Seattle Rent Prices in 2026

Seattle's median rent is $2,193 a month as of April 2026, up 1.29% year over year. Modest growth for a city that spent much of the past decade being lumped in with San Francisco and New York as a cautionary tale about tech-driven rent inflation. The reality in 2026 is more nuanced. Seattle is expensive in absolute terms but the income base is high enough that the rent-to-income ratio of 21% puts it among the most financially manageable major cities in the country. The math works here in a way it doesn't in cities that cost half as much.

Seattle Rent by Bedroom Size

Studios average $1,686. One-bedrooms are $1,729, two-bedrooms $2,014, three-bedrooms $2,656, four-bedroom units $3,095. The step from a studio to a one-bedroom is unusually small at $43, which reflects a rental stock where studios have been built and priced aggressively in walkable neighborhoods. A one-bedroom at $1,729 on a $123,860 median household income is 16.7% of gross income. That number tells you more about Seattle's rental market than the raw price does.

The Five-Year Picture

Rent went from $1,775 in 2021 to $2,193 today, up 23.6%. Income went from $105,391 to $123,860, up 17.5%. Rent outpaced income by 6.1 points over the period, meaning Seattle renters are spending a slightly higher share of earnings on housing than they were five years ago. That's not ideal, but it's significantly better than New York's 32.8-point gap or San Francisco's ongoing surge. Seattle's tech labor market kept income growth strong enough to absorb most of the rent increase.

The current 1.29% year-over-year growth is among the more moderate readings of any major West Coast city. San Francisco is up 17%. Portland is up 1.2%, roughly parallel. Seattle has found a relatively stable equilibrium after the volatility of the pandemic years.

The Suburbs: Where the Ratios Get Interesting

Seattle's eastern suburbs are among the most financially efficient rental markets in the country once you account for income. The Microsoft and Amazon campuses in Redmond and Bellevue anchor an income base that makes even high absolute rents look manageable.

Redmond has the best ratio in the metro at 18%, median rent $2,400, one-bedrooms $1,891, against a $162,560 median household income. Rents grew 2.5% year over year. For tech workers at Microsoft or Amazon, a one-bedroom at $1,891 against a $120,000+ starting salary is genuinely comfortable.

Bellevue runs $2,630 median, one-bedrooms $2,074, two-bedrooms $2,416, at a 19% ratio against $165,576 income. Bellevue has grown into a real city in its own right over the past decade, with a dense downtown core, a light rail connection to Seattle, and enough retail and dining infrastructure that it doesn't feel like a bedroom community. Rents grew 1.3% year over year.

Bothell is at $2,383 median, 20% ratio against $140,427, one-bedrooms $1,882. It sits northeast of Seattle near the UW Bothell campus and the tech corridor along SR-522. Kirkland runs $2,543, 20% ratio against $150,414, up 4.1% year over year, the fastest growth in the metro. Kirkland's walkable downtown waterfront on Lake Washington has made it one of the more desirable suburbs, and the appreciation reflects that.

The more affordable end of the suburban ring looks different. Kent is down 1.6% to $1,907 median, one-bedrooms $1,504, with a 25% ratio against $92,302 income. Everett is down 1.1% to $1,885, one-bedrooms $1,485, ratio 27%. Both are the most affordable cities in the metro with actual urban infrastructure, and the rent declines give renters real negotiating leverage right now. Federal Way sits at $1,876, essentially flat, ratio 26% against $86,909.

Tacoma is the budget metro option at $1,766 median, one-bedrooms $1,612, up 2.9% year over year. The ratio of 25% against $85,884 median income is manageable, and Tacoma has developed enough of its own identity, a real arts district, a revitalized waterfront, a growing restaurant scene, that it's no longer just where you move when you can't afford Seattle. The light rail Tacoma Dome extension into the broader Sound Transit network has increased its connectivity meaningfully.

How Seattle Compares

Seattle's 21% rent-to-income ratio puts it in a better position than most cities at its price level. Denver at $1,826 median runs 23%. Chicago at $2,328 runs 36%. Los Angeles at $2,753 runs 40%. Seattle costs more than Denver and Indianapolis in absolute terms, but the income floor is high enough that the burden is lighter. A renter earning $100,000 in Seattle is paying 26% of gross for a median apartment. The same renter in Chicago is paying 28% for a more expensive apartment on a lower income base.

For renters comparing Seattle against San Francisco specifically, the gap is stark. San Francisco is up 17% year over year and approaching $4,000 median. Seattle is up 1.3% at $2,193. Both are tech-driven West Coast markets. They are not the same market right now. Use the compare tool to run Seattle against any city side by side.