Washington
#3of 5167B
Starting up
How many businesses get founded here, and what the state takes in tax.
25-30 vs median
- Business applications per 1,000 residents1.222 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsU.S. Census Bureau
- State tax collected per resident$4,94628 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsU.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State Government Tax Collections
Population health
One comparable public-health read, asked the same way of every state.
75+25 vs median
- Adult obesity, 202431.5%73 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsCDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
- Firearm-injury deaths per 100,000 (crude)11.776 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsCDC NCIPC, CDC NCIPC 2024
Productive base
Output per worker and how much of the job base is manufacturing.
68+17 vs median
- Output per worker$221,07194 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
- Manufacturing share of jobs7.6%42 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Labour market
How tight the market is, and which way it moved last month.
52+3 vs median
- Unemployment rate5.0%8 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Employment change, latest month+0.32%96 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Prosperity
What the average person in the state actually earns.
85+33 vs median
- Per-capita personal income$89,39690 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
- Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher41.0%80 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsU.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year
Things get built
Housing authorised per worker — a direct read on whether projects clear.
41-17 vs median
- Housing units authorised per 1,000 workers0.972 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsU.S. Census Bureau
- House price index (FHFA)1033.310 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsFederal Housing Finance Agency
Fiscal standing
What the bond market thinks of the state as a counterparty.
100+8 vs median
- General-obligation ratingAaa · Stable100 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsMoody's, indicative 2025
Openness
Whether you can get an answer out of the state without telephoning it.
86+35 vs median
- Open-data portal answers an APIYes · data.wa.gov100 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsCEFA probe, 2026-09
- Incentive, permit & finance datasets778 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsCEFA discovery, 2026-09
- Government or agency newsroom feeds380 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsCEFA probe, 2026-09