When people think about the economy, they often picture office towers or retail storefronts. But warehouses, manufacturing plants, and logistics hubs are the quiet engines that keep goods moving, workers employed, and communities funded. CREDA Washington State (formerly NAIOP) asked ECOnorthwest to quantify just how much industrial real estate contributes to Washington’s economy, and to make that case to policymakers in plain terms.
We combined commercial property data from CoStar with employment and wage records from the Washington Employment Security Department, then ran the numbers through IMPLAN, an economic modeling tool that traces how spending in one sector ripples through the rest of the economy. We also analyzed state tax records to show how industrial development generates public revenue at every stage, from permitting through construction through years of ongoing operations.
The results were striking. Washington’s industrial sector supports more than 1.2 million jobs when ripple effects are counted, generates over $230 billion in annual economic value, and produces roughly $6.7 million in public revenue for every 100,000 square feet of new development. These jobs pay well above living-wage benchmarks and are accessible without a four-year degree.
The report also made the case that modern industrial facilities are cleaner and more efficient than most people assume, with solar-ready roofs, EV infrastructure, and shorter supply chains that reduce emissions.
The findings have informed ongoing conversations at the state legislature and in local comprehensive planning processes about how to protect and grow Washington’s industrial land base.
