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US State economic profile
Washington - Economic Profile
Statistics, economic information and rankings for the Evergreen State
In 2026, the state of Washington has a population of 8,118,018, having grown an annualized 0.9% over the five years to 2026, which ranks it 13th out of all 50 US states by growth rate. Washington's gross state product (GSP) in 2026 reached $733.6b, with growth of 3.2% over the 5 years to 2026. Businesses in Washington employed a total of 4,111,517 people in 2026, with average annual employment growth over the past five years of 1.9%. The top three sectors by total employment are Information, Real Estate & Rental & Leasing, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services, while the unemployment rate across the state in 2026 was 5.0%.
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State economic profile
Washington Economic Overview
$733.6b
Gross state product
8,118,018
Population
982,510
Businesses
What is Washington's Gross Domestic Product (GDP)?
In 2026, Washington's GDP reached $733.6b, representing an increase of 3.2% from 2025. Washington's GDP has grown at an annualized rate of 2.9% over the five years to 2026. Moreover, Washington's trailing five-year GDP growth ranks it 8th out of all 50 US states.
State GDP, or Gross State Product, is a measurement of a state's output, or the sum of value added from all industries in the state. It is a common indicator used to track the health of a state's economy.
You can track trends in Washington's GDP, and compare them to the national average, using the chart below.
State economic profile
Washington Industry Trends
Learn about current trends affecting the most significant industries for Washington's state economy, down to the county level. IBISWorld offers state industry research reports on over 30,000 industries across all 50 states in the US, including 639 industries in Washington.
What are Washington's Largest Industries by Revenue?
The largest industries by revenue in Washington are Software Publishing, Aircraft, Engine & Parts Manufacturing and Business Analytics & Enterprise Software Publishing, which generated $106.9b, $60.2b and $51.9b in 2026.
| Industry | 2026 revenue | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Software Publishing | $106.9b |
| 2. | Aircraft, Engine & Parts Manufacturing | $60.2b |
| 3. | Business Analytics & Enterprise Software Publishing | $51.9b |
| 4. | Operating Systems & Productivity Software Publishing | $37.7b |
| 5. | Hospitals | $33.9b |
| 6. | Warehouse Clubs & Supercenters | $32.4b |
| 7. | Search Engines | $30.1b |
| 8. | Health & Medical Insurance | $25.1b |
| 9. | Supermarkets & Grocery Stores | $24.7b |
| 10. | New Car Dealers | $24.7b |
State economic profile
Top Companies in Washington
Learn about current trends affecting the top companies in Washington. IBISWorld offers benchmarking data and tools on over 5,000 companies in the US.
Top 10 Companies Headquartered in Washington by Employment
The largest companies by employment in Washington are Amazon.Com, Boeing Co and Microsoft, which employed 90,000, 66,979 and 55,119 people in 2026.
| Company | 2026 employment | Share of employment | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Amazon.Com | 90,000 | 2.2% |
| 2. | Boeing Co | 66,979 | 1.6% |
| 3. | Microsoft | 55,119 | 1.3% |
| 4. | University Of Washington | 53,055 | 1.3% |
| 5. | Walmart | 23,058 | 0.6% |
| 6. | Kroger | 21,497 | 0.5% |
| 7. | Albertsons Companies | 21,451 | 0.5% |
| 8. | Costco Wholesale | 17,061 | 0.4% |
| 9. | Home Depot | 10,155 | 0.2% |
| 10. | Target | 8,183 | 0.2% |
State economic profile
Washington Sector Statistics
In Washington, certain sectors drive a higher share of state GDP and employ more workers than others. However, simply looking at raw numbers doesn't always tell the whole story. Factoring in the current year growth percentage, in addition to the annualized growth percentage over the past five years, will give you a deeper understanding of the economic situation.
What is Washington's GDP by Sector?
The Information, Real Estate & Rental & Leasing and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services sectors contributed the most to Washington's GDP in 2026, representing a combined 51.9% of state GDP.
