Franklin Franklin

Franklin County

Updated on: December 23, 2021
State
Washington
County Seat:
Pasco
Year Organized:
1883
Total Square Miles:
1265.412
Population:
92125 (2017)
Persons/Square Mile:
73

County structure

Government Type:
County
Authority:
Dillon's Rule
Legislative Body:
Board of Commissioners
Size of Legislative Body:
3

Demographics

2018 Population:
92125
25 to 64 Years of Age:
48.92%
65 Years of Age and Older:
9.21%

Economy, 2018

Gross Domestic Product (GDP):
$3.6 B
Labor Force:
41,496
Unemployment Rate:
6.10%

County Contact

1016 N 4Th Ave
County Courthouse
Pasco, WA, 99301-3706

http://www.co.franklin.wa.us/

Franklin County is located in the south-eastern part of Washington. The County was formed out of Whitman County after separating the two counties on November 28, 1883. In addition, Franklin County was named for Benjamin Franklin, a renowned American statesman, inventor, and scientist.

According to the County map,  Franklin borders  Adams County to the north and Walla Walla and Columbia counties to the southeast. Similarly, Whitman County borders Franklin to the east, Grant County to the northwest, and Benton County to the southwest.

In addition, the Snake River borders the County on the south and east while the Columbia River borders on the west. Franklin’s County seat is Pasco, and it is the largest city in the County. The map also shows cities and towns marked by County lines.

Other Franklin cities and towns include; basin, Connell, Kahlotus, and Mesa. Franklin County covers an area of approximately 3,276 sq km. 3,217 sq km are land area while water covers 60 sq km.

Franklin County History

The first settlers to live in Franklin County were the native Americans. Fishing along Columbia and Snake rivers is what attracted them to the area. Occasionally, the native Americans would trade with travelers, especially the Clark expedition and the lewis. The travelers would then camp in Pasco, one of the Franklin County cities. Today, the camp area is part of Sacajawea State Park.

The Hanford nuclear reservation saw the rapid growth of Benton and Franklin counties despite the ongoing world war II. Hanford, the first plutonium reactor in the world, was established in 1943. The counties used manufactured plutonium to make the first nuclear bombs.

Today, Franklin County is largely an agricultural economy. The strong agricultural basis was established in 1948 by the County officials after completing the Columbia basin irrigation project and coulee dam. The growth of irrigation projects resulted in migration into the County to meet the labor demands.

Franklin County Demographics

Franklin County, Washington, has a population of 96,749 people. The County stands at number 14 in the list of the most populated counties in Washington. Washington state has a total of 39 counties.

Franklin County’s population is made of 51% male and 59% female. The largest ethnic group in Franklin is white(non-Hispanic), with 40.4%. White (Hispanic) is second with 30.1%. Other Hispanic groups represent 18.6%.

Approximately 35% of the population is aged 19 years and below. 28% are aged between 20-40 years while 31% are aged between 40-70 years. The median average age for the Franklin residents is 30.4.

Franklin County Public Records

Franklin County works hard toward maintaining its citizen trust by making public records accessible. Franklin citizens can access public records either by visiting relevant offices or by online means.

Through the online public record portal, Franklin citizens can access records any time of the day or night. Upon login, the portal requires submitting a public record request and waiting as their application gets processed. Moreover, the portal has a view of my request option to monitor the progress.

Franklin citizens can also access some of the public information without conducting the public record request. Many records are available on the Franklin County, Washington website. For instance, a copy of a title deed, resolutions, meeting minutes, property information, and ordinance can be accessed by clicking relevant departments on the website.

Franklin County Economy

Franklin County has made some tremendous efforts geared towards growing its economy. The County has adopted an economic development policy that promotes economic opportunities for its citizens, especially the disadvantaged and unemployed.

Franklin County households have a median annual income of $63,584 compared to $65,712 in the United States. However, 12.1% of Franklin County families are poor. Hispanic is the largest disadvantaged ethnic tribe, followed by white.

In 2020, Franklin County’s employment rate grew by 0.963%. The fishing, farming, and forestry sector have employed 11.6% of Franklin residents. On the other hand, the office and administrative support sector employ 9.79%, while sales and related occupations employ 9.18% Franklin residents.

Franklin County Education

One thousand four hundred ninety-six degrees were awarded by Franklin universities in 2019. Most of the graduating students were from the white ethnic group(551.6%), Hispanic(37.5%), while other races had 6.96% graduating students.

Columbia basin college had the largest number of awarded degrees. 46.1% of the students in Franklin County majored in liberal arts and sciences, while 9.49% chose early childhood education and teaching.

Franklin County has 16 public schools. The district minority enrollment strands are at 60%. In addition, 43.6% of the students live below the poverty line. 51% of the students are male, while 49% are female.

100% of Franklin County teachers are licensed, while 84.1% have more than three years of experience. 15:1 is the student-teacher ratio. The County has also employed 12 counselors on a full-time basis.

Franklin County Offices

Franklin County offices are dedicated to serving the residents without discrimination, favor, or prejudice. Here are some of the offices in the county.

Assessor. Franklin County assessor’s office is tasked with valuing property fairly and impartially. John A. Rosenau is the County’s assessor, while Piper Mitchell is the deputy chief assessor.

Auditor. Matt Beaton, Franklin County’s auditor, is tasked with facilitating accurate, honest, and transparent elections, ensuring seamless access to public records, offering excellent licensing services, and ensuring accountability of public funds.

Clerk. Michael J. Killian heads the Franklin County clerk’s office. Michael’s office is responsible for keeping official records safe and in an organized manner. In addition, the clerk’s office processes and manages superior court records and financial transactions.

Coroner. Curtis McGary is Franklin County’s coroner. Curtis’s office conducts comprehensive investigations for all deaths within his jurisdiction and provides a detailed report to the grieving families.

Prosecutor. The Franklin County prosecutor’s office is responsible for providing ideal civil and criminal legal services to every citizen. The office ensures fairness, justice, and accountability when dispensing legal services. Shawn Sant is Franklin County’s prosecutor.

Treasurer. Josie Koelzer is Franklin County’s treasurer. Her office collects funds from other County offices and districts for custody. Her office also collects taxes, disturbs funds, and invests funds not assigned for immediate expenditure.

Sheriff. The office of sheriff is responsible for protecting Franklin residents and their visitors. The office also offers fingerprint services and pistol license applications. Jim Raymond is Franklin County’s sheriff.