Business Sectors

Industrial

In recent decades Puyallup has diversified from agriculture-supporting industrial uses to several large distribution centers, manufacturing facilities and related industrial space. In 2015, Puyallup has 667.5 acres of land zoned for one of the City’s “industrial” or “business park” zone districts.

A key City industrial site is the former-Microchip semiconductor fabrication plant, which contains almost 700,000 square feet of research park/manufacturing space in a 90-acre corporate campus environment. In 2007, this facility was purchased by the Benaroya Corporation and re-named as “South Hill Business & Technology Center”. It houses several corporate business tenants.

Commercial & Retail

The City has multiple districts which contain general commercial uses, including the South Hill commercial core, downtown business district, River Road, East Main and others. In 2015, Puyallup has 1071 acres of land zoned as one of the City’s “commercial” zone districts.

The City’s overall retail base is 6 relatively strong. Puyallup is ranked #10 among all cities in the state for sales tax revenue/capita, which heavily supports municipal functions.

Health Care

Good Samaritan Community Healthcare System was first based in the City in 1952. In 2006, Good Samaritan merged with Multicare, operators of several large medical facilities in the region, which led to a major expansion of their local medical presence. In 2007, a Hospital Master Plan was approved, which has led to app. $400 million of new capital investment at the campus.

As the hospital has grown, so too has the ancillary medical office area around the hospital, with numerous private offices and support functions. There are also several convalescent facilities around the City of varying sizes, with ongoing development activity in that niche.

Visitor Serving

Puyallup is the home of the Washington State Fair & Events Center. The primary Fair, held each year in September, annually records well over one million visitors and is ranked as the sixth largest fair in the country. The fairgrounds comprise 120 acres, valued at more than $40 million, with annual operating revenues over $18 million.

In 2012-13, two new major hotels were constructed near the Fairgrounds and hospital, joining several other lodging facilities in the City. Puyallup  has the largest concentration of hotel/motel beds in Pierce County, outside of Tacoma, and a significant local economic presence.

Institutional

Puyallup has numerous facilities related to education - Washington State University (WSU) Puyallup Research and Extension Center, Pierce College and Puyallup School District.

WSU Puyallup is the largest branch agricultural station of Washington State University. Pierce College is gradually building out the 2008-approved Master Plan for its Puyallup campus. The Puyallup School District, with headquarters in downtown Puyallup, operates the highly-regarded K-12 system within the City and surrounding area and is one of the City’s largest employers. There are also multiple private K-12 educational facilities in the City, including several schools for the locally-based Cascade Christian School District.

Residential

Puyallup has many residential neighborhoods with homes of all types and styles. In 2012-2014, there has been a noteworthy upswing in home building in Puyallup. In the four years preceding 2012 (2008-2011), the City averaged about 55 single-family residential permit submittals per year. That figure rose to 128 permit submittals in 2012, with similar levels in 2013-14.

There are several major single-family residential projects recently completed, under construction or being planned for development within the city.