ZIP 98102
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12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
January. Asking rents in ZIP 98102 usually run 2.1% below trend in January and 2.3% above it in August, about $86 a month apart at today's median. Based on 11 years of data.
Rent in ZIP 98102 is 0% below its high of $1,958 in August 2026, at $1,958 as of September 2026.
Rent in ZIP 98102 changed +0.8% over the year to September 2026. Across the 193 Washington ZIP codes Zillow tracks, the typical change was +2.5%.
From 2019 to 2024, rent in ZIP 98102 rose 8.9% while median household income rose 25.6% ($91,466 to $114,925). Income kept ahead of rent.
Rent in ZIP 98102 is 10.2% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
30% of the median household income ($114,925) is $2,873 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 1-bedroom ($2,500); a 2-bedroom is $2,910.
3rd cheapest of 22 ZIP codes in Seattle.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for ZIP 98102. 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.
Who lives here
ZIP 98102 (Seattle, WA) is majority renter-occupied, skews toward younger working-age adults, has a median income above the national average, 76.8% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How ZIP 98102 in Seattle, WA has changed in 5 years
Since 2021, the typical rent in ZIP 98102 in Seattle, WA has increased from $1,594 to $1,958, a 22.8% change over five years. Median household income rose from $102,466 to $114,925 between 2021 and 2024, a 12.2% shift. That spread, with rent up faster than earnings, points to a tougher affordability environment than five years ago. The population has grown by 7.6% since 2021, moving from about 25,396 residents to roughly 27,333. Renters now make up 73% of households, compared with 75.3% five years ago. College-educated residents now make up 76.8% of adults here, versus 81.1% in 2021. Taken together, the five-year picture in ZIP 98102 in Seattle, 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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Tips for renters in ZIP 98102
Last updated: October 17, 2026
ZIP code 98102 covers Seattle, WA. The median rent here is $1,958/mo as of October 2026. A 1-bedroom rents for a median of $1,549/mo. A 2-bedroom rents for a median of $1,803/mo.
At 20% of local median household income ($114,925/yr), ZIP 98102 ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 0.8% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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How does ZIP 98102 compare to the rest of Seattle?
At $1,958/mo, rent takes ~20% of ZIP 98102's median household income ($114,925/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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