Assessing the Health of Washington's Cities and Towns

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Cluster 12

 

Medium Retail Hubs

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

Bremerton, Burien, Enumclaw, Kennewick, Lacey, Lakewood, Monroe, Oak Harbor, Pasco, Sunnyside, Tumwater

Size:
Medium.

Growth:
Moderate level of growth over the 1990s. 

Fiscal:
Moderate 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.

18,867 19,486 19,947 21,214 21,760 22,381 25,855 26,727 27,260 28,002 28,791 29,082 29,376

Economy

Year

1999

1989

Median Household Income

$39,119
(in 1989 dollars)

$34,911

Year

2000

1990

Unemployment Rate

4.9%*

4.8%

Major Local Employers by Industry

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

Retail trade 91%
Health care and social assistance 73%
Manufacturing 55%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting 18%
Accommodation and food services 18%
Construction 18%

Other Community Characteristics

Local Conditions Most Improved Since 1999

% of Cities in Cluster

Vitality of downtown/main street 50%
Availability of quality affordable housing 38%
Vitality of neighborhoods 38%
Parks & recreation 38%

Local Conditions Most Deteriorated Since 1999

% of Cities in Cluster

Traffic congestion 50%
Overall city budget condition 38%
City property tax base 38%

Local Conditions Most Important to Address Over Next 5 Yrs.

% of Cities in Cluster

Overall city budget condition 56%
Traffic congestion 44%
Vitality of downtown/main street 33%
Overall economic conditions of community 33%

Fiscal Conditions

General Financial Outlook

 

(% of Respondents)

 

Less Able

Same

Better Able

Five years ago

67% 11% 22%

Next Year

67% 33% 0%

In Next Five Years

89% 0% 11%

Major Revenue Base

Significant Budget Drivers

Top 3 Positive Budget Influences

% of Cities in Cluster

 

Top 3 Negative Budget Influences

% of Cities in Cluster

Value of city sales tax base 88%   Tax-limiting voter initiatives 75%
Business/economic development 38%   Cost of employee health benefits 63%
Amount of reserves 25%   Infrastructure needs 50%
Health of local economy 25%   Employee wages and salaries 50%
Reliance on user fees to pay for city services 25%      

Initiative Impacts

Impacts of Initiatives on City Services/Operations

% of Cities in Cluster

Used Reserves 86%
Reduced Staff Training 50%
Adopted New User Fees 50%
Eliminated Staff Positions 50%
Diverted Services 17%
Increased Taxes 50%
Reduced Services 33%
Increased User Fees 50%
Eliminated Services 0%

Transportation/Infrastructure

New Capacity Needs

Replacement Needs

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

Spending

% of Responding Cities (5) in Cluster

Delayed Spending over the Past 6 Years

100%

Expect to Delay Spending Over the Next 6 Years

60%


* = High degree of variability in cluster data


 

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