This is one of a series of looks at Snohomish and Island county communities based on data from the U.S. Census of 2010.
Before the arrival of white settlers, the area that is now Granite Falls was used by Native Americans to portage canoes between fishing grounds.
The first permanent white settler was Joseph Sous Enas, who staked a claim on land south of the present city.
The discovery of gold in 1889 in the Cascade Mountains was a boon. The town became a railroad stop between Monte Cristo and Everett. Mines needed a railroad, and the settlers provided ties cut from the nearby forests, supplies for miners, a doctor and other necessities. In 1890, the first commercial establishments opened.
Granite Falls was incorporated in 1903. Today, it is focused on attracting visitors to the Mountain Loop Highway, and expanded housing has brought families whose workers commute to Everett, Seattle and the Eastside.
Granite Falls population vs. Snohomish County and Washington
| Granite Falls | County | Washington | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population, 2010 | 3,364 | 713,335 | 6,724,540 |
| Population change, 2000 to 2010 | 43.3% | 17.7% | 14.1% |
| Population, 2000 | 2,347 | 606,024 | 5,894,121 |
| Persons under 5 years | 6.4% | 6.6% | 6.5% |
| Persons under 18 years | 29.4% | 24.4% | 23.5% |
| Persons 65 years and over | 8.4% | 10.3% | 12.3% |
| Female persons | 49.8% | 50.0% | 50.2% |
| White persons | 87.6% | 78.4% | 77.3% |
| Black persons | 0.7% | 2.5% | 3.6% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native persons | 1.2% | 1.4% | 1.5% |
| Asian persons | 1.5% | 8.9% | 7.2% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islanders | 0.3% | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Persons reporting two or more races | 5.5% | 4.6% | 4.7% |
| Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin | 7.5% | 9.0% | 11.2% |
| White persons not Hispanic | 83.9% | 74.3% | 72.5% |
