Franklin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, its population was 96,749. The county seat and most populous city is Pasco. The county was formed out of Whitman County on November 28, 1883, and is named for Benjamin Franklin.
Franklin County is included in the Tri-Cities metropolitan area. Together, Kennewick, Richland and Pasco comprise Washington's Tri-Cities.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,265 square miles (3,280 km2), of which 1,242 square miles (3,220 km2) is land and 23 square miles (60 km2) (1.8%) is water.
Geographic features
- Columbia River
- Hanford Nuclear Reservation
- Juniper Dunes Wilderness
- Snake River
Major highways
- SR 260
- Interstate 182
- U.S. 12
- U.S. 395
Adjacent counties
- Adams County - north
- Whitman County - east
- Walla Walla County - southeast
- Columbia County - southeast
- Benton County - southwest
- Grant County - northwest
National protected areas
- Hanford Reach National Monument (part)
- Saddle Mountain National Wildlife Refuge (part)
Demographics
Census-designated places
- Basin City
- West Pasco
Census findings
Franklin County, along with Adams County, have the highest per capita percentage of Latino residents in the state.
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, there were 96,749 people, 28,748 households, and 22,355 families residing in the county.
2010 census
As of the 2010 census, there were 78,163 people, 23,245 households, and 18,163 families residing in the county. The population density was 62.9 inhabitants per square mile (24.3/km2). There were 24,423 housing units at an average density of 19.7 per square mile (7.6/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 60.5% white, 1.9% black or African American, 1.8% Asian, 0.7% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 31.8% from other races, and 3.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 51.2% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 13.1% were German, 6.8% were English, 6.5% were Irish, and 3.3% were American.
Of the 23,245 households, 49.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.9% were married couples living together, 13.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 21.9% were non-families, and 16.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 3.28 and the average family size was 3.68. The median age was 28.4 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $47,749 and the median income for a family was $52,218. Males had a median income of $40,604 versus $29,517 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,660. About 16.5% of families and 19.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.6% of those under age 18 and 13.7% of those age 65 or over.
The 2019 county population is estimated to be 95,222, a 21.8% increase since 2010. This far outpaces Washington State's overall growth of 13.2% over the same time interval, and puts Franklin County among the fastest-growing counties in the nation.
In 2018 the county contained 28,647 housing units.
Communities
Cities
- Connell
- Kahlotus
- Mesa
- Pasco (county seat)
Unincorporated communities
- Eltopia
- Farrington
- Harder
Former communities
- Sperry
Government
Franklin County has a Board of County Commissioners which is the governmental authority of the county. The board consists of three commissioners; they are elected by the voters and serve four-year terms. Other elected county officials include Assessor, Auditor, Clerk, Coroner, Prosecuting Attorney, Sheriff, and Treasurer.
Politics
Franklin is a strongly Republican county in Presidential elections. No Democratic presidential candidate has carried Franklin County since Lyndon B. Johnson’s 1964 landslide, and the last Democratic gubernatorial candidate it backed was Dixy Lee Ray in 1976.
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Franklin County, Washington
References
Further reading
- An illustrated history of the Big Bend country : embracing Lincoln, Douglas, Adams, and Franklin counties, state of Washington. Western Historical Pub. Co. 1904.
- Available online through the Washington State Library's Classics in Washington History collection
External links
- Franklin County, Washington at HistoryLink.org
- Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce
