is in the Seattle metropolitan area (formally the Seattle-Tacoma- Bellevue, WA, metropolitan statistical area).

Pierce County is home to the volcano Mount Rainier, the tallest mountain in the Cascade Range. Its most recent recorded eruption was between 1820 and 1854. There is no imminent risk of eruption, but geologists expect that the volcano will erupt again. If this should happen, parts of Pierce County and the Puyallup Valley would be at risk from lahars, lava, or pyroclastic flows. The Mount Rainier Volcano Lahar Warning System was established in 1998 to assist in the evacuation of the Puyallup River valley in case of eruption.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (7.6%) is water. The highest natural point in Washington, Mount Rainier, at , is located in Pierce County. Rainier is locally called Tahoma or Takhoma, both native names for the mountain.

Geographic features

* Anderson Island
* Carbon River
* Cascade Range
* Case Inlet
* Commencement Bay
* Fox Island
* Herron Island
* Ketron Island
* Key Peninsula
* Lake Tapps
* McNeil Island
* Mount Rainier, highest point in both the county and Washington state.
* Nisqually River
* Puget Sound
* Puyallup River
* Raft Island
* Tacoma Narrows

Pierce County also contains the Clearwater Wilderness area.

Adjacent counties

* King County — north
* Yakima County — east
* Lewis County — south
* Thurston County — west/southwest
* Mason County — west/northwest
* Kitsap County — north/northwest

National protected areas

* Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest (part)
* Mount Rainier National Park (part)
* Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 921,130 people, and 339,840 households, and 230,520 families in the county. The population density was . There were 359,489 housing units. The racial makeup of the county was 73.1% White, 8.0% African American, 1.8% Native American, 7.4% Asian, 1.8% Pacific Islander, and 7.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 12.2% of the population.

23.2% of the population was under 18, and 6.1% of people were under 5. 14.4% of people were over 65. The gender ratio was 49.8% female and 50.2% male. The average household size was 2.65 people.

The median income for a household was $82,574, but the per capita income was $39,036. 8.2% of the population were below the poverty line.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 795,225 people, 299,918 households, and 202,174 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 325,375 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 74.2% white, 6.8% black or African American, 6.0% Asian, 1.4% Native American, 1.3% Pacific islander, 3.5% from other races, and 6.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 9.2% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 20.5% were German, 13.1% were Irish, 10.7% were English, 6.3% were Norwegian, and 4.2% were American.

Of the 299,918 households, 35.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.0% were married couples living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 32.6% were non-families, and 25.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.09. The median age was 35.9 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $57,869 and the median income for a family was $68,462. Males had a median income of $50,084 versus $38,696 for females. The per capita income for the county was $27,446. About 8.1% of families and 11.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.0% of those under age 18 and 8.2% of those age 65 or over.

History

The area was originally home to the present-day Nisqually, Puyallup, Squaxin, Steilacoom, and Muckleshoot tribes. The majority of Puyallup villages were situated in proximity to the area that would eventually develop into Tacoma, while Nisqually settlements were primarily located in what is now southern Pierce County. The tribes had two main routes: a northern path traversing Naches Pass and a southern route following the Mashel River, which connected them to Eastern Washington tribes. Trade networks among the region's indigenous peoples were well-established long before the arrival of white settlers.

In 1792 British Captain George Vancouver and his party of explorers came via ship to the shores of the region, and named a number of sites in what would become Pierce County, i.e. Mount Rainier.

In 1832 Fort Nisqually was sited by the British Hudson's Bay Company's chief trader, Archibald McDonald. It was the first permanent European settlement on the Salish Sea. In cooperation with the local indigenous people, a storehouse for blankets, seeds, and potatoes was built at the mouth of Sequalitchew Creek.

In 1839 the Nisqually Methodist Episcopal Mission was established, bringing the first U.S. citizens to settle in the Puget Sound region, near the Sequalitchew Creek canyon.

In 1841 the United States Exploring Expedition set up an observatory on the bluff near the creek to survey, map and chart the waters of Puget Sound.

In 1843 the Second Fort Nisqually was erected. Business became mainly agricultural, and the fort was relocated on a flat-plains area near the banks of Sequalitchew Creek for cattle.
The Fort Nisqually property was turned over to American control in 1859.

