Seattle ranks among the top large metropolitan areas in the U.S. in terms of protest participation, according to new Nielsen market research data. But that wasn't the case just a couple of years ago.
In a 2024 column, I wrote about Nielsen data showing Seattle ranked at best in the average range for protest participation. At that time, only 3.5% of adults in the Seattle metro area — about 113,000 people — reported attending an organized protest in the previous 12 months. Among the 15 largest U.S. metro areas, Seattle ranked only 12th, which I found surprising given Seattle's long local history of political activism.
But what a difference a year can make. Protest participation has surged in Seattle, likely attributable to President Donald Trump's second term.
New survey data from Nielsen, collected from January through October 2025, shows a sharp increase in protest participation in the Seattle metro area — a period that coincides with Trump’s return to the Oval Office.
According to the latest estimates, approximately 303,000 adults in the Seattle metropolitan area report attending an organized protest in the past year. That represents slightly more than 9% of adults, more than double the share recorded in earlier surveys conducted during Joe Biden's presidency.
The Seattle metro area includes King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties, and had a combined adult population of approximately 3.3 million. Nielsen surveyed nearly 103,000 nationally, including about 2,000 in the Seattle metro area.
The new data ranks Seattle second among the 15 largest metropolitan areas. The Boston metro ranked first, with approximately 10% of residents having attended an organized protest in the past 12 months. San Francisco ranked third at around 9%, only slightly lower than Seattle.
The lowest levels of participation were in the Dallas and Philadelphia metro areas, both below 5%.
All 15 metro areas showed an increase in protest participation, but Seattle stands out for the magnitude of the change. For example, in Washington, D.C., the share of adults who participated in a protest increased modestly, from about 4% to 6%.
The most obvious difference between the two periods is the political context.
The newer surveys began just as Trump returned to office and extend through his first 10 months back in power. The data suggests Trump’s presidency likely served as a mobilizing force, particularly in Seattle and other metro areas where he has consistently faced strong opposition.
The survey data were collected through October and thus would capture two major nationwide protests: the first No Kings protest in June and the second in October. These protests in Seattle drew tens of thousands of attendees and coincided with similar demonstrations in several other cities.
There were, of course, protests in Seattle and across the U.S. during the Biden administration as well. But the rate of participation was far lower, according to Nielsen data.
Who is likely to attend a protest?
During the Biden administration, younger adults in the Seattle area were more likely to protest. That difference is much less pronounced in the new data, which shows the average age of adult protesters was 45, approximately one year younger than the average age of the total adult population here.
It's worth noting that because Nielsen surveys only adults, the data does not capture protest participation among individuals younger than 18. In Seattle and around the country, kids have also participated in protests against the Trump administration.
The data shows participation was somewhat higher among Seattle men (10%) than among women (8%).
Protesters were slightly more likely to have higher levels of education. Among those who graduated from a four-year college, 11% had attended a protest, compared with 9% of those without a college diploma.
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