Dubious Distinctions

DRUGS

  1. From 2019-2022 the amount of fentanyl seized by the DEA increased by 1670% (Drug Enforcement Administration).
  2.  #1 largest increase in drug overdose deaths over the past year 2022-2023 (CDC Data).
  3. In 2022-2024 the overdose deaths equal the combined total from the past 7 years. (King County data dashboard).
  4. In 2022 opioid deaths have more than doubled since 2019. (UW)
  5. In 2023 first responder and EMS responded to over 19,000 calls of suspected overdosing. (DOH)
  6. Fentanyl was detected in 46% of surface samples and 25% of air samples in busses and trains (UW).
  7. King country had over 1,000 fatal overdoses in 2023. (The SeattleTimes)
  8. Washington has the highest year- over- year drug overdose death increase in the U.S. (King 5)
  9. In 2022, 56 kids with recent contact with CPS died or nearly died from overdose, almost half were children under the age of 4 from accidental ingestion. (Seattle Times)
  10. 22 kids in state care died in 2022 from overdosing or accidentally ingesting drugs (Seattle Times)
  11. In 2023 the DEA removed 4.8 million lethal doses of fentanyl in Washington State (Drug Enforcement Administration)

 

PUBLIC SAFTEY

  1. Washington is the top state for this devastating holiday crime (KONA)
  2. Ranked 51 in the nation for police officers per capita behind all states and D.C. (FBI Crime Data Explorer)
  3. In 2022 Washington’s homicide rate is up 96% since 2019. (WASPC)
  4. 61% of violent crimes in Washington go unsolved. (WA Criminal Justice Data Snapshot)
  5. #1 state most impacted by retail theft. (Forbes)
  6. Washington has the second highest property crime rate in the nation. (Statista)
  7. #3 for car theft in the nation in 2022. (KIRO TV)
  8. Public Service Announcement, One Pill Kills (TX) (DPS)
  9. In 2022 Washington had an average of 693.3 automobiles stolen per 100,000 people. (Koin News)
  10. #1 state most impacted by retail crime. (Forbes)
  11. Record high of nearly 400 murders in 2022 in Washington state with a 17% increase in one year. (King 5).
  12. The homicide rate increased 58% from 2012-2022. The violent crime rate increased 26% from 2012-2022. The aggravated assault rate increased 37% from 2012-2022. Rape incidents reported to police increased 20% from 2012-2022. 61% of violent crimes reported to law enforcement were not solved in 2022. The percentage of violent crimes that went unsolved in WA increased 12% from 2012-2022 (CSG).
  13. Ranked dead last in the nation for law enforcement officers to capita. (House Dems)
  14. Washington has the most burglaries per capita, more than double the national rate. (The Bellingham Herald)

 

AFFORDABILITY

  1. #3 highest gas price in the nation. (AAA)
  2. #4 most expensive state to buy a home. (Forbes)
  3. #4 highest combined sales tax rate in the country. (Tax Foundation)
  4. Ranked #35 for business climate, down form #15 in 2022 prior to the capital gains tax. (State Business Tax Climate Index)
  5. Seattle has the 9th highest cost of living. (Axios)
  6. Washington the 4th most expensive weekly average grocery bill in the US. (Help Advisor)

 

HOUSING AND HOMELSSNESS

  1. Washington ranks last in the country in housing units per household. ( Lt. Governors Office)
  2. Washington has the third largest homelessness population in the nation. (HUD)
  3. From 2024 to 2025 the number of homeless in Washington increased by 25%. (Axios)
  4. In the 2023-2024 school year, more than 41,000 students experienced homelessness, with a 15% increase from the year before. (KUOW)
  5. Estimated shortfall in housing is over a quarter of a million of new housing units(The Center Square).
  6. For 2023 Washington ranks 4th in the nation for homelessness, with 36 out of every 10,000 citizens experiencing homelessness. (HUD)

 

EDUCATION

  1. Ranked 23rd for overall public school system. (WalletHub)
  2. Washington ranks 48th in college enrollment after high school. (NCES: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System)
  3. #31 for Pre-K (S. News & World Report)

 

CHILDCARE

  1. 63% of children under age five do not have access to a nearby childcare provider, which reduces the state workforce by 133,000 (Commerce Report)
  2. #9 for most expensive infant childcare (Economic Policy Institute)
  3. The average family spends over 35% of their income to send two children to childcare.( Economic Policy Institute)
  4. #4 most expensive state for childcare (Help Advisor). (Seattle is 2nd most expensive city for childcare)

 

ROADS AND FERRIES

  1. #1 worst state for potholes analyzing data from 2020-2023 (USA Today).
  2. 60% of state roads need maintenance, totaling 11,000 miles of backlog and costing 11billion dollars (The Center Square)
  3. The ferry system is singing. With a budget deficit of at least 10 billion dollars over the next 4 years. In 2024 there were 4,000 rout cancelations. (KING TV)
  4. Statewide, 810 people were killed in crashes involving a motor vehicle in 2023, a 33-year high. That is up from 743 in 2022.  (Seattle Times)

 

ENVIORNEMENT

  1. More than 70% of salmon and steelhead are not meeting recovery goals or are “in crisis” (Salmon Recovery Office Report)
  2. 50% of Washington freshwater and 20% of marine water is polluted (Department of Ecology).
  3. There is three times more litter on public roads than then national average (Department of Ecology| KUOW).

 

ELECTIONS

  1. Ranked 46th for election integrity. (Heritage Foundation)