Seattle is breaking into the big leagues, with new recognition as one of the top cities in the world.
Why it matters: Despite A+ natural beauty, the city has been hampered by its traffic , lagging transit options , slow downtown recovery and a well-intentioned participatory democracy called the " Seattle process " that makes it hard to get things done fast.
Driving the news: But a new ranking of cities from Oxford Economics that gives Seattle the sixth-highest Global Cities Index score — behind only New York, London, San Jose, Tokyo and Paris — shines a spotlight on the Emerald City's strengths.
What they did: In Oxford Economics' inaugural report, researchers looked at the 1,000 largest cities, analyzing them across five categories: human capital, quality of life, environment, governance and economics.
- Seattle's highest ranking was fourth for economic indicators like employment growth, economic stability and economic diversity.
Zoom in: The city's tech sector, with Microsoft and Amazon at the center, rivals that of "any other city in the world," the report's authors wrote.
- The report also names Boeing, Starbucks, Costco and Nordstrom, as well as a highly educated workforce, as significant contributors to the stability and diversity of the region's economy.
- The "large number of workers employed in the tech, aerospace, and corporate sectors means its residents have a very high income per person," the report's authors wrote.
Yes, but: Those high salaries can be a double-edged sword, as they've likely contributed to the city's high income inequality and the city continues to face a critical housing shortage amid limited supply and rising costs, per the report.
- The city's vulnerability to coastal flooding and storms took points from its otherwise strong environmental ranking.
- It also lost ground in the governance category, along with other U.S. cities, for potential political instability due to the 2024 presidential election.
State of play: Seattle is routinely touted as one of the best cities in the U.S. , but business leaders and city officials say they're glad to see it recognized on a global level.
- In 2023, the city saw a record number of cruise ship passengers, post-pandemic tourism highs and the highest two-day total number of visitors since early 2018, according to the Downtown Seattle Association .
What they're saying: "Seattle's star will continue to rise," Downtown Seattle Association President and CEO Jon Scholes told Axios.
What we're watching: Next year, the city's showpiece Waterfront Park will open and in 2026, Seattle will host the FIFA World Cup , the most widely viewed and followed single sporting event on Earth and the biggest event in the city's history since the World's Fair in 1962 .
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