ZIP 98109
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Bedroom estimates are gross rents that include essential utilities (electricity, water, gas, sewer, trash).
12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
January. Asking rents in ZIP 98109 usually run 2.2% below trend in January and 2.5% above it in August, about $121 a month apart at today's median. Based on 11 years of data.
Rent in ZIP 98109 is 0.6% below its high of $2,579 in August 2025, at $2,564 as of September 2026.
Rent in ZIP 98109 changed -0.5% 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 98109 rose 9.8% while median household income rose 25.6% ($106,393 to $133,663). Income kept ahead of rent.
Rent in ZIP 98109 is 8% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent has risen 6 months in a row, and rose in 6 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($133,663) is $3,342 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 1-bedroom ($2,920); a 2-bedroom is $3,400.
19th cheapest of 22 ZIP codes in Seattle.
ZIP 98102, 1 mile away, rents for 24% less ($1,958/mo), about $7,300 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for ZIP 98109. 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 98109 (Seattle, WA) is majority renter-occupied, skews toward younger working-age adults, has a median income above the national average, 79.4% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How ZIP 98109 in Seattle, WA has changed in 5 years
Across the past five years, the going rent in ZIP 98109 in Seattle, WA has shifted from $2,034 to $2,564, up 26.1% since 2021. Household income in the area moved from $111,059 to $133,663 across the same window, up 20.4% versus 2021. Because rent grew faster than wages over the same span, the affordability picture has tightened relative to 2021. Census counts show ZIP 98109 in Seattle, WA adding about 4,952 residents over the five-year window, up 16.9% on net. Bachelor's-degree-or-higher attainment moved from 75.3% to 79.4% across the same window. Reading these numbers side by side helps frame whether current listings in ZIP 98109 in Seattle, WA look reasonable against where the market sat half a decade ago.
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Tips for renters in ZIP 98109
Last updated: October 17, 2026
ZIP code 98109 covers Seattle, WA. The median rent here is $2,564/mo as of October 2026. A 1-bedroom rents for a median of $2,028/mo. A 2-bedroom rents for a median of $2,362/mo.
At 23% of local median household income ($133,663/yr), ZIP 98109 ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have decreased 0.5% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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How does ZIP 98109 compare to other ZIPs in Washington?
How does ZIP 98109 compare to the rest of Seattle?
At $2,564/mo, rent takes ~23% of ZIP 98109's median household income ($133,663/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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