Skagit County Trends – January 2023

In PEOPLE:

0.4.1 Registered Voters
The number of registered voters in an area can be an essential indicator of that area’s civic involvement. Skagit County has demonstrated a slowly increasing share of persons registered to vote since the mid-2000s, and now boasts a 82.4% share of persons registered to vote.

0.4.2 Voter Participation Rate
Following overall trends, Skagit County has had substantial voter turnout for presidential elections since 1996, but has seen fluctuating voter turnout for both midterm and off-year elections. There was a decrease in voter turnout in Skagit County from 73.4% in the 2018 midterm election to 67.1% in the 2022 midterm election.

In ECONOMIC VITALITY:

2.1.1 Per Capita Personal Income
Per capita personal income is an essential economic indicator that reflects the prosperity of a region. Per capita personal income, overall, has increased greatly overtime for Skagit County, and now sits at $64,093 for 2021, very close to the national per capita personal income.

In EDUCATION:

3.1.2 Kindergartener Readiness
Kindergartner readiness is a measure that determines the level of readiness of incoming kindergartners in six important domains. Since 2015-2016, Skagit County has not matched Washington’s state increasing share of kindergarteners demonstrating readiness in all six domains. As of the 2021-2022 school year, 38.1% of Skagit County kindergarteners were ready in all six domains, 27.4% in 4 to 5 domains, 17.7% in 2 to 3 domains, and 17.7% in 0 to 1 domains.

3.2.4 Students in Special Education
Skagit County has seen a slight increase since 1998 in the enrollment of students in special education. Notably, the 2020-2021 school year saw a decrease in special education enrollment, likely due to the impacts of COVID-19 on education, especially for students with special needs. The 2021-2022 saw an increase in the share of special education enrollment from 14.3% to 15.9%.

3.2.5 English Language Learners
The number of English Language Learner (ELL) students in Skagit County has been increasing slightly since 2004-2005. While Skagit County has mirrored Washington state’s trend of increasing shares of ELL students, Skagit County has a notably higher share of ELL students than the state.

In ENVIRONMENT:

4.2.1 Population Density
Population density is an important indicator of an urban area’s population and growth. Skagit County’s densest areas in terms of population, as of 2022, is Sedro-Woolley and Mount Vernon, both with almost double the population density of Anacortes.

In HEALTH:

5.1.8 Recipients of Opioid Prescriptions per 1,000 Residents
With changing medical policies and understandings on prescribing opioids, the rate of recipients of opioid prescriptions per 1,000 residents has dropped significantly across Washington state. This is the same for Skagit County. As of Q2 of 2022, 54.1 out of 1,000 residents of Skagit County receive an opioid prescription, cutting the Q2 of 2013 rate in half.

In PUBLIC SAFETY:

7.1.5 Victims of Child Abuse and Neglect
The rate of child abuse and neglect in Skagit County has fluctuated over time since 2004. The rate of abused and neglected children reached its peak in 2019 at 55.0 children per 1,000 youth, and now sits at 49.0 as of 2021. Skagit County has mirrored Washington state in this indicator since around 2016, but still has a greater rate than the state.

7.2.4 Total Youth Suicides and Suicide Attempts
Following national and state trends, youth suicides increased in Skagit County during 2020 due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on youth mental health. Skagit County currently has a higher suicide and suicide attempt rate than Washington state.

updated 01.11.23