Rent Affordability for A Waiter or Waitress in Washington
A typical waiter or waitress in Washington earns about $40,914 a year, which supports approximately $1,023 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. 0 of 115 cities tracked stay within the 30% rule; 115 are rent-burdened on this salary.
| City↕ | Median rent↕ | % of income↑ | Affordability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Longview, WA | $1,297/mo | 38% | stretched |
| Yakima, WA | $1,330/mo | 39% | stretched |
| Cheney, WA | $1,343/mo | 39.4% | stretched |
| Clarkston, WA | $1,350/mo | 39.6% | stretched |
| Aberdeen, WA | $1,370/mo | 40.2% | rent-burdened |
| Centralia, WA | $1,433/mo | 42% | rent-burdened |
| Pullman, WA | $1,454/mo | 42.6% | rent-burdened |
| Moses Lake, WA | $1,451/mo | 42.6% | rent-burdened |
| Ocean Shores, WA | $1,453/mo | 42.6% | rent-burdened |
| Kelso, WA | $1,469/mo | 43.1% | rent-burdened |
| Chehalis, WA | $1,476/mo | 43.3% | rent-burdened |
| Spokane, WA | $1,483/mo | 43.5% | rent-burdened |
| Ellensburg, WA | $1,487/mo | 43.6% | rent-burdened |
| Spokane Valley, WA | $1,525/mo | 44.7% | rent-burdened |
| Walla Walla, WA | $1,556/mo | 45.6% | rent-burdened |
| Kennewick, WA | $1,654/mo | 48.5% | rent-burdened |
| Selah, WA | $1,652/mo | 48.5% | rent-burdened |
| Wenatchee, WA | $1,679/mo | 49.2% | rent-burdened |
| Richland, WA | $1,697/mo | 49.8% | rent-burdened |
| Airway Heights, WA | $1,698/mo | 49.8% | rent-burdened |
| Pasco, WA | $1,707/mo | 50.1% | severely rent-burdened |
| Leavenworth, WA | $1,719/mo | 50.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Lakewood, WA | $1,734/mo | 50.9% | severely rent-burdened |
| Colbert, WA | $1,740/mo | 51% | severely rent-burdened |
| Burien, WA | $1,748/mo | 51.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| Parkland, WA | $1,759/mo | 51.6% | severely rent-burdened |
| Tacoma, WA | $1,773/mo | 52% | severely rent-burdened |
| Liberty Lake, WA | $1,795/mo | 52.6% | severely rent-burdened |
| Fife, WA | $1,794/mo | 52.6% | severely rent-burdened |
| Grandview, WA | $1,800/mo | 52.8% | severely rent-burdened |
| Vancouver, WA | $1,803/mo | 52.9% | severely rent-burdened |
| Shelton, WA | $1,803/mo | 52.9% | severely rent-burdened |
| Steilacoom, WA | $1,805/mo | 52.9% | severely rent-burdened |
| Bremerton, WA | $1,879/mo | 55.1% | severely rent-burdened |
| Bellingham, WA | $1,908/mo | 56% | severely rent-burdened |
| University Place, WA | $1,916/mo | 56.2% | severely rent-burdened |
| Everett, WA | $1,919/mo | 56.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| Pacific, WA | $1,926/mo | 56.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| Washougal, WA | $1,930/mo | 56.6% | severely rent-burdened |
| Federal Way, WA | $1,944/mo | 57% | severely rent-burdened |
| Seatac, WA | $1,947/mo | 57.1% | severely rent-burdened |
| Kent, WA | $1,958/mo | 57.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Sedro-Woolley, WA | $1,959/mo | 57.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| Oak Harbor, WA | $1,967/mo | 57.7% | severely rent-burdened |
| Shoreline, WA | $1,971/mo | 57.8% | severely rent-burdened |
| Olympia, WA | $1,969/mo | 57.8% | severely rent-burdened |
| Lynden, WA | $1,971/mo | 57.8% | severely rent-burdened |
| La Center, WA | $1,970/mo | 57.8% | severely rent-burdened |
| Port Angeles, WA | $1,988/mo | 58.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| Tukwila, WA | $1,990/mo | 58.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Riverton-Boulevard Park, WA | $2,002/mo | 58.7% | severely rent-burdened |
| Port Orchard, WA | $2,006/mo | 58.8% | severely rent-burdened |
| Midland, WA | $2,016/mo | 59.1% | severely rent-burdened |
| West Richland, WA | $2,026/mo | 59.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Clover Creek, WA | $2,028/mo | 59.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| Auburn, WA | $2,032/mo | 59.6% | severely rent-burdened |
| Tumwater, WA | $2,051/mo | 60.2% | severely rent-burdened |
