Rents are 6% below what Bothell's 10-year trend predicts — a better deal than its own history suggests.
Rent by unit size
These are HUD Fair Market Rents, the payment standard for a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8). They often differ from the $2,523 market median above, and that is expected: FMR is the 40th percentile of standard-quality units and counts gross rent, so it includes essential utilities such as electricity, water, gas, sewer, and trash. The market median is asking rent, which usually excludes utilities. HUD sets FMR once a year; market rent here updates monthly.
Source: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents. Read the methodology →
12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
January. Asking rents in Bothell usually run 1.9% below trend in January and 1.9% above it in July, about $96 a month apart at today's median. Based on 11 years of data.
Rent in Bothell is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in January 2015.
Rent in Bothell changed +2.3% over the year to September 2026. Across the 97 Washington cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +2.6%.
From 2019 to 2024, rent in Bothell rose 29.5% while median household income rose 40.5% ($99,965 to $140,427). Income kept ahead of rent.
Rent in Bothell is 30.5% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent has risen 7 months in a row, and rose in 10 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($140,427) is $3,511 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 2-bedroom ($2,950); a 3-bedroom is $3,887.
The priciest of 3 ZIP codes in Bothell, 98021 ($3,134/mo), costs 41% more than the cheapest, 98011 ($2,221/mo).
Mountlake Terrace, 5 miles away, rents for 16% less ($2,112/mo), about $4,900 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Bothell. The seasonal pattern compares Zillow’s seasonally adjusted and unadjusted series. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.
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Who lives here
Bothell, WA is majority owner-occupied, has a median income above the national average, 59.8% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Bothell, WA has changed in 5 years
Compared with 2021, rent in Bothell, WA has climbed by $551 per month, settling near $2,523 after starting the period at $1,972. Median household income grew from $116,578 to $140,427 between 2021 and 2024, a 20.5% shift. Rent outpaced income growth by roughly 7.4 percentage points, which means renters are spending a larger slice of each paycheck on housing than they did in 2021. Headcount in the area went from 47,355 to 49,610 between 2021 and 2024, a 4.8% change. Educational attainment has shifted as well, with the share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher climbed from 55.4% to 59.8%. Taken together, the five-year picture in Bothell, WA reflects how housing costs and the people paying them have evolved through a stretch that included a pandemic, a hot rental market, and a recent cooling phase.
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Can you afford rent in Bothell on your salary?
At $2,523/mo, how Bothell rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Bothell rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Bothell. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Bothell
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Bothell is $2,523/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $2,473/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $2,950/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $2,537/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $3,887/mo.
At 22% of local median household income ($140,427/yr), Bothell ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 2.3% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Bothell?
At $2,523/mo, rent takes ~22% of Bothell's median household income ($140,427/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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