Public library systems in Washington
The 57 profiled public library systems in Washington served 7.4 million residents in FY 2024 and logged 3.07 visits and 5.85 physical checkouts per resident, which ranks 26th and 13th among the 50 states and DC. Operating spending came to $74.80 per resident (7th nationally). Local government supplied 94% of operating revenue, against 85% for all profiled systems nationwide, and the state government 0%.
The largest system is King County Library System, serving 1,607,650 residents; 14 systems serve 100,000 or more. At the end of the year, 93% of the state's profiled systems charged no overdue fines on print items. The most common legal form is the municipal library (31 systems).
Visits per resident, system by system
Each dot is one Washington system, grouped by the size of the population it serves; darker dots have their own profile page. The gold tick marks the national median for that size class.
The 20 largest systems
| System | City | Residents | Visits per resident | Checkouts per resident | Spending per resident |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| King County Library System | Issaquah | 1,607,650 | 3.35 | 7.16 | $90.15 |
| Sno-Isle Libraries | Marysville | 819,554 | 2.99 | 6.94 | $74.67 |
| Seattle Public Library | Seattle | 797,700 | 3.68 | 5.60 | $125.65 |
| Pierce County Library System | Tacoma | 665,760 | 2.15 | 3.86 | $65.13 |
| Fort Vancouver Regional Library District | Vancouver | 552,118 | 2.48 | 5.96 | $49.54 |
| Spokane County Library District | Spokane | 312,530 | 2.37 | 3.41 | $56.31 |
| Kitsap Regional Library | Bremerton | 286,100 | 2.91 | 6.11 | $61.07 |
| North Central Regional Library | Wenatchee | 280,865 | 2.33 | 2.60 | $58.44 |
| Mid-Columbia Libraries | Kennewick | 272,954 | 1.86 | 5.48 | $33.77 |
| Yakima Valley Regional Library | Yakima | 251,520 | 1.63 | 2.09 | $32.36 |
| Spokane Public Library | Spokane | 233,000 | 5.44 | 2.61 | $58.74 |
| Tacoma Public Library | Tacoma | 225,100 | 2.07 | 5.18 | $91.56 |
| Whatcom County Library System | Bellingham | 140,730 | 3.93 | 10.57 | $76.89 |
| Everett Public Library | Everett | 114,800 | 2.53 | 4.27 | $49.72 |
| Bellingham Public Library | Bellingham | 97,270 | 4.65 | 12.58 | $82.91 |
| North Olympic Library System | Port Angeles | 78,550 | 3.80 | 9.44 | $76.40 |
| Richland Public Library | Richland | 64,190 | 3.23 | 10.20 | $43.66 |
| Longview Public Library | Longview | 54,893 | 1.85 | 4.52 | $38.89 |
| Stevens County Rural Library District | Loon Lake | 47,650 | 2.70 | 3.68 | $48.24 |
| Puyallup Public Library | Puyallup | 43,410 | 5.34 | 6.24 | $70.53 |
Highest rates among systems serving 5,000 or more
Of the state's profiled systems, 42 serve at least 5,000 residents.
Visits per resident
- Orcas Island Library District · 17.99
- Port Townsend Public Library · 10.63
- Burlington Public Library · 10.24
- Pullman (Neill) Public Library · 8.59
- San Juan Island Library District · 8.15
Checkouts per resident
- Port Townsend Public Library · 16.74
- Camas Public Library · 16.52
- Orcas Island Library District · 15.06
- San Juan Island Library District · 12.90
- Bellingham Public Library · 12.58
Spending per resident
- San Juan Island Library District · $219.75
- Orcas Island Library District · $193.87
- Seattle Public Library · $125.65
- Upper Skagit Library District · $125.59
- Burlington Public Library · $119.03
Revenue mix
Combined operating revenue of $575 million across the 56 systems that reported every revenue source.
- Local government
- State
- Federal
- Other