Seattle’s tax collections rose 172% between 2013 and 2025, roughly 5.6 times as fast as its population grew, an ECONorthwest report found.
The firm conducted the September 2026 analysis for two groups: the Downtown Seattle Association and the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce. It put population growth at 31% and employment growth at 23% over the same 2013–2025 period.
The report estimates that businesses paid about 68% of city taxes in 2026, up from roughly 55% in 2016. It also calculates that businesses accounted for 83% of the $1.08 billion rise in taxes since 2018.
Overall collections climbed from about $900 million in 2013 to $2.8 billion in 2026, the analysis says. It links the increase to economic growth, higher rates on existing taxes and new levies, including taxes on payroll expenses and social housing.
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