Cowlitz County Demographics

A map of Cowlitz County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	89,475	88,067	79.6%	79.5%
Hispanic	11,775	10,802	10.5%	9.8%
Multiracial	7,072	6,857	6.3%	6.2%
Native American/Other	2,004	2,537	1.8%	2.3%
Asian	1,312	1,721	1.2%	1.6%
Black	722	746	0.6%	0.7%

Cowlitz County, Washington has an estimated population of 112,360, a slight increase from the 110,730 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 79.6% White, 10.5% Hispanic, 6.3% Multiracial, 1.8% Native American/Other, 1.2% Asian, and 0.6% Black. This demographic dot map shows the population of Cowlitz County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Cowlitz is about as racially diverse as it was in the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than Washington overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Cowlitz County, that probability was 35.3% in 2020 and 35.0% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Cowlitz County is ranked the 12th most populous county in Washington, out of 39 counties. Cowlitz County was ranked the 12th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Cowlitz County's White Population

89,475 residents of Cowlitz County, or 79.6% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Cowlitz County is significantly higher than in Washington overall, where 63.1% of the population is White. Cowlitz County ranks 15th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 39 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Cowlitz County's White population has grown by an estimated 1.6%. White residents' share of Cowlitz County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 79.6%.

Cowlitz County is more White than neighboring Clark County (72.5% White), Multnomah County (65.2% White), and Thurston County (69.5% White). Cowlitz County is less White than neighboring Columbia County (84.3% White), and Lewis County (79.9% White).

Cowlitz County's Black Population

722 residents of Cowlitz County, or 0.6% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Cowlitz County is slightly lower than in Washington overall, where 3.8% of the population is Black. Cowlitz County ranks 18th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 39 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Cowlitz County's Black population has declined by an estimated 3.2%. Black residents' share of Cowlitz County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.6%.

Cowlitz County is less Black than neighboring Clark County (2.1% Black), Lewis County (0.7% Black), Multnomah County (5.3% Black), and Thurston County (3.2% Black).

Cowlitz County's Asian Population

1,312 residents of Cowlitz County, or 1.2% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Cowlitz County is lower than in Washington overall, where 9.7% of the population is Asian. Cowlitz County ranks 17th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 39 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Cowlitz County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 23.8%. Asian residents' share of Cowlitz County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.2%.

Cowlitz County is more Asian than neighboring Columbia County (0.8% Asian), and Lewis County (1.1% Asian). Cowlitz County is less Asian than neighboring Clark County (5% Asian), Multnomah County (7.4% Asian), and Thurston County (6% Asian).

Cowlitz County's Hispanic Population

11,775 residents of Cowlitz County, or 10.5% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Cowlitz County is slightly lower than in Washington overall, where 14.4% of the population is Hispanic. Cowlitz County ranks 22nd statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 39 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Cowlitz County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 9.0%. Hispanic residents' share of Cowlitz County's population has increased from 9.8% to 10.5%.

Cowlitz County is more Hispanic than neighboring Columbia County (6.7% Hispanic). Cowlitz County is less Hispanic than neighboring Clark County (12.3% Hispanic), Lewis County (11.5% Hispanic), Multnomah County (13.5% Hispanic), and Thurston County (10.6% Hispanic).

Cowlitz County's Native American/Other Population

2,004 residents of Cowlitz County, or 1.8% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Cowlitz County is comparable to the share in Washington overall, where 2.1% of the population is Native American/Other. Cowlitz County ranks 20th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 39 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Cowlitz County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 21.0%. Native American/Other residents' share of Cowlitz County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.8%.

Cowlitz County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Clark County (1.7% Native American/Other), Columbia County (1.5% Native American/Other), and Multnomah County (1.6% Native American/Other). Cowlitz County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Lewis County (1.9% Native American/Other), and Thurston County (2.8% Native American/Other).

Cowlitz County's Multiracial Population

7,072 residents of Cowlitz County, or 6.3% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Cowlitz County is comparable to the share in Washington overall, where 6.8% of the population is Multiracial. Cowlitz County ranks 14th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 39 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Cowlitz County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 3.1%. Multiracial residents' share of Cowlitz County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 6.3%.

Cowlitz County is more Multiracial than neighboring Columbia County (6% Multiracial), and Lewis County (4.9% Multiracial). Cowlitz County is less Multiracial than neighboring Clark County (6.4% Multiracial), Multnomah County (7.1% Multiracial), and Thurston County (7.9% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.