Community Profiles

Bremerton

Bremerton

A one hour ferry ride - or thirty minute fast ferry ride - from downtown Seattle, Bremerton is the largest city on the Kitsap Peninsula, famous for its historic naval and maritime heritage. Bremerton is home of the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard (PSNS) which is the city’s major employer. Residents and visitors enjoy shopping, dining, and recreating in Bremerton’s beautiful downtown harborside area. Amenities include the Bremerton Naval Museum, downtown waterfront promenade and the Navy destroyer, USS Turner Joy Harborside Fountain Park and PSNS Memorial Plaza, and the historic Arts District. 

Vibrant street scene downtown BremertonThe city is undergoing a renaissance with new publicly and privately funded buildings emerging along the waterfront. Waterfront condos provide residents easy access to new parks and a newly expanded marina, planned boardwalk, and more downtown development. A new, multi-modal transportation center has been built for Washington State Ferries, which has been connecting the peninsula to Seattle for more than a century. New fast ferry routes have created a renewed interest in Bremerton drawn to by home affordability and a sense of community. Bremerton has nine unique neighborhoods with new affordable housing, excellent schools, 35 parks and many recreation programs. It will be easy to see why people are experiencing Bremerton and what a great place it is to live, work and play.

 

Population Demographics

As of 2024 the population of Bremerton is 44,633. The population is expected to grow to 46,382 by 2029 - a growth rate of 0.77%.

The median age of Bremerton residents is 34.

The diversity index of Bremerton is 65.3, meaning that there is a 65% chance that any two people selected out of 100 residents will be of different race or ethnicity from one another.

Housing and Income

The average household income in Bremerton is $93,817 and projected to be $111,668 in 2029. Per capita income is $37,968, projected to be $45,593 in 2029. 3.11% of households – 1,387 – have an income of $200,000 or higher. Average net worth is $722,043 and the average disposable income is $74,150.

There are 19,580 housing units in Bremerton; 8,679 are owner-occupied, 9,024 are rented, and 1,877 are vacant. The average home value is $531,937, with 1,687 homes built in 2010 or later, and 3,751 built in 1939 or earlier.

Business and Workforce

There are 1,506 businesses in Bremerton, employing 19,136 workers and pulling from a labor force of 23,124 age 16 and above. 2,837 workers commute into Bremerton from outside the county or state. Key industries for the area include:

20,220 residents both live and work in/around Bremerton. The average travel time is 26.5 minutes. 1.97% people have a commute of less than 5 minutes while 6.67% commute 90 minutes or more each way. Of commuters, 13,063 drive alone, 2,405 carpool, and 1,560 take public transportation. 4,259 use other modes of transport such as motorcycle, bicycle, walking, etc. 1,772 residents work from home.

7,586 members of the workforce hold a high school diploma or GED. 4,505 have associates degrees, 5,733 have bachelor’s degrees, and 2,752 hold a graduate or professional degree.