Seattle-area grew so much last year, we grew a Bellingham

New Census Bureau data shows our metropolitan region is one of the fastest-growing in the US.

Seattle-Tacoma gained 88,000 people from July 2015 to July 2016, according to the Bureau’s estimates. That’s like gaining a whole new Bellingham or Federal Way.

In the heart of it all is King County, the big jobs generator. It ranks fourth on the list of fast-growing counties by population gain.

King County’s population is growing because of tech jobs, which are in turn creating opportunities for other workers. Unemployment is low, according to the state, and tech companies such as Amazon are promising more hiring. So more growth is on the way.

For all of Puget Sound’s growth, it can’t top bigger metropolitan centers such as Dallas, Houston and Los Angeles. Those centers are growing more than we are, in sheer numbers of people. Dallas-Fort Worth, for example, gained 148,000 new residents.