ZIP 98122
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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 98122 usually run 2% below trend in January and 2.2% above it in August, about $85 a month apart at today's median. Based on 10 years of data.
Rent in ZIP 98122 is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in December 2015.
Rent in ZIP 98122 changed +0.2% 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 98122 rose 9.1% while median household income rose 34.3% ($79,609 to $106,886). Income kept ahead of rent.
Rent in ZIP 98122 is 8.9% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent rose in 7 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($106,886) is $2,672 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 1-bedroom ($2,670); a 2-bedroom is $3,110.
7th cheapest of 22 ZIP codes in Seattle.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for ZIP 98122. 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 98122 (Seattle, WA) is majority renter-occupied, skews toward younger working-age adults, has a median income above the national average, 71.2% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How ZIP 98122 in Seattle, WA has changed in 5 years
Five years ago, renters in ZIP 98122 in Seattle, WA paid around $1,639 a month. That figure now sits near $2,032, up 24.0% from the 2021 baseline. On the earnings side, the typical household in ZIP 98122 in Seattle, WA now reports about $106,886, up from $87,418 in 2021. Census counts show ZIP 98122 in Seattle, WA adding about 1,693 residents over the five-year window, up 4.1% on net. Bachelor's-degree-or-higher attainment moved from 68.7% to 71.2% across the same window. For context, the 2021 to 2026 window covers an unusually volatile run for US rents nationally, and ZIP 98122 in Seattle, WA reflects that arc in its own way.
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Tips for renters in ZIP 98122
Last updated: October 17, 2026
ZIP code 98122 covers Seattle, WA. The median rent here is $2,032/mo as of October 2026. A 1-bedroom rents for a median of $1,607/mo. A 2-bedroom rents for a median of $1,872/mo.
At 23% of local median household income ($106,886/yr), ZIP 98122 ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 0.3% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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How does ZIP 98122 compare to the rest of Seattle?
At $2,032/mo, rent takes ~23% of ZIP 98122's median household income ($106,886/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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