What's it like to live in Seattle, WA?

Seattle, WA (Last updated: September 16, 2026)

Seattle is the central city of the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metro area, set between Puget Sound and Lake Washington with views toward the Olympic and Cascade mountains. Its physical character ranges from a dense downtown and working waterfront to wooded residential hills, lakefront districts, and neighborhood commercial corridors.

Housing includes both owner-occupied and rental properties, with Craftsman houses, midcentury homes, newer townhouses, condominiums, and apartments represented across the city. The average home value is $833,192, down 1.6% over the past 12 months. The average rent is $2,234/mo, up 0.7% over the same period. Costs and housing forms vary by neighborhood, location, and building type.

Seattle’s economy is connected to technology, health care, higher education, aerospace, maritime trade, and tourism. Major employment anchors include Amazon, the University of Washington, regional medical centers, and Port of Seattle facilities, while other large employers are distributed across the metro area. Link light rail, buses, streetcars, ferries, highways, and bicycle routes support travel within the city and region, though walkability varies by neighborhood.

Daily-life amenities include waterfront paths, public libraries, neighborhood dining districts, farmers markets, and cultural venues such as the Seattle Art Museum, Museum of Pop Culture, and performance halls at Seattle Center. Discovery Park, Green Lake, Washington Park Arboretum, and the Burke-Gilman Trail provide substantial outdoor space, while ferry terminals and regional transit connect Seattle with surrounding communities and recreation areas.

Average home value

$833,192-1.6% YoY

Average rent

$2,234+0.7% YoY

Homes for sale

2,834

Homes for rent

14,456

Walk score

Transit score

Walk and transit scores are based on listings near the region's geographic center.

Homes for sale Rentals

What are Seattle home prices and rents today?

How sale and rent prices have moved over time, and where Seattle sits today.

Seattle house prices

Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI)

$833,192-1.6% YoY

Seattle's average home value is $833,192, down 1.6% over the past 12 months. As a buyer, you should aim to keep your mortgage payment at or below 28% of your gross monthly income when setting your budget.

Seattle rental prices

Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI)

$2,234/mo+0.7% YoY

Seattle's average rent is $2,234/mo, up 0.7% over the past 12 months. As a renter, you should aim to spend no more than 30% of your gross monthly income on rent when planning your budget.

How competitive is Seattle Housing?

Buyers: market comparison

Seattle’s for-sale market is moderately competitive, with a market temperature of 62 and homes averaging 41 days on market. Tacoma has a slightly higher temperature and a quicker for-sale pace, while Bellevue and Kirkland have lower temperatures and longer timelines; Seattle also has the most active listings by a wide margin.

Most competitive nearby marketTacoma is the most competitive nearby market, with a temperature of 63 and 28 days on market. Its temperature is slightly higher than Seattle’s, while its for-sale pace is quicker.
Nearby market with more choiceTacoma has the most active listings among the nearby markets. Seattle still offers substantially more for-sale inventory than any of the four nearby regions.
Nearby market that's more affordableTacoma is the lowest-cost nearby for-sale market and is priced below Seattle.
Closest comparable market conditionsBellevue has a for-sale pace closest to Seattle’s and the second-largest listing count among the nearby regions, though its market temperature is lower.

Region	Average home value	Inventory	Days on market	Competitiveness	Key driver
Seattle	$833,192	High	41 days	Moderate-high	Largest inventory with a moderately competitive temperature
Bellevue	$1,418,231	Moderate	47 days	Moderate	Longer for-sale pace and moderate temperature
Tacoma	$488,463	High	28 days	Moderate-high	Quickest for-sale pace and highest temperature
Everett	$636,751	Low	29 days	Moderate-high	Quick for-sale pace with limited inventory
Kirkland	$1,178,291	Moderate	47 days	Moderate	Longer for-sale pace and lower temperature

Renters: market comparison

Seattle and all four nearby rental markets are classified as Balanced, indicating comparable overall competitiveness. Seattle has the largest active rental inventory, while its median active rental listing age of 55 days is higher than in each nearby market; this age measure describes current inventory rather than how long rentals take to lease.

