ZIP 98118
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12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
January. Asking rents in ZIP 98118 usually run 1.8% below trend in January and 1.7% above it in September, about $69 a month apart at today's median. Based on 8 years of data.
Rent in ZIP 98118 is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in February 2018.
Rent in ZIP 98118 changed +2.2% 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 98118 rose 18.8% while median household income rose 38.4% ($82,216 to $113,762). Income kept ahead of rent.
Rent in ZIP 98118 is 23.5% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent has risen 2 months in a row, and rose in 6 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($113,762) is $2,844 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 2-bedroom ($2,430); a 3-bedroom is $3,180.
5th cheapest of 22 ZIP codes in Seattle.
ZIP 98166, 7 miles away, rents for 10% less ($1,776/mo), about $2,500 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for ZIP 98118. 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 98118 (Seattle, WA) is majority owner-occupied, has a median income above the national average, 51.9% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How ZIP 98118 in Seattle, WA has changed in 5 years
Across the past five years, the going rent in ZIP 98118 in Seattle, WA has shifted from $1,562 to $1,983, up 27.0% since 2021. Census figures show median household income at $113,762 today, compared with $94,790 five years earlier. Because rent grew faster than wages over the same span, the affordability picture has tightened relative to 2021. Census counts show ZIP 98118 in Seattle, WA adding about 1,563 residents over the five-year window, up 3.2% on net. The renter share has risen from 40.3% to 42.9%, with owner-occupied housing accounting for the remainder. Bachelor's-degree-or-higher attainment moved from 47.8% to 51.9% across the same window. The combined trend lines point to a market that has changed measurably from where it stood in early 2021.
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Tips for renters in ZIP 98118
Last updated: October 17, 2026
ZIP code 98118 covers Seattle, WA. The median rent here is $1,983/mo as of October 2026. A 1-bedroom rents for a median of $1,570/mo. A 2-bedroom rents for a median of $1,826/mo.
At 21% of local median household income ($113,762/yr), ZIP 98118 ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 2.2% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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How does ZIP 98118 compare to the rest of Seattle?
At $1,983/mo, rent takes ~21% of ZIP 98118's median household income ($113,762/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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