This material will be provided in alternative formats for individuals with disabilities upon request.

Disclaimer
This document has been edited to improve readability and allow availability on King County's web site.

Note: The 2003 King County Annual Growth Report is available for viewing in Adobe Acrobat .pdf format. You will need to have a copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer to view the report files. You can download a free copy of the Acrobat Reader here or visit Adobe's site to get more information.

Printed copies of the AGR are available for $45 (includes tax plus shipping and handling, without shipping and handling: $40)
  King County Licensing,
  Room 403 of the Administration Building
  500 4th Avenue
  Seattle, Washington 98104
  ATTN: AGR

Make checks payable to: King County Office of Finance.

New in the AGR in 2003

This year’s report emphasizes the big trend which has marked much of the 20 years of Annual Growth Reporting. Since 1989, annexations and incorporations have shifted a large share of population growth and development activity out of the jurisdiction of unincorporated King County, and into cities. In recognition of that trend, this year’s AGR continues to emphasize city data, and we offer new data on “potential annexation areas.”

New features include:

• Mini-profiles of ten unincorporated communities identified as “potential annexation areas” (PAAs). See Chapter VII, Unincorporated Areas.
• New household growth targets for cities and unincorporated communities, adopted in 2002.
• Land supply and land capacity data from the King County “Buildable Lands” report.
• Building permit data in Chapter V that reports demolitions and net new units as well as permits.
• A compact summary of two chapters of the Benchmarks Bulletin series.
• Corrected subcounty population and development trend data for 4 sub-areas in Chapter IV.
• 2000 Census data reported in Chapter I text, Chapter V cities, and a dot map of the population.

The 2003 AGR also continues a popular feature from last year, the “About King County” sidebar introduction in Chapter I.

The AGR and the Benchmark Report: Companion Documents

While the Annual Growth Report focuses on providing a broad range of growth-related data, the Benchmark Report is organized into 45 specific indicators which are intended to measure progress in achieving the goals of the 1994 Countywide Planning Policies (CPPs) (466 KB Acrobat file) and the King County Comprehensive Plan. The system for the Benchmark Report was established by defining the desired outcomes of the CPPs, selecting relevant indicators for each outcome, and identifying quantifiable levels of achievement, or targets when appropriate. The Benchmark Report includes measurement and analysis of trends in:

• Economic Development - real wages per worker; median household income; new businesses and new jobs created; and educational levels attained.
• Environmental Issues - air and water quality; noise abatement; protection of ecosystems and species diversity; restoration of salmon stocks; and improvement in waste management.
• Affordable Housing - supply and demand for affordable housing; home purchase and rental affordability; and monetary commitments to affordable housing by local jurisdictions.
• Land Use Policy - apportionment of new housing units and jobs among urban centers, urban growth areas, and rural resource areas; progress of local jurisdictions in meeting housing targets; and preservation of forest, farmland, and open space.
• Transportation - Quantity and type of vehicle trips, modes of commuting, levels of congestion on current roadways, and local road repair requirements.

This year the Benchmark Report is being published every other month as a series of five Bulletins, one for each chapter listed above. Summary findings from the Land Use and Economic Development chapters are included in Chapter II of the AGR. The Land Use Bulletin was published in August 2003. Look for the Economic Development Bulletin in October, Affordable Housing in December, and the Transportation and Environmental bulletins early in 2004. While there will be some overlap in data presented, there is a great deal that is unique to each report. Although the purpose of the two reports is different, every effort has been made to assure consistency in the data presented. In cases where there appears to be inconsistencies in data, it may be that a different measure or source is being used – e.g. median home price (reported in Benchmark Report vs. Average Home Price reported in AGR). Used together, the Annual Growth Report and the Benchmark Report provide a comprehensive picture of current growth conditions in King County.

Note:  The documents in this section are posted in Adobe Acrobat PDF file format. To view Adobe Acrobat documents you need Adobe's Acrobat Reader, Version 5.0 or later. Download the Acrobat Reader.

This material will be provided in alternative formats for individuals with disabilities upon request.

Statistical Profile of King County  (130 KB Acrobat file)

Table of Contents  (118 KB Acrobat file)

• Puget Sound Economy: Still scraping along the bottom
• King County Population Exceeds 1.7 million
  - Race and Ethnicity
  - Age
  - Households
  - Housing
  - Educational attainment
  - Languages and Country of Origin
  - Income
  - Poverty
  - Commute Data
• Dramatic Shift of Population from Unincorporated King County into Cities
• Growth Targets and Land Capacity
• Rate of Residential construction remains stable

Definitions  (114 KB Acrobat file)

II. Benchmark Highlights  (302 KB Acrobat file)
A summary of major trends and key data points for selected Benchmark Indicators.

