Despite a government shutdown, hundreds being laid off at the region’s largest employer and growing costs for everything from fuel to food, homes still moved and prices continued to inch upward, albeit at a slower rate than in recent years, leading to a more balanced market for buyers and sellers alike.
A recent survey of business owners living in Washington state indicates many are looking to move their personal residence out of the state, though many of them would continue to operate their business in the state.
The tariffs on international goods that the Trump administration has said would extract substantial revenues from foreign governments and companies has done quite the opposite, according to a German economic policy think tank.
Bankruptcies have been on the rise in Benton and Franklin counties and across Eastern Washington since a low point in 2022, and the rate doesn’t look like it will come down just yet.
Overall, the outlook for 2026 is a positive one, with a relatively steady flow of work going into 2026, according to local design firms who are frequently working on projects months before any dirt is moved on the ground.
This column’s summary of the region’s key economic factors is a mixed bag. My hunch is that a read of the 2026 greater Tri-Cities economy is likely to retain this ambivalence.
The Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business reached out to the three commissioners-elect to learn more about their top priorities. Here’s what they had to say.
