Assessing the Health of Washington's Cities and Towns

Main Home2005 Report HomePress Room | Cluster Profiles | City Level Data | Talking Points


Cluster 11

 

Small Commercial Centers

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

Blaine, DuPont, Gig Harbor, Langley, Liberty Lake, Port Orchard, Poulsbo, Skykomish, Snohomish, Stanwood, Sumas, Sumner, Union Gap, Yelm

Size:
Small.

Growth:
Moderate to high level of growth over the 1990s.

Fiscal:
High commercial activity, but relatively low median household income among residents in metro areas.

Community Conditions
Population
Economy
Other Community Characteristics

Fiscal Conditions
General Financial Outlook
Major Revenue Base
Significant Budget Drivers
Initiative Impacts
Transportation/Infrastructure

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

Year

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

Pop.

2876 3004 3111 3214 3345 3536 3814 3945 4265 4419 4552 4642 4706

Economy

Year

1999

1989

Median Household Income

$39,639
(in 1989 dollars)

$32,294

Year

2000

1990

Unemployment Rate

4.0%*

3.7%

Major Local Employers

% of Cities in Cluster
(w/ Industry as 1 of 3 Top Employers)

Retail trade 86%
Health care and social assistance 71%
Manufacturing 64%
Educational services 29%
Accommodation and food services 21%
Public Administration 21%

Other Community Characteristics

Local Conditions

% of Cities in Cluster

Overall economic conditions of community 44%
Sales tax base 33%
City relationships with community groups 33%

Local Conditions

% of Cities in Cluster

Traffic congestion 44%
Vitality of downtown/main street 33%
Sales tax base 22%
Overall city budget condition 22%
Streets/bridges 22%
Availability of quality affordable housing 22%
Overall economic conditions of community 22%
Drugs/alcohol abuse 22%
Sanitary sewer 22%
City property tax base 22%

Local Conditions

% of Cities in Cluster

Vitality of downtown/main street 56%
Overall city budget condition 33%
Drinking water systems 33%

Fiscal Conditions

General Financial Outlook

 

(% of Respondents)

 

Less Able

Same

Better Able

Five years ago

56% 0% 44%

Next Year

67% 0% 33%

In Next Five Years

44% 22% 33%

Major Revenue Base

Significant Budget Drivers

Positive Budget Influences

% of Cities in Cluster

 

Negative Budget Influences

% of Cities in Cluster

Value of city property tax base 56%   Tax-limiting voter initiatives 67%
Value of city sales tax base 56%   Cost of employee health benefits 67%
Business/economic development 56%   Infrastructure needs 44%

Initiative Impacts

Impacts of Initiatives on City Services/Operations

% of Cities in Cluster

Used Reserves 33%
Reduced Staff Training 33%
Adopted New User Fees 33%
Eliminated Staff Positions 22%
Diverted Services 11%
Increased Taxes 11%
Reduced Services 11%
Increased User Fees 0%
Eliminated Services 0%

Transportation/Infrastructure

New Capacity Needs

Replacement Needs

Stormwater
Streets
Sewer
Sidewalks
Water
Street lighting
Bridges
Stormwater
Sewer
Sidewalks
Water
Streets
Street lighting
Bridges

Spending

% of Responding Cities (5) in Cluster

Delayed Spending over the Past 6 Years

20%

Expect to Delay Spending Over the Next 6 Years

80%


* = High degree of variability in cluster data


 

AWC Website | About AWC | Contact Us

State of the Cities © 2005 Association of Washington Cities

Association of Washington cities ▪ 1076 Franklin st. se ▪ Olympia, wa 98512 ▪ 360-753-4137 ▪ www.awcnet.org