A recent Seattle Times report says the Seattle metro area tops Zillow’s ranking of the fastest-growing monthly rent prices across the nation.
National Rent Growth vs. National Overall Rent Prices
Before planning a panic-induced move, notice an important distinction. There’s a difference between new data about Seattle rent prices (which measures national rent growth rates) and the national ranking of the highest overall rent prices. Though Seattle hovers well above other urban areas in the former ranking, the city sits at 8th place in the latter. The city follows San Jose, San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, San Diego, Boston and D.C.
Renters in these metro areas remain the biggest spenders, but the momentum behind Seattle’s monthly price hikes officially trumps all. June saw an average rental price of $2,031 compared to the prior year’s $1,852.
Seattle Metro Rent Costs
This may not come as a surprise considering the pain Seattle renters have grown accustomed to amid long-running historical highs. According to Zillow, average Seattle metro rent costs exceeded $2,000 for the first time in spring 2016. Since then, it has grown four times faster than other large U.S. cities. In fact, when monthly costs rocketed by 1.1% in June, Seattle experienced faster growth than either Chicago or D.C. have seen this year.
With Portland trailing closely behind Seattle at 2nd place and San Francisco clocking in at 3rd, it seems the West coast might indeed be the best coast in renter’s minds. Unfortunately, its popularity has driven up rent prices accordingly.
Take Advantage of the Current Market
Though we hope to see housing affordability level out for renters, it may be more cost effective for some to buy in the current market. This of course depends heavily on your desired length of residency, preferred location, financial flexibility and more. To inform your personal decision, start by using an online rent vs. buy calculator. If buying is in your near future, contact us to get started on securing the best mortgage option for you.
