Rent Affordability for A Chef in Washington

A typical chef in Washington earns about $71,848 a year, which supports approximately $1,796 a month in rent under the 30% rule. Below, every tracked Washington city is ranked by how local rent compares against that affordability ceiling.

As of May 2026. 29 of 115 cities tracked stay within the 30% rule; 86 are rent-burdened on this salary.

City↕	Median rent↕	% of income↑	Affordability
Longview, WA	$1,284/mo	21.4%	affordable
Centralia, WA	$1,318/mo	22%	affordable
Ocean Shores, WA	$1,339/mo	22.4%	affordable
Clarkston, WA	$1,350/mo	22.5%	affordable
Yakima, WA	$1,359/mo	22.7%	affordable
Pullman, WA	$1,414/mo	23.6%	affordable
Aberdeen, WA	$1,436/mo	24%	affordable
Cheney, WA	$1,474/mo	24.6%	affordable
Kelso, WA	$1,485/mo	24.8%	affordable
Moses Lake, WA	$1,501/mo	25.1%	affordable
Spokane, WA	$1,513/mo	25.3%	affordable
Chehalis, WA	$1,518/mo	25.4%	affordable
Spokane Valley, WA	$1,549/mo	25.9%	affordable
Walla Walla, WA	$1,559/mo	26%	affordable
Shelton, WA	$1,590/mo	26.6%	affordable
Leavenworth, WA	$1,591/mo	26.6%	affordable
Pasco, WA	$1,656/mo	27.7%	affordable
Colbert, WA	$1,658/mo	27.7%	affordable
Kennewick, WA	$1,664/mo	27.8%	affordable
Port Angeles, WA	$1,693/mo	28.3%	affordable
Selah, WA	$1,695/mo	28.3%	affordable
Parkland, WA	$1,703/mo	28.4%	affordable
Wenatchee, WA	$1,732/mo	28.9%	affordable
Lakewood, WA	$1,737/mo	29%	affordable
Airway Heights, WA	$1,740/mo	29.1%	affordable
Tacoma, WA	$1,760/mo	29.4%	affordable
Ellensburg, WA	$1,762/mo	29.4%	affordable
Liberty Lake, WA	$1,764/mo	29.5%	affordable
Richland, WA	$1,777/mo	29.7%	affordable
Grandview, WA	$1,800/mo	30.1%	stretched
Vancouver, WA	$1,822/mo	30.4%	stretched
Burien, WA	$1,871/mo	31.2%	stretched
Pacific, WA	$1,879/mo	31.4%	stretched
Federal Way, WA	$1,920/mo	32.1%	stretched
Sedro-Woolley, WA	$1,924/mo	32.1%	stretched
Everett, WA	$1,939/mo	32.4%	stretched
Bremerton, WA	$1,940/mo	32.4%	stretched
Auburn, WA	$1,954/mo	32.6%	stretched
Bellingham, WA	$1,956/mo	32.7%	stretched
Bryn Mawr-Skyway, WA	$1,956/mo	32.7%	stretched
University Place, WA	$1,961/mo	32.8%	stretched
Oak Harbor, WA	$1,966/mo	32.8%	stretched
Lynden, WA	$1,962/mo	32.8%	stretched
Fife, WA	$1,962/mo	32.8%	stretched
Kent, WA	$1,974/mo	33%	stretched
Tumwater, WA	$1,975/mo	33%	stretched
Shoreline, WA	$1,996/mo	33.3%	stretched
Seatac, WA	$1,996/mo	33.3%	stretched
Steilacoom, WA	$1,993/mo	33.3%	stretched
Silverdale, WA	$1,998/mo	33.4%	stretched
La Center, WA	$1,998/mo	33.4%	stretched
Olympia, WA	$2,008/mo	33.5%	stretched
Midland, WA	$2,006/mo	33.5%	stretched
Tukwila, WA	$2,024/mo	33.8%	stretched
Ferndale, WA	$2,023/mo	33.8%	stretched
Washougal, WA	$2,056/mo	34.3%	stretched
Clover Creek, WA	$2,066/mo	34.5%	stretched