GDP trends by sector are an important indicator of which sectors are contributing the most value-add to the state economy, in addition to how the state economy is evolving over time.
| Sector | GDP | Growth 2026 | Annualized growth 2021-26 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information | 194,841,953,509 | 12.0% | 10.9% |
| Real Estate & Rental & Leasing | 98,080,873,897 | 4.1% | 4.4% |
| Professional, Scientific & Technical Services | 83,188,090,814 | 10.3% | 10.0% |
| Retail Trade | 72,496,644,728 | 4.7% | 3.7% |
| Manufacturing | 55,591,387,094 | 0.4% | 0.7% |
| Healthcare & Social Assistance | 45,579,212,002 | 4.2% | 4.4% |
| Wholesale Trade | 28,624,088,556 | -0.3% | -0.4% |
| Transportation & Warehousing | 23,259,206,883 | 7.3% | 7.7% |
| Construction | 21,026,611,111 | -3.2% | -4.1% |
| Administration, Business Support and Waste Management Services | 19,780,542,307 | 3.0% | 3.2% |
| Accommodation & Food Services | 19,542,677,129 | 5.4% | 5.6% |
| Finance & Insurance | 18,277,738,770 | -3.7% | -4.8% |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 13,133,492,204 | 8.9% | 9.5% |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 10,201,992,645 | -1.5% | -1.2% |
| Arts, Entertainment & Recreation | 6,280,921,022 | 7.5% | 7.9% |
| Utilities | 5,374,649,329 | 2.1% | 2.0% |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting | 5,142,901,176 | -5.5% | -4.9% |
| Educational Services | 3,669,086,760 | 2.7% | 3.5% |
| Mining | 271,859,371 | -8.0% | -8.3% |
What is Washington's Employment by Sector?
The Healthcare & Social Assistance, Retail Trade and Information sectors contributed the most to employment in Washington in 2026, representing a combined 34.1% of state employment.
Employment trends by sector are an important indicator of which sectors are growing or contracting most rapidly relative to the state economy as a whole.
| Sector | Employment | Growth 2026 | Annualized growth 2021-26 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Healthcare & Social Assistance | 553,903 | 2.4% | 3.0% |
| Retail Trade | 464,819 | 1.3% | 1.8% |
| Information | 381,752 | 4.9% | 7.4% |
| Professional, Scientific & Technical Services | 359,282 | 2.7% | 2.9% |
| Construction | 327,154 | 2.4% | 2.3% |
| Accommodation & Food Services | 320,324 | 1.3% | 6.0% |
| Manufacturing | 301,674 | 1.8% | 3.2% |
| Transportation & Warehousing | 252,840 | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Administration, Business Support and Waste Management Services | 222,035 | 2.3% | 2.0% |
| Educational Services | 176,620 | -0.1% | 2.0% |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 172,465 | 1.8% | 3.8% |
| Real Estate & Rental & Leasing | 152,859 | 1.4% | 2.5% |
| Finance & Insurance | 144,970 | 1.3% | 2.4% |
| Wholesale Trade | 141,606 | 0.9% | 1.5% |
| Arts, Entertainment & Recreation | 82,708 | 0.7% | 4.6% |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting | 39,817 | -0.0% | -2.5% |
| Utilities | 14,090 | 1.7% | 1.3% |
| Mining | 2,599 | 0.7% | 2.6% |
State economic profile
Washington Employment Trends
4.1m
Employment
5.0%
Unemployment
What Employment Trends are Impacting Washington?
The state of Washington employs 4,111,517 people in 2026, which ranks it 14th out of all 50 US states. Employment in Washington has grown at an annualized rate of 3.3% over the five years to 2026, overperforming the national average of 1.7%. Major sectors by employment in Washington include Healthcare & Social Assistance, Retail Trade and Information, which employed 553,903, 464,819 and 381,752 people in 2026, respectively. Washington's unemployment rate is 5.0% in 2026, which ranks it 39th out of all 50 US states. Washington's unemployment rate has trended downwards at a rate of -1.6% over the five years to 2026, overperforming the US economy as a whole.
Employment trends indicate the degree of tightness or slack in labor markets, in addition to the overall strength of an economy. Faster employment growth typically indicates a strong and growing economy, while lower unemployment tends to imply tightness in labor markets.
You can track unemployment trends in Washington, and compare them to the US economy, using the chart below.
$148.6k
Per capita disposable income
What is Washington's Per Capita Disposable Income?
