South African Population in Washington by City : 2025 Ranking & Insights

The South African population in Washington totals 2,351, according to recent U.S. Census estimates. Leading cities include Seattle (335), followed by Mill Creek (167) and Sammamish (143), each hosting visible segments of the community. While these urban centers anchor much of the population, the statewide total points to a broader presence in unincorporated areas and smaller towns beyond major city boundaries. The analysis below explores how South African residents are distributed across Washington''s urban and rural landscape.

Top 5 cities with the largest South African population in Washington

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  • 1
    Seattle
    South African population in Seattle is 335
    0.05% of Seattle population is South African
  • 2
    Mill Creek
    South African population in Mill Creek is 167
    0.80% of Mill Creek population is South African
  • 3
    Sammamish
    South African population in Sammamish is 143
    0.22% of Sammamish population is South African
  • 4
    Shoreline
    South African population in Shoreline is 108
    0.18% of Shoreline population is South African
  • 5
    Tacoma
    South African population in Tacoma is 105
    0.05% of Tacoma population is South African

Overview of South African population in Washington

  • Population Count and Percentage: American Community Survey data indicate Washington contains 2,351 South African residents (0.03% of 7.7 million total state population), positioning the state at the 85th percentile nationally among U.S. states for South African population concentrations.
  • Comparison to State and National Averages: U.S. Census data records indicate Washington's South African population of 0.03% exceeds the national average of 0.025% by a factor of 1.2.
  • Share of Total National Population: Official American Community Survey records show Washington hosts 2,351 South African residents, representing 2.8% of the nation's total South African population of 83,184, establishing the state as a significant demographic concentration center within national boundaries.
  • Population Density per Square Mile: U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey data show Washington maintains 0.035 South African Americans per square mile compared to the national average of 0.024, indicating higher demographic concentration relative to national averages.
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238 Cities in Washington Ranked by South African Population

View Methodology
American Community Survey data [1] show South African population in Washington present in Seattle, Mill Creek, and Sammamish, along with several other incorporated cities reporting non-zero populations. The table below provides broader statistics, including total population figures, density measures, and demographic distributions based on current ACS data for all incorporated cities included in this analysis*.
cities in Washington ranked by South African population count
Rank by South African Population
City
South African Population
% of Total City Population
% of Total Washington South African Population
5 Year Rank Trend
1 Seattle 335 0.05% 14.25%
2 Mill Creek 167 0.80% 7.10%
3 Sammamish 143 0.22% 6.08%
4 Shoreline 108 0.18% 4.59%
5 Tacoma 105 0.05% 4.47%
6 Renton 102 0.10% 4.34%
7 Bellevue 97 0.06% 4.13%
8 91 0.72% 3.87%
9 85 0.40% 3.62%
9 85 0.11% 3.62%
10 78 0.03% 3.32%
11 57 0.69% 2.42%
12 51 0.06% 2.17%
13 50 0.20% 2.13%
13 50 0.47% 2.13%
14 42 0.05% 1.79%
15 31 0.12% 1.32%
16 30 0.05% 1.28%
17 29 0.07% 1.23%
18 24 0.31% 1.02%
19 23 0.05% 0.98%
20 21 0.11% 0.89%
21 19 0.04% 0.81%
22 17 0.11% 0.72%
22 17 0.01% 0.72%
23 14 0.04% 0.60%
24 13 0.01% 0.55%
24 13 0.02% 0.55%
24 13 0.13% 0.55%
25 12 0.03% 0.51%
26 10 0.59% 0.43%
27 9 0.04% 0.38%
28 8 0.04% 0.34%
28 8 0.02% 0.34%
29 7 0.04% 0.30%
30 6 0.01% 0.26%
31 5 0.19% 0.21%
31 5 0.01% 0.21%
32 2 0.02% 0.09%
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Need the complete table? Full rankings and the underlying data sets for California and other locations are available for purchase or license.

Methodology

This ranking list is based on data from the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. The ACS is one of the most reliable sources for understanding population trends across different locations, and it provides estimates for various racial and ethnic groups at city, county, state and all geography levels down to the Census block group.
This list ranks city in Washington by their South African population, using the most recent ACS data available.

How the Census defines South African population

The U.S. Census Bureau allows people to self-identify their ancestry, meaning individuals can write upto ancestries when responding to the survey. In this ranking, we include everyone who identifies as having South African ancestry, whether alone or in combination with another ancestry.
Here are a few important things to know about how ancestry is reported:
  • Some people identify as South African alone, while others identify as South African along with another race (such as South African and German).
  • We’ve used the “South African alone or in any combination” category unless noted otherwise, which gives a broader picture of the South African population in each area.

How We Ranked the Data

This ranking is based on the total number of people who identified as South African alone or in combination in city. To provide additional context, we’ve also included two key percentages:
  1. % of Total City Population – This shows what percentage of the total state population identifies as South African .
  2. % of Total Washington South African Population – This tells us how much of the entire U.S. South African population lives in that state.
To keep things simple, all population numbers have been rounded to the nearest whole number, and percentages are rounded to one decimal place. Because of rounding, some percentages may not add up to exactly 100%.

Things to Keep in Mind

Like all survey-based data, ACS estimates come with some limitations. Here are a few things to be aware of:
  • In places with very small South African populations, the numbers may not be reported at all due to privacy protections or sampling variability in the survey.
  • Since the ACS is based on a sample, the numbers are estimates, not exact counts. That means they may slightly differ from other sources like the decennial U.S. Census.
  • City that don’t have any reported South African population are not included in the ranking but are listed separately below for reference.
This ranking is meant to provide a clear, data-driven look at where South African populations are most concentrated while keeping the numbers easy to understand.

Sources

  1. 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates.
  2. 2023.