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Cluster 1

Regional Centers

Overview | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14

All data is recorded as an average for all cities in the cluster.
Data for individual cities may vary significantly in some categories.

Community Conditions

Population

• Average Population Size, 1990-2002:

Year	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002
Pop.	18,579	18,820	19,177	19,504	19,826	20,236	20,582	20,996	21,489	21,858	22,145	22,241	22,434

• Population Density, 2000: 2,331 persons per square mile

• Population Growth Rate, 1990-2000: 21.5%

• Proportion of Housing Units Newly Built, 1990-2000: 20%

• Proportion of Adults with a Bachelor’s or Higher Degree, 2000: 25%

• Proportion of Population in Racial/Ethnic Minority, 2000: 19%*

Economy

• Median Household Income:

Year	1999	1989
Median Household Income	$32,221 (in 1989 dollars)	$30,574

• Median Household Income Growth, 1989-1999 (Inflation Adjusted): 5%

• Poverty Rate, 1999: 19%*

• Unemployment Rate:

Year	2000	1990
Unemployment Rate	5.7%	5.6%

• Unemployment Rate Growth, 1990-2000: 1.39%*

• Major Local Employers by Industry:

Major Local Employers	% of Cities in Cluster (w/ Industry as 1 of 3 Top Employers)
Retail trade	90%
Manufacturing	60%
Educational Services	50%
Health care and social assistance	40%
Accommodation and food services	20%

Other Community Characteristics

• Date of Incorporation: 1894*

• Local Conditions Most Improved Since 1999:

Local Conditions	% of Cities in Cluster
Vitality of downtown/main street	50%
Overall economic conditions of community	38%
Homeland Security/Emergency Preparedness	25%
Availability of quality affordable housing	25%
Pedestrian-friendly environment	25%
Drinking water systems	25%

• Local Conditions Most Deteriorated Since 1999:

Local Conditions	% of Cities in Cluster
Overall city budget condition	63%
Traffic congestion	50%
Drugs/alcohol abuse	25%
Overall economic conditions of community	25%
Streets/bridges	25%
City property tax base	25%

• Local Conditions Most Important to Address over Next 5 Years:

Local Conditions	% of Cities in Cluster
Overall economic conditions of community	57%
Overall city budget condition	57%
Traffic congestion	43%

Fiscal Conditions

General Financial Outlook

• Ability to Meet Needs Compared to Current Year:
  

	(% of Respondents)
	Less Able	Same	Better Able
Five years ago	75%	13%	13%
Next Year	63%	38%	0%
In Next Five Years	88%	13%	0%

Major Revenue Base

• Per Capita Assessed Value, 2002: $51,030

• Per Capita Sales Tax Revenue, 2002: $154

Significant Budget Drivers

• Top Positive & Negative Budget Influences:

Positive Budget Influences	% of Cities in Cluster		Negative Budget Influences	% of Cities in Cluster
Amount of reserves	43%		Cost of employee health benefits	89%
Value of city sales tax base	43%		Cost of liability coverage	89%
Business/economic development	43%		Tax-limiting voter initiatives	67%

Initiative Impacts

• Average Proportion of Operating Budget Lost Due to I-695 (MVET Repeal): 4.73%

• Impacts of Initiatives on City Services/Operations:

Impacts	% of Cities in Cluster
Used Reserves	86%
Reduced Services	43%
Eliminated Staff Positions	43%
Reduced Staff Training	43%
Increased User Fees	43%
Diverted Services	29%
Increased Taxes	29%
Adopted New User Fees	14%
Eliminated Services	0%

Transportation/Infrastructure

• Local Commuter Impacts
  Proportion of Employed Residents that Work in the City, 2000: 65%

• Infrastructure Needs
  (In order: most important to least important)

New Capacity Needs	Replacement Needs
Stormwater Sidewalks Sewer Water Street lighting Streets Bridges	Stormwater Sewer Water Street lighting Streets Sidewalks Bridges

• Delayed Capital Spending: Past and Future

Spending	% of Responding Cities (5) in Cluster
Delayed Spending over the Past 6 Years	100%
Expect to Delay Spending Over the Next 6 Years	100%

* = High degree of variability in cluster data

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State of the Cities © 2005 Association of Washington Cities