Downtown Seattle
2022 Report Card

LIVE
Residential Population
71% increase since 2010 / 2022 estimate: 104,241

WORK
Total Number of Jobs
47% increase since 2010 / 2022 estimate: 341,010

SHOP
Brick-and-Mortar Retail Jobs
21% increase since 2010 / 2022 estimate: 10,746

PLAY
Dining, Hotel, Recreation, Arts and Entertainment Jobs
2% increase since 2010 / 2022 estimate: 28,038

Sources: Esri Community Analyst, Puget Sound Regional Council. The 2022 jobs estimate was derived from data provided by the Puget Sound Regional Council and the Washington State Employment Security Department. Note that data here are for Q1 of each year. The 2013 jobs data were unavailable and were therefore interpolated.

Downtown Seattle Remains the Heart of the City’s Economy

Despite being just 4% of Seattle’s total area, downtown accounts for approximately half of Seattle’s economic activity, including 55% of total jobs, more than 80% of office space, nearly 90% of all hotel rooms and roughly two-thirds of apartment units. Additionally, downtown accounts for more than 50% of the total appraised property value in Seattle, generating hundreds of millions in property taxes. Approximately 57% of the property taxes generated go to fund schools, as well as voter-approved levies supporting veterans and seniors, fire protection and parks.

 

Downtown as a Percent of the City’s Total

89%
Hotel Rooms

82%
Office Space Inventory

55%
Jobs

49%
Commercial Property Values

37%
Apartment Units

Sources: CoStar, Esri Community Analyst, King County Assessor, Puget Sound Regional Council. All statistics are for the most recent year available from each data source.

Demographic Snapshot

Who Lives Downtown?

104241total population

37.3median age

1.5average household size

$108778median household income

3.4%are unemployed

70.3%have a bachelor’s degree or higher

6.6%are under 18

47.6%are nonwhite

81%are renters

Source: Esri Community Analyst

Who Works Downtown?

60%are between the ages of 30 and 54

15%identify as Asian, the fastest-growing demographic by race

44%have a bachelor’s degree or higher

51%are male

40%live within the Seattle city limits

Source: U.S. Census Bureau. LEHD Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (https://onthemap.ces.census.gov/).

Who Visits Downtown?
True trade area demographics

35median age

$86200median household income

53%have a bachelor’s degree or higher

51%are male

29%are millennials (this is the largest generational cohort)

43%are nonwhite

53%are renters

56%live within 15 miles of downtown

Source: Placer.ai. The “true trade area” was calculated based on the home locations of the top 60% of visitors who live within 50 miles of downtown.

Data last updated March 2023.