Washington's best, worst cities for renters (median rent) (Seattle, Spokane: 2014, house)

[CrazyDonkey]

Washington's best, worst cities for renters (median rent):

16. Spokane $737
15. Yakima $755
14. Spokane Valley $782
13. Kennewick $828
12. Pasco $837
11. Bellingham $893
10. Vancouver $899
9. Tacoma $906
8. Auburn $966
7. Kent $1,000
6. Everett $1,009
5. Federal Way $1,023
4. Seattle $1,172
3. Renton $1,180
2. Kirkland $1,370
1. Bellevue $1,494

Washington's best, worst cities for renters - seattlepi.com

[Hemlock140]

This should be required reading for all of those people wanting to move here with a $600 rent budget.

[Seacove]

I think these are best case scenarios too. Seattle for $1172. rent looks like sort of an idealized average with places like aPodments aPodment - aPodment.com bringing down the higher average. Bellevue and Kirkland would seem to average higher as well. If it were only $370 more to live in Kirkland instead of Everett, the gas alone would make it an easy choice.

[Blondebaerde]

Originally Posted by CrazyDonkey

Washington's best, worst cities for renters (median rent):

16. Spokane $737

Snip

4. Seattle $1,172
3. Renton $1,180
2. Kirkland $1,370
1. Bellevue $1,494

Washington's best, worst cities for renters - seattlepi.com

LOL: without reading the article, the concept of "best and worst" is rather crazed. In the second-worst city, as they'd say, life is quite "best" indeed. Quality of life, proximity to opportunities, investment, and 1,001 other things. They'd have to pay me $755/month to live in Yakima.

Whatever floats your boat, however.

Where's the poor guy or gal who wanted an old, broken-down house in the outskirts of Kirkland for $1,000/month again? I suppose, in all fairness, we're living on Planet Unreasonable here in western Washington in terms of rental pricing.

[amaiunmei]

Redmond isn't on that list, but I can attest that the average rent is at least as high as Bellevue, if not higher.

[CrazyDonkey]

It's "median", not "average", rent. It means half the rents are above it and half below.

It is interesting as a rough comparison of the cities. I was surprised Renton was as high as it was.

With Seattle, it is the largest and has both higher- and lower-rent areas. Most of the new supply is at the higher end.

[CarlB328]

I would like to throw out the fact that though there is cheap rent in Yakima it's hard to find. Rentals are in short supply here, especially the ones under $1200 a month.

[amaiunmei]

Originally Posted by CrazyDonkey

It's "median", not "average", rent. It means half the rents are above it and half below.

It is interesting as a rough comparison of the cities. I was surprised Renton was as high as it was.

With Seattle, it is the largest and has both higher- and lower-rent areas. Most of the new supply is at the higher end.

Ahh, you are correct.

Interesting that they are using the median as opposed to the average. I wonder if the average was skewed by rising new construction (which tends to charge higher rents)?

[Mopac1980]

Originally Posted by CrazyDonkey

Washington's best, worst cities for renters (median rent):

16. Spokane $737
15. Yakima $755
14. Spokane Valley $782
13. Kennewick $828
12. Pasco $837
11. Bellingham $893
10. Vancouver $899
9. Tacoma $906
8. Auburn $966
7. Kent $1,000
6. Everett $1,009
5. Federal Way $1,023
4. Seattle $1,172
3. Renton $1,180
2. Kirkland $1,370
1. Bellevue $1,494

Washington's best, worst cities for renters - seattlepi.com

I don't get why it's a lot cheaper to rent a place in Eastern Washington than Western Washington, I'm surprised Olympia isn't on the list

[elkotronics]

I remember wanting to move to North Everett round about 1981. There was a little, boxy house on a long, sweeping, hilly lot on the NE corner of north Everett. Twas a one bedroom, one bath house that rented for $325. And we thought that was too expensive!

We got our chance at N. Everett in 1986, renting half of a duplex on 23rd and Walnut St. Funny, I can't remember what that rented for, it was an all right abode, a bit noisy because 23rd and Walnut St. were both fairly busy streets in N. Everett. It had to have been at least $450 for that rental, in 1986 dollars.

What got me thinking this is that list above, $1009 for Everett rentals, median-style, in 2014 dollars!