The Seattle area's diversity, innovation and continuing growth make it a highly desirable place to live and do business. By 2010, there were more than 1.9 million people in Seattle and the Puget Sound region's labor force. Employment is projected to grow to nearly 2.5 million by 2020, according to the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC).
The 2010 Policom Corporation Annual Economic Strength Rankings recognize this long-term, high-quality consistent growth by naming the Seattle metropolitan area the strongest local economy in America.
Add that to the spectacular natural surroundings, world-class education systems, thriving urban centers, vibrant neighborhoods, and a lively arts and culture scene. What you have is a great place to live and do business.
Don't take just our word for it though. Check out some of the recent rankings and information below.
A center for industry-leading innovation and sustainable business
- Some of the world's most successful and innovative companies are based here, including Amazon.com, The Boeing Company, Microsoft Corporation, Starbucks Coffee Company, Costco, Weyerhaeuser, Nordstrom and many more.
- The University of Washington, among the nation's top public universities for research funding, pulled in an impressive $1.4 billion in sponsored research funds in 2010, making the Puget Sound region a hotbed for research and development.
- The University of Washington ranked first in the nation for National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding in 2010. In 2009, 94 percent of NIH grants awarded in Washington state went organizations located in the Puget Sound Region.
- Facebook, Salesforce.com, Zynga Inc and Google are some of the Bay Area tech companies that have opened offices in the Seattle area to tap into the region's deep talent pool according to the Wall Street Journal
- Seattle is one of the top cities in the nation for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified facilities.
- Seattle is the most competitive in the nation and the world for growth in the gaming industry.
- Seattle is a city of music. It defines our culture and is a major industry, generating more than $2 billion in sales and creating 20,000-plus jobs.
- Many of Washington's 175 biopharma companies, 205 medical device companies and 25,000 life sciences jobs are located in Seattle and the metro Puget Sound region.
- The Milken Institute ranked Seattle as the second most influential high-tech sector in the country.
A diverse, international, and vibrant community
- Washington state is the largest exporter in the nation on a per capita basis and one in three jobs is tied to international trade. Many of these jobs are located in the Seattle area, home to deepwater ports as well as major exporters such as Boeing and Microsoft.
- Greater Seattle is equidistant from London and Tokyo—nine hours by plane to either city.
- The region's marine ports are also closer to Asia than any other major ports on the United States' West Coast.
- Seattle is a 24-hour city on a global gateway, according to the Emerging Trends in Real Estate criteria set by the Urban Land Institute and PricewaterhouseCoopers.
- Minority-owned businesses are a dynamic part of the economy. Even with challenging economic conditions, 36 percent of minority-owned businesses anticipated hiring in 2010.
- King County is increasingly diverse, and one and three residents are persons of color according to the 2010 census.
- 30 percent of the population in the city of Bellevue is foreign-born.
An exceptional place to live and do business
- In the 2010 Job Sector Survey, respondents of almost every job sector and business size stated that quality of life was one of the primary benefits of doing business in our region.
- Kiplinger's ranked Seattle #2 nationally in its "10 Best Cities for the Next Decade" report.
- The 2011 National Retail Index listed Seattle in the top 10 retail markets in the country.
- Seattle tied with Washington DC as the #1 Youth-Magnet City according to a Wall Street Journal report.
- The Seattle metro area is consistently ranked as one of the most-highly educated regions in the nation; in the city of Seattle, 53.6 percent of adults have a college degree.
- Zillow describes the three main types of residents in Seattle as highly educated professionals with high-incomes; students in higher education; and singles with upper-scale incomes.
- Seattle has 147.52 miles of fresh water shoreline and 53.38 miles of salt water shoreline for a total of 200.90 miles of shoreline.
- Forbes ranked Seattle as the third coolest city in the nation in 2010
- Seattle ranked as the nation's most walkable city, according to the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center.
- Seattle consistently ranks #1 for the number of arts organizations per 1,000 residents. According to a recent report by ArtsFund, $1.75 billion in business was generated by King County arts, cultural and scientific organizations.