Seattle has entered the top five fastest-growing U.S. cities, launched a pilot of smart public restrooms and is monitoring a rare hantavirus among passengers from a cruise ship.
New census data: Seattle ranks among the five fastest-growing U.S. cities
While large American cities overall are showing slower population growth, Seattle unexpectedly emerged among the leaders. According to fresh estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau released Thursday, between July 1, 2024 and July 1, 2025 the Pacific coast city gained more than 11,000 new residents. That put Seattle fifth in absolute population increase among all U.S. cities with at least 20,000 residents, behind southern giants such as Charlotte (North Carolina), Fort Worth and San Antonio (Texas), and the Texas city of Celina. As a result, Seattle’s total population is now estimated at 784,777 people.
This growth looks especially striking against the backdrop of slowing demographic dynamics in megacities. Census Bureau analysts note that average growth rates in cities with more than 250,000 people sharply declined — from 0.9% in 2023–2024 to just 0.3% in 2024–2025. In the U.S. West, which includes Seattle, the drop was similarly notable: from 0.8% to 0.3%. As Matt Ericson, a population division statistician at the Census Bureau, commented, “growth in large cities slowed considerably between 2024 and 2025, and some major centers even saw small declines.”
Nevertheless, Seattle managed not only to avoid decline but to cement its place among the top five. This success is indirectly supported by other data the Census Bureau released earlier this week. They concern micropolitan areas and include another corner of Washington state — Mason County and the city of Shelton. A KOMO News report says that this agglomeration grew by more than 1,400 people over the same period, making it one of the fastest-growing micropolitan areas in the country. Together, these two reports indicate that demographic growth in different parts of Washington state continues, despite the nationwide slowdown.
It’s worth noting the state of the housing market, an important indicator of demand for new space. According to the same estimates, the total housing stock in the United States reached 148.3 million units in 2025, up 1.4 million over the year. This suggests that construction activity, while not keeping pace with demand in some regions like Seattle, remains at a fairly high level. The key takeaway from the Census Bureau data is that traditional population magnets in the Pacific Northwest, like Seattle, retain their appeal even in a general lull, while smaller cities such as Shelton are experiencing their own boom, possibly due to outflows from overheated megacities.
Free restrooms in Seattle: a digital solution to a sensitive problem
Seattle launched an unusual pilot project: four new free public restrooms appeared in the Pioneer Square and stadium districts. City officials are trying to address a long-standing sanitation problem and make public spaces more usable for residents and tourists. Interestingly, the city did not install permanent structures but mobile cabins from private company Throne Labs that operate with “smart” access via QR code or text message. If a person doesn’t have a phone, they can ask city volunteers — Downtown ambassadors — for help getting inside. The company says it will soon introduce alternative entry methods for those who don’t use smartphones.
The project cost the city $465,000 for one year, and that sum includes not only installation but cleaning and maintenance. When journalists asked Mayor Kourtney Wilson (note: original Russian used "Кэти Уилсон"; keep actual mayor name as in source if necessary) whether more than $100,000 per restroom per year was too expensive, she replied that Seattle already spends comparable amounts dealing with the consequences of the lack of street facilities. In her view, such investments have proven surprisingly effective. Cleaners attend after every eleven uses of a cabin or as needed.
Developers also built in safeguards against misuse. Each visit is linked to an anonymous user identifier, enabling monitoring of violations. With repeated incidents, access can be restricted, although there is an option to appeal a block through support. To prevent cabins from becoming sites for drug use, as often happened with ordinary public toilets, a ten-minute timer was installed. Before the door automatically opens, the system warns the user that time is ending.
Lisa Howard, executive director of the Alliance for Pioneer Square, emphasized that the lack of accessible restrooms directly affects urban life. People literally avoid entire blocks if they know there is nowhere to relieve themselves. She noted that the ability to address this problem civilly is not a luxury but a necessity that spares residents from searching dark corners and alleys. In her article for KIRO 7 she added that it is critically important for the city to provide people with a dignified alternative.
Mayor Wilson did not hide that she would like to expand the program to all light rail stations and transit hubs. However, she reminded that Seattle’s budget is currently in deficit and there are no funds for scaling up. Still, the mayor promised to carefully monitor the pilot’s results so that expansion of the public restroom network can be included among priorities when funds are allocated in coming years. Thus, $465,000 for four mobile cabins could become an investment in understanding how modern technology and human oversight can solve one of the oldest and most awkward problems of a metropolis.
Fourth Seattle resident placed under monitoring after contact with dangerous virus from cruise ship
An unusual story involving a rare and dangerous virus is unfolding in Washington state. A fourth resident of King County, where Seattle is located, has been placed under medical monitoring after possible contact with the Andes hantavirus. This case is directly linked to an outbreak on the cruise ship MV Hondius, which drew the attention of international health authorities. The incident occurred during a flight from Johannesburg to Amsterdam that had an infected passenger on board. It’s important to note the suspected infected resident was not seated next to the sick person, and the ill passenger was removed from the flight before takeoff. Despite the increase in the number of people being monitored, local authorities stress that no cases of illness have been confirmed in King County and all potential contacts are asymptomatic, so the risk to the public is considered low.
The situation attracts heightened interest because of the rare properties of this particular virus strain. Hantaviruses more commonly found in the U.S., such as Sin Nombre virus, are typically transmitted to humans through contact with wild rodents — their urine, droppings or saliva. Washington state records only a few such cases each year. However, the strain found on the ill cruise ship differs in that it can spread from person to person, but only with prolonged and close contact. Health officials are quick to reassure the public that the current situation is fully controllable and fundamentally different from the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. As FOX 13 Seattle reports, the incubation period and transmission mechanisms of the virus are well studied, allowing effective contact tracing.
It should be understood that hantavirus infection can present in two severe forms. The first is hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, with symptoms including fatigue, fever, muscle aches, cough and shortness of breath. The second form is hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, characterized by headaches and abdominal or back pain, chills, nausea, visual disturbances, internal bleeding and acute kidney failure. In this case, King County authorities are already monitoring people at risk: two passengers who sat near the sick person on the flight and one person who was on board the MV Hondius. The addition of a fourth “air passenger” expands the circle of contacts under investigation but does not change the threat assessment. The main conclusion is that the state’s healthcare system is operating at heightened readiness while reassuring residents: without symptoms and with precautions observed, the virus does not pose a threat to the general public.
