Employment
Job Opportunities
Unemployment Rate
Household Income
Economic Opportunity
The chart below illustrates the change in employment by neighborhood in several Rainier Valley neighborhoods over the last 20 years. Statistics for the Chinatown International District (CID) and Seattle city are included to provide benchmarks. The Mt. Baker and Columbia City neighborhoods provide the most employment opportunities, with four neighborhoods growing faster than or roughly on par with the city. As shown in Figure 6, employment in each neighborhood has been either stagnant or trending upwards except in Rainier Beach, which reported a net loss of 22 jobs over 2010-2014. Covered Jobs represent about 84% of the total jobs and are defined as those jobs covered by the Washington State Unemployment Act (and thus excluding self-employed workers, proprietors, and non-insured workers).
In 2015, over 67.2% of the Rainier Valley business licenses registered with the City of Seattle were for sole proprietorships, indicating a high level of entrepreneurial and small business activity. To give a glimpse into the local business mix we looked at the different types of city business licenses registered in zip 98118, Rainier Valley’s zip code. In 2015, the largest majority of licenses (22%) were to register taxi, limousine, and transit and ground passenger services. The remaining business licenses were fragmented amongst all types of enterprises, including full service restaurants, dentists, physicians, community organizations, and shopping and retail. 5% of Rainier Valley’s 2,682 business licenses (double the licenses filed in 2010) were for beauty salons or barber shops; 3% for child day care enterprises; and 1.4% were to register independent artists, writers, and performers
The 2010 Census provided the most granular look into Rainier Valley’s neighborhood income disparities. Unfortunately more recent data are not consistently available. As of 2010, residents of Seward Park and Mount Baker reported the highest median household income at over $70,000. Table 1 shows a breakdown of the income per capita and median household income for some of the neighborhoods in the Rainier Valley. Median household income for the City of Seattle was $61,037 in 2010[1]; rising to $65,277 in 2013. Notably, the gender pay gap is inverted in Rainier Valley, with median earnings of $34,098 for females and $32,001 for males. This is in contrast to the rest of Seattle, where the median income for males is $50,326, and $38,525 for females.[2] There are likely a myriad of sociological, cultural, and historical reasons behind the inverted pay gap.
The 2010 Census provided the most granular look into Rainier Valley’s neighborhood income disparities. Unfortunately more recent data are not consistently available. As of 2010, residents of Seward Park and Mount Baker reported the highest median household income at over $70,000. Table 1 shows a breakdown of the income per capita and median household income for some of the neighborhoods in the Rainier Valley. Median household income for the City of Seattle was $61,037 in 2010[1]; rising to $65,277 in 2013. Notably, the gender pay gap is inverted in Rainier Valley, with median earnings of $34,098 for females and $32,001 for males. This is in contrast to the rest of Seattle, where the median income for males is $50,326, and $38,525 for females.[2] There are likely a myriad of sociological, cultural, and historical reasons behind the inverted pay gap.
Columbia City is the commercial center for the surrounding neighborhoods of Mount Baker, Lakewood/Seward Park, and the remaining Rainier Valley areas. When comparing employment rates to educational achievement, both Brighton (South Beacon Hill) and Rainier Beach have higher unemployment rates than other neighborhoods and also have lower educational achievement levels. Unemployment rates have been difficult to estimate since the Great Recession due to high volatility in the job market.
Within Rainier Valley there are several business districts with associations and non-profits working to improve and provide additional economic opportunities: Beacon Merchants Association, Genesee Merchants Association, Rainier Chamber of Commerce, SouthEast Effective Development (SEED), Martin Luther King Business Association, and HomeSight. Columbia City established the Business Improvement Area in 2009 that funded to revitalize the business district by providing marketing and business development. Mount Baker business district grew with the development of the public transportation network and retail parking lots. Convenient parking makes this district more walkable, which could satisfy different shopping purposes for customers.
Seattle’s Sustainable Neighborhoods Assessment Project includes two Rainier Valley neighborhoods – Rainier Beach and North Beacon Hill. Rainier Beach has a small historical business district, at the South 57th Street, Rainier Avenue S, and Seward Park Avenue intersection. This area is populated with locally-owned family stores scattered about. The Rainier Beach light rail station is located somewhat far away from the business district, and has experienced minimal new development over the past few years. Residents informed the City of Seattle in their 2012 neighborhood plan update that they wished for increased diversity in business offerings, with more pedestrian-friendly shopping opportunities, and ideally the businesses would be connected or accessible via light rail and bus.
In contrast, North Beacon Hill’s light rail station is centrally located in the business district, creating a community center that is attracting jobs and investment. In addition to the Pacific Tower and two large medical facilities, “there is a concentration of businesses, library, community center, grocery markets, and infill development. Together, El Centro de le Raza, the Beacon Hill station, and the library create a sense of a town center with short pleasant walking distances between small shops, restaurants, services, and park” (Assessment Project Report, 2014). For its cultural diversity, landscape, and charming business district, the American Planning Association named North Beacon Hill as of America’s 30 Great Places in 2012