Death by Suicide

The overall rate of death by suicide among King County residents was 12.3 per 100,000 residents from 2017-2021. In the most recent year, 2021, the death rate for suicide among King County residents was 12 per 100,000, totaling 292 deaths.    

• Age: The rates of death by suicide among adults 75+ years of age (20.4 per 100,000), adults age 45-64 years (18.3 per 100,000), and adults age 18-24 (18.1 per 100,000) were higher than the rate for King County overall. Youth 18 years old and younger had a lower rate of death by suicide compared to King County overall (2.4 per 100,000). 

• Gender: Men were 3.3 times more likely to die by suicide compared to women (19.1 and 5.8 per 100,000 respectively). Men are more likely to die by suicide than women and are more likely to use deadlier methods.   

• Race: Asian (6.9 per 100,000) and Latinx/Hispanic (8.2 per 100,000) residents had lower rates of death by suicide compared to the rate for the county overall. White residents had a higher rate at 14.2 per 100,000.   

• Income: Very high poverty areas in King County had a higher rate of death by suicide compared to King County overall (14.9 per 100,000).  

• City/Neighborhood: Seattle - Downtown, Belltown, and First Hill (29.8 per 100,000), Seattle – Delridge (23.1 per 100,000), and Enumclaw, Black Diamond, and Southeast King County (20.0 per 100,000) had the highest rates of death by suicide in King County. Seattle – Rainier Valley and Rainier Beach (6.0 per 100,000) had a lower rate of death by suicide compared to King County overall.  

If you or someone you know is considering harming themselves, contact the 24/7 free and confidential National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255). If there is no immediate physical danger, call Crisis Connections at 1-866-427-4747, or visit  www.CrisisConnections.org.  

Additional Resources:  

• Suicide prevention resources  

• Crisis services  

• Department of Community and Human Services Mental Health Programs

• NAMI Seattle’s resources for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color 

• Suicide in Washington State, including risk factors and risk of imminent harm  

Notes & Sources

Source: Washington State Department of Health, Center for Health Statistics.

To learn more about the Death Certificate Data and view the data biography, click here.