Puyallup Economic Profile

Population*
City of Puyallup 35,690
Sumner, 8,940
Orting, 4,820 
Puyallup Median age 34.1
Bachelor's Degree or higher 22.8%

Population Forecast**
2010   40,658
2020   45,772
2030   50,456
Labor Force + 16,135/ Employment + 15,319
Unemployment Rate**
Pierce County 5.8%
Puyallup 5.1%
Washington 5.8%

Median Household Income*
Puyallup $ 47,269
Pierce County $ 45,204

Median Home Price++
Seattle $329,550
Pierce County $211,950
Puyallup $229,500

Puyallup's Major Employment Sectors

Retail
Puyallup's South Hill continues to be East Pierce County's regional shopping hub. The city serves a retail trade population of 400,000 with a projected growth to 600,000 by the year 2030. Puyallup taxable sales (2000-2003) grew at an average rate from 5.0% for retail trade and 4.45% for services.

Other major sectors in Puyallup
Construction; manufacturing; wholesale trade; transportation and warehousing; finance and insurance; professional, scientific and technical services.

Home to the Puyallup Fair & Events Center
A privately owned fair, the Puyallup Fair & Events Center is the 6th largest in the nation.
2004 revenues - $19 million & 2004 expenses - $17.7 million
50 year-round employees & 7,500 part-time employees

2004 attendance - 1.1 million/2004 attendance at non-Fair activities - 500,000

Health Care
With Good Samaritan Hospital as the anchor, Puyallup is the regional medical center for Eastern Pierce County. Ranked fourth in Pierce County's top ten private employers, Good Samaritan Hospital employs over 2000.

Important employers in the region

MultiCare Health System
Franciscan Health System
Fred Meyer Stores
Puyallup Tribe
Milgard Manufacturing
The Boeing Company
State Farm Insurance
Costco
Port of Tacoma
Russell Investment Group

Trade Area Description

Transitioning to become more diversified
Puyallup benefits from two regional retail centers; Downtown and South Hill.  The South Hill district has created a retail focus to this regional trade area by serving Pierce and Southern King Counties.  The 2004 Editor & Publisher Market Guide indicates that the total disposable income estimates have increased 21.4% from 2000 to 2004.  With an estimated trade area population of 308,609, E & P reports that total retail sales estimates have increased 46.2% from 1997 to 2004.  The trade area data reflects the retail buying potential of the market area.
Regional growth benefits Puyallup
Recently, Boeing opened its new aircraft assembly facilities in the South Hill area of Puyallup to provide over 10,000 additional jobs in the next several years. 
Intel, the computer chip microprocessing manufacturer, completed development of a new facility in nearby Dupont, Washington.  The creation of over 8,500 new technology jobs over the next several years is likely with addition of the Dupont plant.  While exisitng economic sectors continue to provide an even stronger economic base, the energetic growth in the sectors of microelectronics and trade-related industries will serve to enhance this overall growth pattern.
The Port of Tacoma is providing many new economic trade opportunities as its deep water facilities continue to expand.  As a result of this economic growth, population shifts to Puyallup's South Hill market from the west (Tacoma) and from the North (Seattle and King County) will continue to intensify.
Unemployment Rates
Pierce County Unemployment        5.8%
Puyallup Unemployment                5.1%
Washington State Unemploymnet   5.8%

Labor Force
Labor Force      16,135
Employment      15,319

Median household income
Puyallup             $47,269
Pierce County     $45,204

Median Home Price
Seattle              $389,000
Pierce County    $221,000
Puyallup            $239,552  

Pierce County's official 2005 population is 755,900, according to the state Office of Financial Management. The new figure is up 11,900 from last year. The unincorporated population increased to 345,940 (from 339,477) and the incorporated population increased to 409,960 (from 404,523).
Washington state's 2005 population is 6,256,400, up from 6,167,800 last year. The state's unincorporated population increased to 2,438,882 (from 2,395,226), and the incorporated population increased to 3,817,518 (from 3,772,574).