Rental costs in Washington are climbing out of sight

Buying a house in Western Washington seems out of reach for many wage workers. Affording rent is a struggle for many as well.

The state minimum wage is $15.74, but in Skagit County a two-bedroom apartment may cost $1,407, requiring an hourly wage of $27.06 to comfortably make that payment. That is the analysis in the National Low Income Housing Coalition’s annual report, which finds Washington is the fifth most expensive state in the nation for renters.

A one-bedroom Skagit County apartment can be $1,111, requiring a “housing wage” of $21.37 to reasonably afford – or enjoy – it. That is based on spending 30% of income on housing costs, a measure of affordability.

Seattle and King County are by far the most expensive areas of the state, both requiring a renter’s wage of $47.21 and pushing the state totals higher. The report finds that Skagit County rents are among the 10 highest, with a needed renter’s wage of $27.06. That is higher than rental wages in either Whatcom or Island counties.

The numbers indicate that more than 40 hours of weekly work is needed for rent, requiring either multiple jobs or people sharing living space.

The Coalition calculates a national one-bedroom Housing Wage of $23.67. That is the hourly wage a person working full-time needs to earn to afford a one-bedroom. Nationally, according to the report, nearly 50% of wage earners cannot afford a modest one-bedroom rental home at the fair market rent while working one full-time job. At least 60% of wage earners cannot afford a modest two bedroom rental home while working one full-time job.

The Out of Reach report has called attention to the gulf between actual wages and what people need to earn to afford their rents. The report shows that affordable rental homes are out of reach for millions of low-wage workers and other families. No state is immune.

The two main factors are long standing in American society: too little housing stock and wages that are too low. On the policy side, the federal government has not attempted to solve either problem for decades, the report finds.

The report is full of facts, figures, data tables and analyses.

The June report is almost 300 pages. It is at: nlihc.org/oor.