How much rent can you afford in Mercer Island, WA?
Run your salary against Mercer Island's current rent, or find the income you'd need for a target rent. Powered by live RentDataNow medians.
The 30% rent rule, in Mercer Island
At a median rent of $2,654/mo, Mercer Island is very affordable when measured against Mercer Island median household income of $219,069/yr. Rent would consume roughly 15% of pre-tax income, and a salary of about $106,160 keeps rent at the recommended 30% threshold.
How Mercer Island compares nearby
Median rent for the closest cities with data.
Frequently asked
How much rent can I afford in Mercer Island?
On a $219,069 salary (the Mercer Island median household income), the recommended ceiling is 30% of pre-tax income, or about $5,477/mo. Mercer Island's median rent is $2,654/mo. Use the calculator on this page to run your own salary.
What salary do I need to live in Mercer Island?
To keep Mercer Island's $2,654/mo median rent under 30% of income, you'd need about $106,160/yr. Lower your target share (e.g. 25%) to need more, or raise it (e.g. 40%) to need less.
Is Mercer Island affordable on the median Washington income?
Mercer Island is very affordable on a $219,069 income. Rent would take 15% of pre-tax pay, inside the recommended 30% threshold.
What's the 30% rent rule?
The 30% rule is a long-standing budgeting guideline that keeps rent at or below 30% of gross (pre-tax) income. It leaves enough room for utilities, transit, savings, and debt service. In high-cost markets, many renters exceed 30%, and the Census Bureau classifies households paying more than 30% of income on rent as "cost-burdened".