Serving Tukwila
Help for women building businesses in Tukwila
About 23,000 people live in Tukwila, but up to 170,000 are in the city on a typical day to work and shop. That makes it a busy market for retail, food and services. As a women’s business center for Tukwila, WCWB helps women start and grow businesses with free one-on-one advising, practical classes and a community of women owners.
CountyKing County
Population23,290
WCWB advisingFree, by phone or video
Our officeLacey, Washington
Where business happens
Business districts in Tukwila
- Southcenter District (Tukwila Urban Center). Regional retail center with Westfield Southcenter in its northwest corner, discount shopping, entertainment, professional services and the Andover Industrial Park, with warehouses more common to the south and the Sounder commuter rail/Amtrak station nearby.
- Tukwila International Boulevard. Neighborhood with an active, entrepreneurial small business community, though the city notes many of its businesses don’t yet earn enough to afford major building improvements or expansion.
- Manufacturing/Industrial Center (MIC). A 998-acre industrial area along the Duwamish River with light-to-heavy manufacturing, storage, offices and small commercial strips on arterials, served by truck, rail, air and water transportation.
Good to know in Tukwila
- Tukwila’s business license is a city endorsement on your state business license, through the Business Licensing Service.
- Tukwila has had its own B&O tax since 2024, owed only by businesses with large Tukwila revenue. The rules are being updated, so check the City’s finance pages for current thresholds.
- Tukwila sets its own minimum wage for larger employers, higher than the state’s.
Not sure what applies to you? An advisor can walk you through it.
A small city with a big daytime economy
Tukwila is a small city with an outsized economy: about 23,000 people live here, but the city estimates its daytime population at 150,000 to 170,000 and counts roughly two jobs for every resident (just under 46,000 jobs in 2022). Services are the largest job sector (32% of jobs), followed by manufacturing (19.1%), retail (16.4%) and warehousing, transportation and utilities (12.5%). Westfield Southcenter and the Southcenter District give Tukwila the dominant share of retail, dining and entertainment spending in South King County, while Boeing, King County International Airport and newer distribution centers fill the industrial land along the Duwamish River.
Retail and shopping
Retail dominates the Southcenter District, where Westfield Southcenter is the largest regional shopping mall in the Seattle area; the district also offers major discount shopping, entertainment and a full range of professional services.
Aerospace and manufacturing
Boeing and King County International Airport (Boeing Field) control the largest share of the North Tukwila Manufacturing/Industrial Center, where Boeing’s operations mix manufacturing, engineering, laboratory and research work alongside more than 100 other businesses and many smaller production companies.
Warehousing, distribution and logistics
Warehousing, transportation and utilities made up 12.5% of Tukwila jobs in 2022; the city reports strong demand for manufacturing, warehouse and distribution space, and Prologis and Amazon recently opened large new facilities in the industrial center.
Hospitality and tourism
Explore Seattle Southside, the official destination marketing organization for SeaTac, Tukwila and Des Moines, is funded by lodging taxes and a tourism promotion assessment and promotes local restaurants, hotels and attractions at no charge to them.
Your women’s business center for Tukwila
Tukwila’s plan commits to helping women, immigrant and BIPOC owners grow. WCWB can help you take the next step.
Plan for a busy market
An advisor can help you research customers, set prices and plan a location, whether near Southcenter or on Tukwila International Boulevard.
Grow beyond your storefront
Advisors can help you sell online, add services or reach the workers and shoppers who come through Tukwila every day.
Write your business plan
BEST is five self-paced online courses that take you from choosing a business structure to a finished business plan.
More help in Tukwila
Alongside WCWB, these Tukwila organizations support local businesses. Each link opens their own website.
City of Tukwila Office of Economic Development
City staff who help businesses with permitting, site selection and city licensing questions.
Seattle Southside Chamber of Commerce
Nonprofit chamber serving Burien, Des Moines, Normandy Park, SeaTac and Tukwila with networking, advocacy and events.
Explore Seattle Southside (Seattle Southside Regional Tourism Authority)
Tukwila’s official tourism marketing organization; restaurants, hotels and attractions can partner at no charge to reach visitors.
Highline College Small Business Development Center and StartZone
Free, confidential one-on-one advising and workshops for South King County businesses; StartZone focuses on low-income, BIPOC, women, immigrant, refugee and disabled entrepreneurs.
King County Library System: Business & Nonprofit resources
Free with a KCLS card (Tukwila Library is a KCLS branch): research tools such as Gale Business: Entrepreneurship, the Business Plans Handbook and Data Axle Reference Solutions.
Community Business Connector (Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce)
Run by King County’s designated Associate Development Organization, a free platform that connects small businesses in all 39 King County jurisdictions with advisors, events and city contacts, including language help.
Questions from Tukwila business owners
I’m an immigrant entrepreneur in Tukwila. Can WCWB help?
Yes. Our services are open to everyone. An advisor can help with the Washington-specific steps, like licenses, taxes and a business plan, and point you to local partners such as the Highline College SBDC’s StartZone program.
Can my restaurant get help reaching visitors?
Yes. Explore Seattle Southside promotes Tukwila restaurants, hotels and attractions to visitors at no charge, and a WCWB advisor can help with your menu, pricing and marketing plan.
Does WCWB have an office in Tukwila?
No. We meet by phone and video, so we can work with you anywhere in Washington State. Our office is at 4220 6th Ave SE in Lacey.
Who can work with WCWB?
Anyone who is starting a business or growing a small to medium-sized one. We focus on women-identified business owners in Washington State, and our services are open to everyone.
Grow your Tukwila business with free advising
Advising by phone or video, with no cost and no up-front commitment.