PORT TOWNSEND — A new national study shows Port Townsend is one of the top self-employment hubs in the United States, ranking sixth in the country for the share of workers who run their own incorporated businesses.
The analysis, conducted by digital mailbox provider iPostal1, reviewed U.S. Census Bureau data and found that 8.7% of Port Townsend’s workforce — 1,029 out of 11,833 workers — are self-employed. That places the city in a tie with Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, and ahead of well-known entrepreneurial communities such as Jackson, Wyoming, and Hood River, Oregon.
The report notes that coastal and scenic communities often show higher rates of self-employment as workers take advantage of tourism-driven economies, flexible remote work and the rise of gig-based careers. iPostal1 CEO Jeff Milgram says the data suggests many entrepreneurs are choosing to build businesses in places where they want to live, rather than in traditional commercial hubs.
Nationally, Rifle, Colorado, topped the list with an 11.1% self-employment rate, while Raymondville, Texas, ranked lowest at just 0.4%.