Des Moines, WA	$2,084/mo	34.8%	stretched
West Richland, WA	$2,089/mo	34.9%	stretched
Mountlake Terrace, WA	$2,109/mo	35.2%	stretched
Port Orchard, WA	$2,117/mo	35.4%	stretched
Burlington, WA	$2,125/mo	35.5%	stretched
Edgewood, WA	$2,151/mo	35.9%	stretched
Enumclaw, WA	$2,169/mo	36.2%	stretched
Ridgefield, WA	$2,186/mo	36.5%	stretched
Lacey, WA	$2,193/mo	36.6%	stretched
Lynnwood, WA	$2,190/mo	36.6%	stretched
Milton, WA	$2,191/mo	36.6%	stretched
Renton, WA	$2,212/mo	36.9%	stretched
Arlington, WA	$2,211/mo	36.9%	stretched
Mount Vernon, WA	$2,217/mo	37%	stretched
Camas, WA	$2,227/mo	37.2%	stretched
Yelm, WA	$2,234/mo	37.3%	stretched
Seattle, WA	$2,238/mo	37.4%	stretched
East Wenatchee, WA	$2,240/mo	37.4%	stretched
Riverton-Boulevard Park, WA	$2,247/mo	37.5%	stretched
Puyallup, WA	$2,251/mo	37.6%	stretched
Sumner, WA	$2,272/mo	37.9%	stretched
Edmonds, WA	$2,290/mo	38.2%	stretched
Kingston, WA	$2,300/mo	38.4%	stretched
Newcastle, WA	$2,333/mo	39%	stretched
Mukilteo, WA	$2,348/mo	39.2%	stretched
Frederickson, WA	$2,362/mo	39.4%	stretched
Battle Ground, WA	$2,360/mo	39.4%	stretched
Covington, WA	$2,379/mo	39.7%	stretched
Stanwood, WA	$2,388/mo	39.9%	stretched
Mill Creek, WA	$2,395/mo	40%	rent-burdened
Monroe, WA	$2,430/mo	40.6%	rent-burdened
Graham, WA	$2,473/mo	41.3%	rent-burdened
Blaine, WA	$2,521/mo	42.1%	rent-burdened
Woodinville, WA	$2,557/mo	42.7%	rent-burdened
Poulsbo, WA	$2,556/mo	42.7%	rent-burdened
Kenmore, WA	$2,600/mo	43.4%	rent-burdened
Marysville, WA	$2,606/mo	43.5%	rent-burdened
Anacortes, WA	$2,605/mo	43.5%	rent-burdened
Kirkland, WA	$2,629/mo	43.9%	rent-burdened
Redmond, WA	$2,663/mo	44.5%	rent-burdened
Bothell, WA	$2,666/mo	44.5%	rent-burdened
Camano Island, WA	$2,700/mo	45.1%	rent-burdened
Mercer Island, WA	$2,746/mo	45.9%	rent-burdened
Dupont, WA	$2,757/mo	46%	rent-burdened
Bonney Lake, WA	$2,765/mo	46.2%	rent-burdened
Snohomish, WA	$2,778/mo	46.4%	rent-burdened
Spanaway, WA	$2,812/mo	47%	rent-burdened
Bellevue, WA	$2,837/mo	47.4%	rent-burdened
Lake Forest Park, WA	$2,869/mo	47.9%	rent-burdened
Gig Harbor, WA	$2,966/mo	49.5%	rent-burdened
Fircrest, WA	$2,998/mo	50.1%	severely rent-burdened
Lake Stevens, WA	$3,023/mo	50.5%	severely rent-burdened
Issaquah, WA	$3,031/mo	50.6%	severely rent-burdened
Bainbridge Island, WA	$3,050/mo	50.9%	severely rent-burdened
Maple Valley, WA	$3,070/mo	51.3%	severely rent-burdened
Snoqualmie, WA	$3,220/mo	53.8%	severely rent-burdened
North Bend, WA	$3,225/mo	53.9%	severely rent-burdened
Sammamish, WA	$3,724/mo	62.2%	severely rent-burdened

Methodology: Salary is the BLS-derived state estimate for Washington. Rent is the latest ZORI monthly value for each city. Affordability uses the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income).