Rents are 4% below what Wenatchee'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 $1,679 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 Wenatchee usually run 1.1% below trend in January and 0.8% above it in July, about $32 a month apart at today's median. Based on 5 years of data.
Rent in Wenatchee is 0.5% below its high of $1,687 in May 2026, at $1,679 as of September 2026.
Rent in Wenatchee changed +1.0% over the year to September 2026. Across the 97 Washington cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +2.6%.
Rent rose in 5 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($73,040) is $1,826 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 2-bedroom ($1,440); a 3-bedroom is $2,000.
Ellensburg, 29 miles away, rents for 11% less ($1,487/mo), about $2,300 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Wenatchee. 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
Wenatchee, WA is roughly split between renters and owners, has a large share of families with children, 28.8% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Wenatchee, WA has changed in 5 years
Since 2022, the typical rent in Wenatchee, WA has increased from $1,572 to $1,679, a 6.8% change over five years. Median household income rose from $60,285 to $73,040 between 2021 and 2024, a 21.2% shift. On paper, paychecks moved up faster than rent, which softens the affordability squeeze versus the 2021 baseline. The population has grown by 1.1% since 2021, moving from about 35,086 residents to roughly 35,484. Taken together, the five-year picture in Wenatchee, 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 Wenatchee on your salary?
At $1,679/mo, how Wenatchee rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Wenatchee rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Wenatchee. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Wenatchee
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Wenatchee is $1,679/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $990/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $1,440/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,100/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $2,000/mo.
At 28% of local median household income ($73,040/yr), Wenatchee ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 1.0% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Wenatchee?
At $1,679/mo, rent takes ~28% of Wenatchee's median household income ($73,040/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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