Rents are 6% below what Shoreline's 10-year trend predicts — a better deal than its own history suggests.
Rent by unit size
Bedroom figures are derived from HUD Fair Market Rents and scaled to match Shoreline's market median, because the published HUD values all ran above it. They are gross rents that include essential utilities (electricity, water, gas, sewer, trash).
12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
December. Asking rents in Shoreline usually run 1.5% below trend in December and 1.6% above it in August, about $61 a month apart at today's median. Based on 10 years of data.
Rent in Shoreline is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in June 2016.
Rent in Shoreline changed +1.8% 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 Shoreline rose 27% while median household income rose 29.9% ($86,827 to $112,751). Income kept ahead of rent.
Rent in Shoreline is 26.4% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent rose in 9 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($112,751) is $2,819 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 2-bedroom ($2,673); a 3-bedroom is $3,520.
The priciest of 3 ZIP codes in Shoreline, 98177 ($3,143/mo), costs 1.7 times the cheapest, 98133 ($1,904/mo).
Burien, 19 miles away, rents for 11% less ($1,748/mo), about $2,700 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Shoreline. 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
Shoreline, WA is majority owner-occupied, has a median income above the national average, 52.8% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Shoreline, WA has changed in 5 years
Rent in Shoreline, WA has increased 24.6% since 2021, going from about $1,582 per month to roughly $1,971 today. On the earnings side, the typical household in Shoreline, WA now reports about $112,751, up from $95,623 in 2021. Rent outpaced income growth by roughly 6.7 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 58,213 to 61,431 between 2021 and 2024, a 5.5% change. For context, the 2021 to 2026 window covers an unusually volatile run for US rents nationally, and Shoreline, WA reflects that arc in its own way.
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Can you afford rent in Shoreline on your salary?
At $1,971/mo, how Shoreline rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Shoreline rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Shoreline. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Shoreline
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Shoreline is $1,971/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $1,517/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $1,811/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,556/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $2,384/mo.
At 21% of local median household income ($112,751/yr), Shoreline ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 1.8% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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How does Shoreline rent compare to other cities in Washington?
At $1,971/mo, rent takes ~21% of Shoreline's median household income ($112,751/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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