By Shoreline Area News

Ramp captain Joseph Irons, president of Irons Brothers Construction, and his team designed and constructed a free wheelchair access ramp for Kathleen Wheeler of Edmonds for the Master Builders Association annual Rampathon event.

For many years, Kathleen has struggled with severe osteo-arthritis (OA), fibromyalgia and diabetes, which makes mobility difficult and walking extremely painful.

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Homing in on Our Region's Housing Statistics

By MBAKS Senior Policy Analyst Allison Butcher

The Office of Financial Management (OFM) released its annual population estimates this week for the state of Washington and its counties, cities, and towns. The report shows that as of April 1, 2022, the Puget Sound region’s population (King, Snohomish, Pierce, and Kitsap counties) is 4,383,300, an annual increase of 52,550. Most of the growth occurred in King County, which added 30,650 over the past year. This is down from the average of 33,800 people per year in King County between 2010 and 2020. Snohomish, Pierce, and Kitsap counties also saw a smaller population increase than the previous year. For more information, see OFM’s press release.

Please contact data@mbaks.com with questions or feedback. We want to know what data would be useful to you!

Months' Supply of Housing Inventory

As of May 2022

	King County had 0.83 months' supply of inventory (up from 0.55 months' of inventory a year ago).
	Snohomish County had 0.85 months' supply of inventory (up from 0.34 a year ago).

Many industry analysts consider a four-to-six-month level as an indicator of a healthy market.

Source: Northwest Multiple Listing Service

Median Home Price

May 2022

	The median price of single-family homes and condos was $880,000 in King County and $782,800 in Snohomish County.
	For single-family homes only, the median price in King County rose 14.82%, from $869,975 a year ago to $998,888. The median price in Snohomish County rose 16.93%, from $697,000 to $815,000.
	In Seattle, the median price of single-family homes and condos was $899,475. The median price for single-family homes only was $1,025,500, a 11.59% increase from $919,000 in April 2021.

Source: Northwest Multiple Listing Service

Building Permit Activity

Jobs

	The seasonally adjusted Washington unemployment rate for May 2022 is 3.9%; for Seattle/Bellevue/Everett, it is 2.7%.
	Construction employment in Washington increased by 800 between April 2022 and May 2022. Total construction employment is 232,400 statewide and 107,600 for Seattle/Bellevue/Everett specifically.

Source: Employment Security Department: WA Employment Estimates (Seasonally Adjusted), May 2022 and Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Population

The Puget Sound region's population as of April 1, 2022 was 4,383,300. Over the past year, the region added 52,550 people, as follows:

Source: Office of Financial Management

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Juli Bacon is the founder and president of JB Consulting Systems. With more than two decades of human resource and business experience, she has developed both a strategic and practical approach to HR within the residential building industry. Bacon is also the immediate past National Professional Women in Building chair.

We appreciate Darylene Dennon and Juli Bacon for being such motivational leaders in our Professional Women in Building Council.

Learn more about PWB and get involved at mbaks.com/pwb or facebook.com/groups/MBAKSPWB