Most competitive nearby marketAll four nearby rental markets are classified as Balanced, so none has a higher competitiveness category. Tacoma has the largest nearby rental inventory, with a median active rental listing age of 47 days.
Nearby market with more choiceTacoma offers the most active rentals among the nearby markets. Seattle still has considerably more active rental listings overall.
Nearby market that's more affordableTacoma is the lowest-cost nearby rental market and has a lower current rent than Seattle.
Closest comparable market conditionsTacoma shares Seattle’s Balanced rental status and has the largest active rental inventory among the nearby markets. Its median active rental listing age is 47 days, compared with listings that are 55 days old in Seattle.

Region	Average rent	Inventory	Average listing age	Competitiveness	Key driver
Seattle	$2,234/mo	High	55 days	Moderate	Balanced status and largest rental inventory
Bellevue	$2,828/mo	Moderate	46 days	Moderate	Balanced status with moderate rental inventory
Tacoma	$1,740/mo	High	47 days	Moderate	Balanced status and largest nearby rental inventory
Everett	$1,946/mo	Moderate	40 days	Moderate	Balanced status with listings 40 days old
Kirkland	$2,603/mo	Low	36 days	Moderate	Balanced status with lowest rental inventory

Understand affordability

Mortgage calculator

Estimate what it takes to own in this area. Zillow's mortgage calculator helps buyers understand their potential monthly payment-including principal, interest, taxes, and insurance-so they can quickly gauge what home prices fit their budget in this market. Adjust key factors like down payment and interest rate to see how affordability changes and confidently move into your home search.

Calculate mortgage cost

Rent vs. buy calculator

Not sure whether to rent or buy in this community? This tool compares the long-term costs of both options and shows your breakeven point: the time it takes for buying to become more affordable than renting. Use it to understand how local home prices, rents, and your timeline impact the smarter financial move before starting your search.

Compare rent vs. buy

Rent affordability calculator

See what you can comfortably afford to rent in this area. By factoring in your income, budget, and expenses, Zillow's rent affordability tools help you set a realistic price range-so you can focus on listings that fit your lifestyle and avoid stretching beyond your means as you explore rentals in this market.

Calculate affordability

How does Seattle compare to nearby cities

Seattle’s sale price and monthly rent sit below Bellevue and Kirkland but above Tacoma and Everett. It combines a dense waterfront cityscape with broad bus-and-rail coverage, while nearby regions range from modern urban cores to historic waterfront blocks and lakeside low-rise streets.

Metric	Seattle	Bellevue	Tacoma	Everett	Kirkland
Average sale priceExplore price per property type	$848,333	$1,345,500	$489,167	$626,150	$1,220,833
Average rent priceExplore price per unit size	$2,234/mo	$2,828/mo	$1,740/mo	$1,946/mo	$2,603/mo
Transit access	Extensive bus and rail network	Light rail and bus connections	Bus, streetcar, and rail links	Bus and commuter rail links	Bus routes and regional connections
Neighborhood vibe	Dense neighborhoods, parks, waterfront	Modern towers and leafy streets	Historic blocks and waterfront hills	Waterfront, historic blocks, suburban streets	Lakeside streets, parks, low-rise buildings
Top POIs	Space Needle (Landmark); Pike Place Market (Market); Discovery Park (Park)	Bellevue Downtown Park (Park); Bellevue Botanical Garden (Garden); Meydenbauer Bay Park (Park)	Museum of Glass (Museum); Point Defiance Park (Park); Washington State History Museum (Museum)	Imagine Children's Museum (Museum); Jetty Island (Island); Schack Art Center (Arts Center)	Marina Park (Park); Juanita Beach Park (Park); Cross Kirkland Corridor (Trail)