The share of tree canopy cover in a neighborhood can help describe the abundance or lack of greenery and protection from heat. Understanding tree canopy cover can help identify communities that have negative quality of life impacts due to reduced access to green spaces and exposure to warmer temperatures.
The average percentage of tree canopy by census tract was calculated using data from USDA Forest Service and provided by the Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics Consortium (MRLC).
Go to: Tree Canopy Cover Map | Tree Canopy Cover Now | Tree Canopy Cover Trend
Tree Canopy Cover Map
Average percent of area with tree canopy
Source(s): USDA Forest Service and MRLC, Tree Canopy, 2021; U.S. Census Bureau, Geography Division 2020 TIGER/Line Shapefiles
Insights & Analysis
- The areas with the highest tree canopy cover include three census tracts in King County and one in Snohomish County: east of Enumclaw (73%), the Cedar River Watershed (72%), Tiger Mountain (70%), and Mt. Pilchuck (68%).
- The census tracts with the lowest tree canopy cover are in King County and include South Lake Union (1%), two tracts in Downtown Seattle (both 1%), and Boeing Field (2%).
- King County has the highest tree canopy cover (55.9%), followed by Snohomish (55.8%), Kitsap (54.1%), and Pierce (50.6%).
- Highest average share of tree canopy for any census tract in the region is 73%.
- Lowest average share of tree canopy for any census tract in the region is 1%.
Tree Canopy Cover Now
Source(s): USDA Forest Service and MRLC, Tree Canopy, 2021; U.S. Census Bureau, 2016-2021 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Tables B02001, C17002, B22010, B11005, B11007, C16002
Note 1: Horizontal axis (low, medium, high) denotes concentrations of each community. See, "How is equity measured?" for more information.
Note 2: For Households with Limited English Proficiency, the low and low medium categories have the same value in Kitsap County. There are more census tracts in those places estimated to have 0 households with limited English proficiency than the number of tracts in the low quintile category. The values for the low and low medium categories were averaged.
Insights & Analysis
- Communities with low concentrations of households with limited English proficiency in the region have over twice the canopy cover as those with high concentrations.
- Communities with high concentrations of people of color, households with lower income, and households with limited English proficiency are most disproportionately impacted by lower tree canopy cover.
- The counties with the largest gap in tree canopy cover between low and high concentrations of people of color are King and Pierce counties.
- The counties with the largest gap in tree canopy cover between low and high concentrations of households with lower income are King and Pierce counties.
Tree Canopy Cover Trend
Source(s): USDA Forest Service and MRLC, Tree Canopy, 2011, 2016, 2021; U.S. Census Bureau, 2007-2011, 2012-2016, 2017-2021 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Tables B02001, C17002, B22010, B11005, B11007, C16002
Note 1: Line categories (low, low-medium, etc.) denote concentrations of each community. See, "How is equity measured?" for more information.
Note 2: For Households with Limited English Proficiency, the low and low medium categories have the same value in Kitsap County. There are more census tracts in those places estimated to have 0 households with limited English proficiency than the number of tracts in the low quintile category. The values for the low and low medium categories were averaged.
Note 3: Data for people with a disability and for households with limited English proficiency are only available starting in 2012 and 2016, respectively.
Insights & Analysis
- Average tree canopy cover by census tracts generally did not change very much over the ten years in the analysis period; the trends noted are primarily due to the movement of people and shifts in their personal circumstances.
- As a region, communities with high and low concentrations of people of color have seen consistent average tree canopy cover from 2011 to 2021; areas with low concentrations of people of color average close to 60% with tree canopy while areas with high concentrations average 23%.
- Communities in the region with high concentrations of households with limited English proficiency have seen consistently low average tree canopy cover from 2016 to 2021 at less than 30%.
- Pierce County has seen the largest increase in the gap between communities with high and low concentrations of households with lower income between 2011 and 2021; areas with high concentrations of households with lower income averaged 40% with tree canopy in 2011 and only 22% in 2021.
- Since 2016, communities in the region with high concentrations of households with lower income have seen tree canopy cover decrease by more than half.
- As a region, communities with high concentrations of households with youth have seen a 10% decrease in average tree canopy cover since 2011.
- Kitsap County has seen a 20% increase in tree canopy cover for households with limited English proficiency since 2016.