About Anderson Island

Anderson Island is a very small coastal town (ie. on the ocean or tidally-influenced rivers) located in the state of Washington. With a population of 2,270 people and just one neighborhood, Anderson Island is the 185th largest community in Washington.

Unlike some towns , Anderson Island isn't mainly white- or blue-collar. Instead, the most prevalent occupations for people in Anderson Island are a mix of both white- and blue-collar jobs. Overall, Anderson Island is a town of managers, sales and office workers, and professionals. There are especially a lot of people living in Anderson Island who work in management occupations (19.50%), sales jobs (16.50%), and office and administrative support jobs (15.00%).

Of important note, Anderson Island is also a town of artists. Anderson Island has more artists, designers and people working in media than 90% of the communities in America. This concentration of artists helps shape Anderson Island's character.

One interesting thing about the economy is that relatively large numbers of people worked from their homes - 28.00% of the workforce. While this number may seem small overall, as a fraction of the total workforce this is high compared to the rest of the county. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.

Anderson Island is a place where college students are a big part of the character and culture of the town. Small towns have often struggled with declining populations over the past few decades, but the presence of such a large college student population has helped Anderson Island to fight this trend. Not only does the college population add spending and jobs to local economy, but it also contributes a very tangible, youthful energy to the town.

Another notable thing is that Anderson Island is an extremely popular vacation destination. A significant portion of the population is seasonal. During the vacation season, the town experiences a large influx of people who take up residence in second homes they own in the area. As the vacation season ends, the population drops again, leaving behind a substantially quieter and smaller town.

One of the nice things about Anderson Island is that is it nautical, meaning that parts of the town are somewhat historic and on the ocean, or touch tidal bodies of water, such as inlets and tidal rivers. Because of this, visitors and locals will often go to these areas to take in the scenery or to enjoy waterfront activities.

One downside of living in Anderson Island, however, is that residents on average have to contend with a long commute, spending on average 74.24 minutes every day commuting to work.

Being a small town, Anderson Island does not have a public transit system used by locals to get to and from work.

Anderson Island Information and Demographics

The education level of Anderson Island citizens, measured as those with bachelor's degrees or advanced degrees, is similar to the national average for all American cities and towns. 14.26% of adults 25 and older in Anderson Island have a college degree.

The per capita income in Anderson Island in 2000 was $14,962, which is lower middle income relative to Washington and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $59,848 for a family of four.

Anderson Island is a very ethnically-diverse town. The people who call Anderson Island home come from a variety of different races and ancestries. The most prevalent race in Anderson Island is White, followed by African-American. Important ancestries of people in Anderson Island include English, German, Norwegian, Irish, and Swedish.

The most common language spoken in Anderson Island is English. Some people also speak Spanish.