Main Engines of Growth

Jobs are plentiful. Wages are increasing. The high-tech community is thriving. More households have access to broadband than ever before. For primarily those reasons, the Seattle region and the city of Walla Walla have earned top-10 rankings in the prestigious Milken Institute Best-Performing Cities of 2022.

Seattle jumped seven spots from last year, now ranking No. 6 among large cities across the country. Walla Walla’s showing was even more impressive. The 33,000-population city, best known across the state for its reputation as a wine region (and for its sweet onions, wheat and strawberries), ranked No. 6 among small cities. Last year, it ranked No. 33.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has foundationally altered the way we live and work, and that has had a direct impact on our cities,” says Kevin Klowden, executive director of the Milken Institute Center for Regional Economics and California Center. “When comparing urban areas, access to opportunity is an essential consideration, especially in light of the growing inequalities made apparent by the pandemic.”

How Seattle compares to the top 10 large cities

1. Provo-Orem, Utah
2. Austin-Round Rock, Texas
3. Salt Lake City
4. Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, Arizona
5. Palm Bay-Melbourne, Titusville, Florida
6. Seattle-Bellevue-Everett
7. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara
8. Fayeteville-Springdale-Rogers, Arkansas-Missouri
9. Colorado Springs
10. Dallas-Plano-Irving, Texas

The 10 top small cities

1. Logan, Utah-Idaho
2. St. George, Utah
3. Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
4. Redding, California
5. Idaho Falls
6. Walla Walla
7. Sioux Falls, South Dakota
8. Gainesville, Georgia
9. Champaign-Urbana, Illinois
10. Tie: Abilene, Texas and Bend-Redmond, Oregon

Quote

As we made clear in February, REI will not participate in any (Outdoor Retailer) trade show in the state so long as Utah’s leaders persist in attacking our public lands and the laws that protect them.

Ben Steele, REI chief customer officer, explaining why the popular co-op will boycott the Annual Outdoor Retailer Show, which has been held in Denver since 2018 but is returning to Utah next year. 

Big Number

9.9 Million

New industrial space in square feet projected for 2022 in the Seattle region, 14th-highest in the country. Construction is being driven by fulfillment centers opening to provide quicker delivery of items purchased online, according to data firm CommercialSearch.