Washington State History, Language and Culture

Washington State Culture

Religion in Washington State

Around 35% of the state’s population consider themselves religious, with around 12% of these identifying as Catholic. Other Christian denominations, such as the Mormons, Baptist and Pentecostal churches have small minorities. Compared to the rest of the country, Washington is not considered to be a particularly religious state.

Social Conventions in Washington State

Washingtonians are known for being very polite and friendly, although its residents are sometimes seen as being quite reserved in comparison to the rest of the US. The state’s relatively progressive values and politics mean its residents are sometimes stereotyped as Birkenstock-wearing ecologically minded hippies; in reality, whilst people may have a greater degree of environment awareness – to the point wear cycling is a common mode of transport - this is not the case for everyone.

Language in Washington State

The vast majority of Washingtonians speak English. A relatively high proportion of the population also speaks another language (around 14%) and of these, Spanish has the largest proportion of speakers.