• Acres of Urban Parks and Open Space --- Following a dip in the late 1990's, there has been an increase in urban parks and open space acreage per King County resident over the last 10 years.  (view data graph)

• Net Residential Density --- Residential densities throughout the urban area of King County have increased over the last 10 years.  (view data graph)

• Acres in Forest and Farm Land --- King County has maintained its forest and farmland with very little change in total acreages since 1995.  (view data graph)

• Housing Affordability by City --- Homes prices have increased at a greater rate than incomes over the last two decades, making home ownership less affordable. However, rents have increased at a slower rate, generally in line with median household incomes.  (view data graph)

• Urbanization and Impervious Surface Changes --- The number of acres of urban land, clear-cut, and regenerating forest have increased in King County since 1986. Acres of grass and deciduous, mixed and coniferous forest have decreased. Acres of rural forests and privately owned working forests have declined in recent years  (view data graph)

• Neighborhood Social Cohesion --- There were no significant changes in social cohesion levels between 2001 and 2004.  (view data graph)

• Participation in Life-Enriching Activities --- In 2004, 85% of King County adults were "very active" or "somewhat active" in at least three different activities. The increases in this indicator between 1999 and 2001 and 2001 and 2004 are not statistically significant.   (view data graph)

• Perceived Neighborhood Safety --- The average level of perceived neighborhood safety among King County residents in 2004 was not significantly different from 2001.  (view data graph)

• Percent of Households Paying More than 30% of Income for Housing --- The percent of King County households - both home owners and renters - spending more than 30% of their income on housing has increased over the last 25 years.  (view data graph)

• Housing AND Transportation Costs as a Percentage of Budget --- There is no on-going reporting for this indicator broken down for King County or the Central Puget Sound, though there are multiple data sources showing that the costs of transportation and housing are going up in the region. Recent hikes in gas prices indicate that these costs will continue to escalate.  (view data graph)

• Physical and Mental Health Restrictions --- There has been an increase in the percentage of King County adults with 3 or more restricted activity days from 1993 to 2004. This local increase corresponds to worsening trends nationally.  (view data graph)

• Prevalence of Overweight & Obese Adults --- The proportion of King County adults who are overweight and obese continues to climb. In 2006, almost one in five adults were obese and more than half were overweight. Nearly nine percent of school age children were overweight.  (view data graph)

• Housing Affordability Gap --- The ratio of median income sales price to median household incomes has increased in all four Central Puget Sound counties from 1995 to 2007. (2) Median income levels generally have kept better pace with increases in average rents from 2000 to 2006. (1)  (view data graph)

• Vehicle Miles Traveled --- In 2007, VMT for the Puget Sound region increased by 0.6 percent over 2006, continuing an almost 30-year trend. Annual VMT has decreased only three times since 1980 when the first estimates became available.  (view data graph)

• Physical Activity --- A person has met the recommended level of physical activity if they report having at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity at least 5 times per week. This is a new standard since these physical activity figures were last reported, therefore trend data are not available.   (view data graph)

A mixed land use development incorporates many sectors of a community in one area and can also ensure that affordable housing projects are included in the development plan. When neighborhoods are developed by integrating diverse land uses people are able to stay close to home for the things they need, allowing them to make more sustainable transportation choices and support their local businesses.

• Healthy Living Choices

• Responsible Land Use

• Sustainable Transportation