Sultan has since developed into a bedroom community for workers commuting to Everett, Seattle, and Bellevue. Several suburban subdivisions were built in the 1990s and early 2000s, contributing to a population boom and political strife over the area's rural and small-town character. The Department of Veteran Affairs considered the Sultan area for a new national military cemetery, but ultimately chose a site near Kent. Sultan celebrated its centennial in 2005 with several festivals and the dedication of a new visitor's center. Despite the population growth, the city's traditional businesses have left Sultan and caused a decline in local employment options.