Introduction
Economic Development
Land Use Indicators

III. King County in the Puget Sound Region (246 KB Acrobat file)
Data tables on King, Pierce, Snohomish, and Kitsap Counties to place King County within a regional context.

Introduction
Population and Income
Nonagricultural Wage and Salary Jobs
Jobs / Housing Balance
Housing Units and Residential Building Permits
Number of Lots Applied For and Recorded, 1992 - 2002

IV. King County At Large
Updates of age, race, employment, housing affordability and income from the 1990 Census. The Subarea section of this chapter has land, job and housing data for urban and rural subareas of King County.

Introduction   (376 KB Acrobat file)
Population, Age and Race Tables
Income
Employment and Wage Levels
Housing and Rental Affordability

Sub County Areas: Introduction and Map  (450 KB Acrobat file)
Land Development Indicators
Sub-Regional Job and Housing Data
Housing and Rental Affordability, Subcounty Areas
20-Year Household and Job Growth

V. King County's Cities  (297 KB Acrobat file)
City by city data on plat and building activity with tables of land area, annexations, assessed value, crime statistics and land capacity.

Introduction
Census Population, Race and Age Tables
Census Housing Unit Count, and by Structure Type 2000 and 2002
Median Income, 1999
Persons Below Poverty Level, 1999
Annexations and Incorporations by King County Cities, 1990 - 2003
Residential Land Capacity Estimates for King County Cities, 2001
Adjusted 22-Year Household Targets by Jurisdiction
Land Area and Assessed Values by City, 2003
Total Net New Residential Units Authorized, 2000 - 2002
New Single and Multifamily Residential Units Authorized, 1992 - 2002
Recorded Formal Plats, 1997 - 2002
Covered Employment by Sector, 2001
Covered Employment by City, 1990, 1995, 1999, 2000 and 2001

This section provides a closer look at individual cities in King County. Each page provides a brief summary of the city’s demographic, economic, housing and development activity. The format is similar to the King County Statistical Profile on the inside front cover, so the reader can compare cities to each other and to King County as a whole. Each profile lists the current mayor and a phone number to call for further information.

Currently, there are 39 cities in King County, the largest number in any County in Washington State. A map called “King County Current City Boundaries” (531 KB Acrobat file) is found at the back of this document. It shows all 39 cities.

Here are the cities of King County and their incorporation dates:

Statistical profiles of cities from Algona to Yarrow Point
Demographics, Employment and Income, Major Employers, Housing and Development Activity

• Algona through Clyde Hill   (234 KB Acrobat file)
• Covington through Kirkland   (265 KB Acrobat file)
• Lake Forest Park through Redmond   (252 KB Acrobat file)
• Renton through Yarrow Point   (262 KB Acrobat file)

VII. Unincorporated Areas
Detailed data for each of the unincorporated areas of King County.

Introduction  (442 KB Acrobat file)
Unincorporated King County as a whole:
      Demographics, Population Forecasts, Residential Permits, Subdivision Activity
Rural King County Profile
Residential Subdivision Activity and Total New Residential Units Authorized
Transportation Concurrency Approvals
Adjusted 20 Year Household Growth Targets
Residential Land Capacity, 2002
Population and Housing Unit Tables, 1990 and 2000

Introduction  (2,274 KB Acrobat file)
Potential Annexation Areas
      Demographics, Employment and Income, Tax Information,
      Housing and Development Activity
Data Source

Introduction
School District Map
Total Population by School District, 1990-2000
Estimate of School-Age Poverty Population by School District, 1995
Total New Residential Units by School District, 1994-2002
King County Council Districts Map
Total Population by Council Districts, 1990 and 2000
Total New Residential Units by Council Districts, 1999-2002

• King County Incorporated Areas, 2003  (531 KB Acrobat file)
• Annexations and Incorporations, 1990-2003  (498 KB Acrobat file)
• King County Potential Annexation Areas  (704 KB Acrobat file)
• New Residential Units, 2002  (618 KB Acrobat file)
• New Plats / Lots in Recorded Formal Plats, 2002  (539 KB Acrobat file)
• Population Distribution, 2000 Census  (1,170 KB Acrobat file)