In 1846 the Oregon Treaty established the 49th Parallel as the boundary between British Canada and the United States, which left what was to become Pierce County on U.S. territory. In response to increasing tensions between Indians and settlers, the United States Army established Fort Steilacoom in 1849 at the site of the traditional home of the Steilacoom Tribe.

In 1850, Captain Lafayette Balch sited his land claim next to the fort and founded Port Steilacoom. In 1854 the town of Steilacoom became Washington Territory's first incorporated town.

In 1854 the Treaty of Medicine Creek was enacted between the United States and the local tribes occupying the lands of the Salish Sea. The tribes listed on the Treaty of Medicine Creek are Nisqually, Puyallup, Steilacoom, Squawskin (Squaxin Island), S'Homamish, Stehchass, T'Peeksin, Squi-aitl, and Sa-heh-wamish. The treaty was signed on December 26, 1854, by Isaac I. Stevens, governor and superintendent of Indian Affairs of Washington territory at the time. The native tribes were told the treaty would help them by paying them for some of the land. It ended up taking prime farmland and relocating the tribes onto rough reservations. Chief Leschi of the Nisqually tribe protested the treaty. He and his people marched to Olympia to have their voices heard but Isaac Stevens ordered them away. When the natives refused to leave, Isaac Stevens would eventually call martial law and - after the beginning of the Puget Sound War in 1855 - initiate a search for Chief Leschi in order to arrest him. Chief Leschi was eventually captured and put on trial. The first jury couldn't come to a verdict, so Isaac Stevens had the trial done a second time. This time Leschi was found guilty. Chief Leschi was hanged on February 19, 1858. On December 10, 2004, a historical court convened in Pierce County ruled "as a legal combatant of the Indian War Leschi should not have been held accountable under law for the death of an enemy soldier," thereby exonerating him of any wrongdoing.

Government

Pierce County has adopted and is governed by a Charter. This is allowed by section 4 of Article XI of the Washington State Constitution. The Pierce County Executive, currently Ryan Mello (D), heads the county's executive branch. The Assessor-Treasurer Marty Campbell, auditor Linda Farmer, Prosecuting Attorney Mary Robnett, and Sheriff Keith Swank.

The Pierce County Council is the elected legislative body for Pierce County and consists of seven members elected by district. The council is vested with all law-making power granted by its charter and by the State of Washington, sets county policy through the adoption of ordinances and resolutions, approves the annual budget and directs the use of county funds. The seven members of the County Council are elected from each of seven contiguous and equally populated districts, with each councilmember representing approximately 114,000 county residents. Each county councilmember is elected to serve a four-year term.

* Dave Morell (R), District 1
* Paul Herrera (R), District 2
* Amy Cruver (R), District 3
* Rosie Ayala (D), District 4
* Bryan Yambe (D), District 5
* Jani Hitchen (D), District 6
* Robyn Denson (D), District 7

Beneath the Washington Supreme Court and the Washington Court of Appeals, judicial power rests first in the Pierce County Superior Court, which is divided into 23 departments - each headed by an elected judge, as well as a clerk of the superior court and nine superior court commissioners. Below that is the Pierce County District Court - with eight elected judges, the Tacoma Municipal Court - with three elected judges, and the Pierce County Juvenile Court. Tacoma houses the Pierce County Courthouse.

The people of Pierce County voted on November 5, 1918, to create a Port District. The Port of Tacoma is Pierce County's only Port District. It is governed Port of Tacoma Commission - five Port Commissioners, who are elected at-large countywide and serve four-year terms. The Port of Tacoma owns six container terminals, one grain terminal and an auto import terminal; all of which are leased out to foreign and domestic corporations to operate. In addition, the port owns and operates two breakbulk cargo terminals.

Many charter amendments have been on the ballot in the last five years, but sequential numbering does not carry over from year-to-year.

Politics

Pierce County has long been a Democratic stronghold, though much more moderately so than neighboring King County, as Republicans typically gain over 40% of the vote in presidential elections. Since 1932 the county has only voted majority Republican in 4 elections, each of which was a national landslide Republican victory. Democratic support lies mainly in Tacoma itself, while much of the southeast part of the county is strongly Republican.

Pierce County is split between three U.S. congressional districts:
* Washington's 6th congressional district includes the city of Tacoma west of Washington State Route 7, Gig Harbor, and the Key Peninsula. The 6th district has been represented since 2025 by Emily Randall

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