Cost of Living in Seattle, Washington
In Seattle, the median household income is $123,860 and the median gross rent is $2,030/mo, with a median home value of $938,600. Source: Census Bureau ACS, 2020-2024 estimates.
- Median household income
- $123,860
- Median gross rent
- $2,030/mo
- Median home value
- $938,600
- Population
- 754,195
How Seattle compares to the Washington average
| Measure | Seattle, WA | Washington statewide | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $123,860 | $98,141 | +26.2% |
| Median gross rent (monthly) | $2,030 | $1,760 | +15.3% |
| Median home value | $938,600 | $564,600 | +66.2% |
Statewide, Washington prices average 107.0 on the BEA Regional Price Parity index (2024), where the U.S. average is 100.
Housing affordability in Seattle
- Salary needed for median rent
- $81,200
- Rent burden at median income
- 19.7%
- Est. affordable home price
- $451,833
So that $2,030/mo is 30% of gross income
Share of the median household income spent on median rent (30%+ = cost-burdened)
At median income, 6.67% 30-yr rate (FRED, 2026-08), 20% down, 28% front-end DTI
The median home value in Seattle is $938,600 — +107.7% above what the median household income supports under these assumptions.
Estimates from documented formulas — see methodology. Not financial advice.
Cost of living in other Washington cities
Compare Seattle with other cities
- vs. Austin, TX
- vs. Baltimore, MD
- vs. Boston, MA
- vs. Charlotte, NC
- vs. Chicago, IL
- vs. Columbus, OH
- vs. Dallas, TX
- vs. Denver, CO
- vs. Detroit, MI
- vs. El Paso, TX
- vs. Fort Worth, TX
- vs. Houston, TX
- vs. Indianapolis, IN
- vs. Jacksonville, FL
- vs. Las Vegas, NV
- vs. Los Angeles, CA
- vs. Louisville/Jefferson County, KY
- vs. Memphis, TN
- vs. Nashville-Davidson, TN
- vs. New York, NY
- vs. Oklahoma City, OK
- vs. Philadelphia, PA
- vs. Phoenix, AZ
- vs. Portland, OR
- vs. San Antonio, TX
- vs. San Diego, CA
- vs. San Francisco, CA
- vs. San Jose, CA
- vs. Washington, DC
About this data
- American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates — data period 2020-2024, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Regional Price Parities — data period 2024, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Federal Reserve Economic Data — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 13, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.