| Des Moines, WA | $2,055/mo | 60.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| Enumclaw, WA | $2,060/mo | 60.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Burlington, WA | $2,059/mo | 60.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Bryn Mawr-Skyway, WA | $2,068/mo | 60.7% | severely rent-burdened |
| Lacey, WA | $2,075/mo | 60.9% | severely rent-burdened |
| Silverdale, WA | $2,093/mo | 61.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Mountlake Terrace, WA | $2,112/mo | 61.9% | severely rent-burdened |
| Ferndale, WA | $2,110/mo | 61.9% | severely rent-burdened |
| Lynnwood, WA | $2,122/mo | 62.2% | severely rent-burdened |
| Arlington, WA | $2,123/mo | 62.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| Stanwood, WA | $2,133/mo | 62.6% | severely rent-burdened |
| Milton, WA | $2,152/mo | 63.1% | severely rent-burdened |
| Battle Ground, WA | $2,163/mo | 63.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Edgewood, WA | $2,169/mo | 63.6% | severely rent-burdened |
| East Wenatchee, WA | $2,179/mo | 63.9% | severely rent-burdened |
| Puyallup, WA | $2,199/mo | 64.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| Camas, WA | $2,221/mo | 65.1% | severely rent-burdened |
| Sumner, WA | $2,219/mo | 65.1% | severely rent-burdened |
| Seattle, WA | $2,227/mo | 65.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| Renton, WA | $2,252/mo | 66.1% | severely rent-burdened |
| Frederickson, WA | $2,270/mo | 66.6% | severely rent-burdened |
| Edmonds, WA | $2,278/mo | 66.8% | severely rent-burdened |
| Mukilteo, WA | $2,355/mo | 69.1% | severely rent-burdened |
| Yelm, WA | $2,364/mo | 69.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| Ridgefield, WA | $2,372/mo | 69.6% | severely rent-burdened |
| Monroe, WA | $2,382/mo | 69.9% | severely rent-burdened |
| Mill Creek, WA | $2,391/mo | 70.1% | severely rent-burdened |
| Mount Vernon, WA | $2,402/mo | 70.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| Poulsbo, WA | $2,420/mo | 71% | severely rent-burdened |
| Blaine, WA | $2,443/mo | 71.7% | severely rent-burdened |
| Newcastle, WA | $2,461/mo | 72.2% | severely rent-burdened |
| Covington, WA | $2,491/mo | 73.1% | severely rent-burdened |
| Marysville, WA | $2,499/mo | 73.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| Bothell, WA | $2,523/mo | 74% | severely rent-burdened |
| Graham, WA | $2,523/mo | 74% | severely rent-burdened |
| Anacortes, WA | $2,550/mo | 74.8% | severely rent-burdened |
| Woodinville, WA | $2,560/mo | 75.1% | severely rent-burdened |
| Redmond, WA | $2,577/mo | 75.6% | severely rent-burdened |
| Kirkland, WA | $2,619/mo | 76.8% | severely rent-burdened |
| Kenmore, WA | $2,623/mo | 76.9% | severely rent-burdened |
| Bonney Lake, WA | $2,627/mo | 77% | severely rent-burdened |
| Dupont, WA | $2,627/mo | 77% | severely rent-burdened |
| Gig Harbor, WA | $2,632/mo | 77.2% | severely rent-burdened |
| Snohomish, WA | $2,646/mo | 77.6% | severely rent-burdened |
| Kingston, WA | $2,667/mo | 78.2% | severely rent-burdened |
| Lake Forest Park, WA | $2,710/mo | 79.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| Spanaway, WA | $2,733/mo | 80.2% | severely rent-burdened |
| Bellevue, WA | $2,759/mo | 80.9% | severely rent-burdened |
| Mercer Island, WA | $2,796/mo | 82% | severely rent-burdened |
| Camano Island, WA | $2,866/mo | 84.1% | severely rent-burdened |
| Issaquah, WA | $2,929/mo | 85.9% | severely rent-burdened |
| North Bend, WA | $2,958/mo | 86.8% | severely rent-burdened |
| Lake Stevens, WA | $2,982/mo | 87.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| Maple Valley, WA | $2,985/mo | 87.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| Bainbridge Island, WA | $2,989/mo | 87.7% | severely rent-burdened |
| Fircrest, WA | $2,998/mo | 87.9% | severely rent-burdened |
| Snoqualmie, WA | $3,312/mo | 97.1% | severely rent-burdened |
| Sammamish, WA | $3,350/mo | 98.3% | severely rent-burdened |