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OLYMPIA, Wash. – July 22, 2025 – Fourth-quarter 2024 taxable retail sales saw an increase of 3.14% across the state over the fourth quarter of 2023, reaching $61.3 billion, thanks to sales of new and used automobiles and furniture, home furnishings, electronics and appliances.
Taxable retail sales are transactions subject to the retail sales tax, including sales by retailers, the construction industry, manufacturing, and other sectors.
Retail trade, a subset of all taxable retail sales in the state, rose 2.5% in fourth-quarter 2024 over the same period in 2023 for a total of $25.8 billion. Retail trade includes sales of items such as clothing, furniture, and automobiles but excludes other industries, such as services and construction.
These figures are part of a quarterly report released today by the Washington State Department of Revenue. The taxable retail sales figures compare the same quarter year-to-year to equalize any seasonal effects that would influence consumer and business spending.
Here are some sectors that saw increases in taxable retail sales during fourth-quarter 2024 compared to the same period (October-December) in 2023:
- Furniture, Home Furnishings, Electronics, and Appliance sales increased 5.3% to $2.6 billion.
- New and Used Auto Dealers sales rose $3.2% to $4.4 billion.
- Apparel and Accessories sales increased 2.1% to $1.7 billion.
- Food and beverage stores sales rose 5.4% to $1.5 billion.
Several industries saw decreases in sales during fourth-quarter 2024:
- Drug/Health Retailers sales dropped 17% to $823 million.
- Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument retailers’ sales decreased 2.2% to $976 million.
See fourth-quarter 2024 taxable retail sales and retail trade sales by industry.
Find out more information about taxable retail sales in:
| County | Taxable retail sales | Percent change | Retail trade | Percent change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| King | $23.1 billion | 3.2 | $8.3 billion | 3.2 |
| Pierce | $6.3 billion | 4.5 | $2.9 billion | 1.1 |
| Snohomish | $5.9 billion | 3.1 | $2.6 billion | 1.5 |
| Spokane | $4.0 billion | 3.1 | $1.8 billion | 1.5 |
| Clark | $3.2 billion | 2.4 | $1.3 billion | 3.9 |
| Thurston | $2.1 billion | 2.6 | $973 million | 2.8 |
| Kitsap | $1.9 billion | 6.9 | $820 million | 5.9 |
| Whatcom | $1.7 billion | 2.2 | $698 million | 5.1 |
| Benton | $1.6 billion | 6.7 | $734 million | 3.2 |
| Yakima | $1.4 billion | -2.5 | $677 million | 0.8 |
| City | Taxable retail sales | Percent change | Retail trade | Percent change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle | $8.9 billion | 1.7 | $2.6 billion | -0.3 |
| Bellevue | $2.8 billion | 6.2 | $1.1 billion | 6.3 |
| Tacoma | $1.9 billion | 3.8 | $864 million | -0.3 |
| Spokane City | $1.9 billion | 1.2 | $822 million | 0.1 |
| Vancouver | $1.7 billion | 0.7 | $729 million | 1.1 |
| Everett | $1.1 billion | 2.3 | $451 million | 0.3 |
| Renton | $1.0 billion | -4.9 | $477 million | -2.9 |
| Lynnwood | $859 million | -5.4 | $565 million | -6.5 |
| Puyallup | $762 million | 1.6 | $439 million | -3.2 |
| Kennewick | $789 million | 4.5 | $417 million | 1.9 |
Compare taxable retail sales numbers for fourth-quarter 2024 and previous years by checking out the “Retail sales for cities and counties” page on our website.
Check Revenue’s Statistics and Reports page for additional detail about taxable retail sales.
Understanding how businesses are classified
Revenue uses business tax return data to create this quarterly report. Businesses are categorized under the U.S. Census Bureau’s classification system based on their primary taxable activity. The North American Industry Classification System – or NAICS – is the same method federal statistical agencies use for the purpose of analyzing economic data.
