Community Demographic Data  

It is important to understand the demographics of your community as you develop outreach for members and projects for voter services and civics education.  Two important resources include the Washington State redistricting data & Washington State population data.

Final Congressional and Legislative District Maps (2021 Redistricting Results)

The Washington State Legislature adopted final Congressional and Legislative District maps on February 8, 2022. Final Congressional District and Legislative District maps are now available to the public.: https://www.redistricting.wa.gov/final-maps . In addition to the maps, there is useful demographic data for each district. For discussion on LWVWA's involvement with Redistricting and plans for the future see LWVWA Uses DEI Policy in Redistricting Project on the DEI: Local and State Leagues in Action page.

 

Population and demographics of Washington State

The Forecasting Division of the State of Washington Office of Financial Management conducts research on a variety of issues related to the state budget, public policy, and demographics. The Population Unit develops official state and local population estimates and projections for use in the allocation of certain state revenues, growth management, and other planning functions.

As the official partner of the U. S. Census Bureau for Washington state, the Population unit helps disseminate information about the characteristics of Washington’s population, housing, and economy and provide guidance to a variety of stakeholders in accessing and using demographic information. https://ofm.wa.gov/washington-data-research/population-demographics

Collecting League Demographics: Why, How, and What to do with the Data

Demographics are important because collecting such data will help measure how successful your League is in bringing in new members from diverse communities as well as new young members. They measure who and what kind of people are involved in your League. These questions are a vital way to measure progress in terms of diversity and inclusion. Google forms is one great way to collect this information because you can automatically take that data and put it into charts and graphs.

4 Tips on How to Use Surveys to Get Valuable Demographic Information

1. Make it anonymous. If you’re looking to unveil certain broad trends or patterns in your league you should consider making your survey anonymous. The fact is, many people are cautious about revealing information they consider private. In case your survey is anonymous, make sure to emphasize that.
2. Briefly explain the background of your survey. Include a brief introduction to your survey in which you would clearly state its purpose. Reassure people by sharing exactly how you’ll be using their information. Mention how you plan on keeping the data private and anonymous.
3. Make it easily accessible. As we live in a digital world, you need to make sure your survey is available to be filled out online. You can consider using Lead Quizzes to create your surveys, you can easily integrate with some of the most popular apps and services, embed your survey to your website, send it via email, and share on Facebook or other social media. You can also help folks who are not able to access a virtual survey by calling them.
4. Make it brief. Shorter surveys are easier for people to complete. It also might be a good idea to indicate the total number of questions at the very beginning of the survey, as well as the approximate time it might take to complete.

Demographic basics

These are some suggestions for demographics to ask for.  It is not required, but this is vital information for Leagues and increasing diversity. Some questions may be harder to ask and they are all up to the League’s discretion for what to ask. Nothing is mandatory, so people can ask and answer as they feel comfortable.

Age

• Questions about age are a part of almost every demographic survey. That’s because age is a powerful data to segment your audience by. You can ask for their specific age or give age groups like 25-30 and 31-35, etc.

Ethnicity (Race)

• A sensitive (and politically-charged) subject, but asking about race is necessary. It’s probably best to create checkbox-type questions and a write in portion, which allow respondents to check multiple answers. This is especially important because many countries are melting pots of different races and cultures. As with all sensitive demographic questions, it’s important to give respondents a write-in box option or (perhaps by adding a “prefer not to answer” option.

Education

• Knowing members’ levels of education can help understand the best way to communicate more effectively. In most cases, education demographic questions ask about the highest level of education or the highest degree obtained by an individual. This is useful to identify which demographics you aren’t reaching.

Availability and Schedule

• It is important to know this because it gives an idea of people’s flexibility and how busy they are. This could include their priorities and when they are available for League meetings or participation.

Household income

• Asking about household income may be considered a bit less invasive than asking about an individual’s income. It can provide a sense of understanding, recognize any barriers to entry and help with fundraising.

Gender and Sexuality

• This is useful to know who is involved and see if there is involvement with the LGBTQ+ community. 

Ability

• When knowing people’s abilities allows your League to better accommodate those who are differently abled it helps better serve them and understand strengths as well as limitations to better accommodate them.

Language

• Knowing people’s primary language and any other languages they speak is valuable for the future.