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	$1,297/mo	21.7%	affordable
Yakima, WA	$1,330/mo	22.2%	affordable
Cheney, WA	$1,343/mo	22.4%	affordable
Clarkston, WA	$1,350/mo	22.5%	affordable
Aberdeen, WA	$1,370/mo	22.9%	affordable
Centralia, WA	$1,433/mo	23.9%	affordable
Moses Lake, WA	$1,451/mo	24.2%	affordable
Pullman, WA	$1,454/mo	24.3%	affordable
Ocean Shores, WA	$1,453/mo	24.3%	affordable
Kelso, WA	$1,469/mo	24.5%	affordable
Chehalis, WA	$1,476/mo	24.7%	affordable
Spokane, WA	$1,483/mo	24.8%	affordable
Ellensburg, WA	$1,487/mo	24.8%	affordable
Spokane Valley, WA	$1,525/mo	25.5%	affordable
Walla Walla, WA	$1,556/mo	26%	affordable
Kennewick, WA	$1,654/mo	27.6%	affordable
Selah, WA	$1,652/mo	27.6%	affordable
Wenatchee, WA	$1,679/mo	28%	affordable
Richland, WA	$1,697/mo	28.3%	affordable
Airway Heights, WA	$1,698/mo	28.4%	affordable
Pasco, WA	$1,707/mo	28.5%	affordable
Leavenworth, WA	$1,719/mo	28.7%	affordable
Lakewood, WA	$1,734/mo	29%	affordable
Colbert, WA	$1,740/mo	29.1%	affordable
Burien, WA	$1,748/mo	29.2%	affordable
Parkland, WA	$1,759/mo	29.4%	affordable
Tacoma, WA	$1,773/mo	29.6%	affordable
Liberty Lake, WA	$1,795/mo	30%	affordable
Fife, WA	$1,794/mo	30%	affordable
Vancouver, WA	$1,803/mo	30.1%	stretched
Grandview, WA	$1,800/mo	30.1%	stretched
Shelton, WA	$1,803/mo	30.1%	stretched
Steilacoom, WA	$1,805/mo	30.1%	stretched
Bremerton, WA	$1,879/mo	31.4%	stretched
Bellingham, WA	$1,908/mo	31.9%	stretched
University Place, WA	$1,916/mo	32%	stretched
Everett, WA	$1,919/mo	32.1%	stretched
Washougal, WA	$1,930/mo	32.2%	stretched
Pacific, WA	$1,926/mo	32.2%	stretched
Federal Way, WA	$1,944/mo	32.5%	stretched
Seatac, WA	$1,947/mo	32.5%	stretched
Kent, WA	$1,958/mo	32.7%	stretched
Sedro-Woolley, WA	$1,959/mo	32.7%	stretched
Shoreline, WA	$1,971/mo	32.9%	stretched
Olympia, WA	$1,969/mo	32.9%	stretched
Oak Harbor, WA	$1,967/mo	32.9%	stretched
Lynden, WA	$1,971/mo	32.9%	stretched
La Center, WA	$1,970/mo	32.9%	stretched
Tukwila, WA	$1,990/mo	33.2%	stretched
Port Angeles, WA	$1,988/mo	33.2%	stretched
Riverton-Boulevard Park, WA	$2,002/mo	33.4%	stretched
Port Orchard, WA	$2,006/mo	33.5%	stretched
Midland, WA	$2,016/mo	33.7%	stretched
West Richland, WA	$2,026/mo	33.8%	stretched
Auburn, WA	$2,032/mo	33.9%	stretched
Clover Creek, WA	$2,028/mo	33.9%	stretched
Des Moines, WA	$2,055/mo	34.3%	stretched
Tumwater, WA	$2,051/mo	34.3%	stretched
Enumclaw, WA	$2,060/mo	34.4%	stretched
Burlington, WA	$2,059/mo	34.4%	stretched
Bryn Mawr-Skyway, WA	$2,068/mo	34.5%	stretched
Lacey, WA	$2,075/mo	34.7%	stretched
Silverdale, WA	$2,093/mo	35%	stretched
Ferndale, WA	$2,110/mo	35.2%	stretched
Mountlake Terrace, WA	$2,112/mo	35.3%	stretched
Lynnwood, WA	$2,122/mo	35.4%	stretched
Arlington, WA	$2,123/mo	35.5%	stretched
Stanwood, WA	$2,133/mo	35.6%	stretched
Milton, WA	$2,152/mo	35.9%	stretched
Battle Ground, WA	$2,163/mo	36.1%	stretched
Edgewood, WA	$2,169/mo	36.2%	stretched
East Wenatchee, WA	$2,179/mo	36.4%	stretched
Puyallup, WA	$2,199/mo	36.7%	stretched
Camas, WA	$2,221/mo	37.1%	stretched
Sumner, WA	$2,219/mo	37.1%	stretched
Seattle, WA	$2,227/mo	37.2%	stretched
Renton, WA	$2,252/mo	37.6%	stretched
Frederickson, WA	$2,270/mo	37.9%	stretched
Edmonds, WA	$2,278/mo	38%	stretched
Mukilteo, WA	$2,355/mo	39.3%	stretched
Yelm, WA	$2,364/mo	39.5%	stretched
Ridgefield, WA	$2,372/mo	39.6%	stretched
Monroe, WA	$2,382/mo	39.8%	stretched
Mill Creek, WA	$2,391/mo	39.9%	stretched
Mount Vernon, WA	$2,402/mo	40.1%	rent-burdened
Poulsbo, WA	$2,420/mo	40.4%	rent-burdened
Blaine, WA	$2,443/mo	40.8%	rent-burdened
Newcastle, WA	$2,461/mo	41.1%	rent-burdened
Covington, WA	$2,491/mo	41.6%	rent-burdened
Marysville, WA	$2,499/mo	41.7%	rent-burdened
Bothell, WA	$2,523/mo	42.1%	rent-burdened
Graham, WA	$2,523/mo	42.1%	rent-burdened
Anacortes, WA	$2,550/mo	42.6%	rent-burdened
Woodinville, WA	$2,560/mo	42.8%	rent-burdened
Redmond, WA	$2,577/mo	43%	rent-burdened
Kirkland, WA	$2,619/mo	43.7%	rent-burdened
Kenmore, WA	$2,623/mo	43.8%	rent-burdened
Bonney Lake, WA	$2,627/mo	43.9%	rent-burdened
Dupont, WA	$2,627/mo	43.9%	rent-burdened
Gig Harbor, WA	$2,632/mo	44%	rent-burdened
Snohomish, WA	$2,646/mo	44.2%	rent-burdened
Kingston, WA	$2,667/mo	44.5%	rent-burdened
Lake Forest Park, WA	$2,710/mo	45.3%	rent-burdened
Spanaway, WA	$2,733/mo	45.6%	rent-burdened
Bellevue, WA	$2,759/mo	46.1%	rent-burdened
Mercer Island, WA	$2,796/mo	46.7%	rent-burdened
Camano Island, WA	$2,866/mo	47.9%	rent-burdened
Issaquah, WA	$2,929/mo	48.9%	rent-burdened
North Bend, WA	$2,958/mo	49.4%	rent-burdened
Lake Stevens, WA	$2,982/mo	49.8%	rent-burdened
Maple Valley, WA	$2,985/mo	49.9%	rent-burdened
Bainbridge Island, WA	$2,989/mo	49.9%	rent-burdened
Fircrest, WA	$2,998/mo	50.1%	severely rent-burdened
Snoqualmie, WA	$3,312/mo	55.3%	severely rent-burdened
Sammamish, WA	$3,350/mo	56%	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).