Seattle Among Nations Most Dynamic Urban Areas

Add more national recognition for Seattles booming economy.

Thanks to its rapid population growth, home-price appreciation and a relatively youthful population, the city ranks as the second most dynamic urban center in the nation.

Point2 Homes, a Canadian real estate analytics company, also lauded the city for its rapid income growth and its robust economic activity. The study noted that Seattle which tied with Tacoma — recorded the sixth-largest population growth and 10^th-largest GDP growth between 2013 and 2017.

San Francisco ranked No. 1, followed by Denver. Vancouver, Washington scored high in the small cities category, ranking No. 5. The study found that Vancouver recorded a 40% drop in the number of people living below the poverty line.

Tacoma ranked No. 35 among the 150 largest cities studied and No. 18 in the mid-sized cities category. Spokane ranked No. 66 overall and No. 36 among mid-sized cities.

The study examined 18 factors across four main dimensions: human capital, education and culture, economic activity and housing.

The study also included expert analysis on the challenges fast-growth can create and offered recommendations on how to handle that growth.