Per capita disposable income, also known as disposable personal income (DPI), is the amount of money that the average person in an economy has available for spending and saving after accounting for income taxes. Washington's DPI in 2026 was $148.6k, compared to the US average of $156.5k, which places it 21st out of all 50 US states.
Disposable income is regarded as a key economic indicator as trends in disposable income are indicative of the level of aggregate demand, the state of labor markets and the financial strength of households.
You can track trends in Washington's per capita disposable income, and compare it to the US average, using the chart below.
State economic profile
Washington Construction & Building Trends
$11,295.6tn
Nonresidential construction
$9.7tn
Residential construction
30,495
Building permits
What can construction trends tell you about a state’s economy?
In Washington, non-residential construction was $11,295.6tn in 2026, which ranks it 14th out of all 50 US states. Residential construction was $9.7tn in 2026, which places Washington 6th out of all 50 US states. The number of building permits issued in Washington in 2026 was 30,495, representing a -11.5% annualized growth rate between 2021 and 2026.
Trends in the construction sector are important because it creates jobs, income and tax revenue for a state. In addition, construction sector activity impacts other sectors in its supply chain, including manufacturing, wholesaling, warehousing, transportation, and real estate, rental and leasing services. Therefore, construction trends are important indicators of the health of an economy.
You can track trends in the number of building permits issued in Washington, and compare it to trends in the number issued in the United States as a whole, using the chart below.
State economic profile
Washington Population Statistics
Which Counties in Washington have the Largest Populations?
The counties with the highest populations in Washington are King County, Pierce County and Snohomish County, which had populations of 2,289,206, 936,171 and 859,701 people in 2026.
| Region | 2026 population | Annual growth 2021-26 | Share of population |
|---|---|---|---|
| King | 2.3m | 0.3% | 28.2% |
| Pierce | 936.2k | 0.3% | 11.5% |
| Snohomish | 859.7k | 0.6% | 10.6% |
| Spokane | 561.6k | 0.6% | 6.9% |
| Clark | 536.6k | 1.0% | 6.6% |
| Thurston | 302.2k | 0.3% | 3.7% |
| Kitsap | 279.2k | 0.2% | 3.4% |
| Yakima | 256.6k | N/A | 3.2% |
| Whatcom | 237.5k | 0.8% | 2.9% |
| Benton | 222.7k | 1.1% | 2.7% |
| Skagit | 132.7k | 0.3% | 1.6% |
| Cowlitz | 115.0k | 0.6% | 1.4% |
| Grant | 106.1k | 1.1% | 1.3% |
| Franklin | 101.0k | 0.6% | 1.2% |
| Lewis | 89.3k | 1.2% | 1.1% |
| Island | 85.5k | -0.3% | 1.1% |
| Chelan | 80.5k | 0.2% | 1.0% |
| Grays Harbor | 78.5k | 0.5% | 1.0% |
| Clallam | 77.6k | N/A | 1.0% |
| Mason | 70.3k | 0.9% | 0.9% |
| Walla Walla | 60.8k | -0.4% | 0.8% |
| Stevens | 50.8k | 1.3% | 0.6% |
| Whitman | 50.5k | 1.7% | 0.6% |
| Kittitas | 46.7k | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Douglas | 46.4k | 1.2% | 0.6% |
State economic profile
Washington Demographics
In Washington, 42.4% of the population has a Bachelors or higher. The largest ethnic group in Washington is White, accounting for 61.1% of the state's population.
Education level in Washington
| Education level | Share (%) |
|---|---|
| Bachelors or higher | 42.4 |
| Other | 57.6 |
Race in Washington
| Race | Share (%) |
|---|---|
| White | 61.1 |
| Hispanic | 15.7 |
| Asian | 12.1 |
| Other | 6.7 |
| Black | 4.5 |
Washington State industry reports
IBISWorld State Industry Reports help you quickly understand how an industry performs at the state level compared with the national level, with accurate and unbiased industry information with a local focus. Use this collection to:
- Discover key local industry trends
- Identify threats and opportunities at the subnational level
- Inform your business strategies and planning
See our list of 639 Washington industry reports.
Other states to explore
Compare Washington’s economy with other states in the United States.
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