Seattle Rentals Offer Under 50% Family-Sized Units, Lowest Among Major U.S. Metros
Updated
Updated · The Seattle Times · Aug 14
Seattle Rentals Offer Under 50% Family-Sized Units, Lowest Among Major U.S. Metros
2 articles · Updated · The Seattle Times · Aug 14
Summary
Fewer than half of Seattle-area rentals have two or more bedrooms, Zillow found, giving the region the smallest family-sized rental share among major U.S. metros.
Less than a third of listings last month had exactly two bedrooms, while only 14.5% had three or more, reflecting a structural shortage tied to building costs, regulation and demand for detached homes to buy.
Seattle families face steep prices in that thin market: the median two-bedroom listed on Zillow cost $2,300 a month, larger rentals about $3,200, and a mid-tier home carried a nearly $3,800 monthly mortgage payment.
More than half of Seattle-area renter families with children are rent-burdened, and statewide there are just 43 available homes for every 100 low-income renters, underscoring how limited larger rentals deepen a broader affordability crunch.