Main Home | 2009 Fall Report Home | Cluster Profiles | Surveys | Talking Points
All Cities
Overview | All cities | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14
Size (median) – 2,770 residents
Property value per capita – $80,846
Commercial activity – Retail,
manufacturing & health care services
Growth (2000-2009) – 6.8%
Cluster characteristics
Population
Economic characteristics
Other community characteristics
Fiscal conditions
Major revenue base
General financial outlook
While no Washington city can be considered “average” in all ways, the figures on this page are “medium” values for Washington cities. The recession has squeezed Washington cities’ budgets and reduced their ability to meet community needs. More than half have seen the local economy decline over the past year. In response, nearly half of all cities have frozen hiring and a quarter have laid off workers. Many cities reopened their 2009 budgets or expected to do so before 2009 comes to a close. Of these cities, most are reducing general government spending and infrastructure funds, in some cases making deep cuts.
All data is recorded as median value for all cities in the cluster.
Data for individual cities may vary significantly in some categories.
Cluster Characteristics
Population
- Population size:
Year 1990 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Total incorporated population 2,525,294 3,519,550 3,567,006 3,618,637 3,736,498 3,772,574 3,817,518 3,901,886 3,974,195 4,060,470 4,115,700 Median 1,596 2,347 2,500 2,540 2,590 2,605 2,660 2,720 2,725 2,740 2,770
- Population density, 2009: 1,393 persons per square mile
- Population growth rate, 2000-2009: 6.8%
Economic characteristics
- Median household income (1999): $55,628
- Poverty rate (1999): 11%
- Major local employers by industry (1999):
Major local employers % of cities in cluster
(w/ industry as 1 of 3 top employers)Retail trade 76% Manufacturing 59% Health care and social services 59%
Other Community Characteristics
- Date of incorporation: 1907
- GMA-planning cities: 77%
- Number of housing units:
2000 2009 Growth
2000-2009977 1,172 8.7%
Fiscal Conditions
Major Revenue Base
- Per capita assessed value, 2008: $80,846
- Per capita sales & use tax revenue, 2008: $129
- Decline in sales & use tax distributions, October 2007 - May 2009: 27%
General Financial Outlook
- Change in local economic conditions since June 2008:
(% of respondents) Improved 3% Stayed about the same 33% Worsened 63%
- Ability to meet financial needs:
(% of respondents) Less able Same Better able This year (FY 2009) compared with four years ago 63% 26% 11% Next year compared with this year 59% 38% 2% Four years from now compared with this year 53% 31% 10%
- Steps taken to balance the budget:
(% of respondents) Adopted with 2009 budget Imposed after 2009 budget was adopted Not as of survey date Staffing changes Froze hiring (city is not replacing employees when they leave/retiree) 20% 24% 56% Decreased the number of hours/days worked or imposed furloughs 7% 8% 80% Offered voluntary leave without pay 5% 4% 87% Laid off employees 14% 11% 72% Compensation/benefit changes Eliminated salary increases for employees 4% 7% 83% Delayed or reduced salary increases for employees 10% 6% 79% Reduced spending on some employee benefits (i.e. deferred compensation, health care) 11% 3% 82% Eliminated some employee benefits (i.e. deferred compensation, health care) 3% 0% 89% Required increased employee contributions for employee/family health care 14% 4% 76% Other (please specify in comments section) 1% 1% 27%
- Cities reopening budget or decreasing expenditures in response to reduced revenues:
Have taken these steps 36% Had not but considered likely 31% Had not and did not consider likely 17%
- Actions cities are taking to balance budgets for remainder of 2009 (shows responses only from cities planning to amend budgeted expenditures):
Significant increase Slight increase Maintain Slight decrease Significant decrease Not authorized in your city Infrastructure spending 3% 3% 28% 37% 23% 3% Public safety spending 3% 5% 37% 38% 8% 3% General government spending 3% 3% 13% 63% 18% 1% Scope of services 1% 1% 43% 43% 7% 1% Size of workforce 0% 3% 49% 32% 8% 2%