Washington Housing by the Numbers

�� In the next 20 years, Washington State needs over 1 million new homes , almost 650,000 of which will need to be affordable for low-income households.

�� Affording the average two-bedroom apartment requires a full-time wage of $41.11/hour . In King and Snohomish Counties, this jumps to more than $51/hour.

�� A January 2025 point in time count found 22,173 people experiencing homelessness . More than 7,267 of these people did not have any shelter at all.

�� In 2021, almost 70 percent of Seattle-area homes sold above asking price, with more than 4,500 homes sold for at least $100,000 over asking price; 580 sold for more than $300,000 over.

�� In 2021, the median home price in Seattle was $737,800 .

�� Washington ranks in the bottom 10 states for the proportion of people who are homeowners. And the median home price is almost $100,000 more than that of the rest of the nation ($452,400 for Washington State in 2020).

�� Wages are unable to keep up with the rise in housing prices. Between 2010 and 2019 median wages increased by between 0.6% to 3.9% each year; while home prices have risen by between 5.4% to 10.4% in the same time period.

�� In 2017, 48% of renters in the Seattle-Tacoma metropolitan area were cost-burdened, meaning they spent more than 30% of their income on rent. This number has only increased over time.

�� Washington renters must make twice the minimum wage— $57,782 a year—to affordably rent a two-bedroom unit.

�� About half of the state’s white residents can afford to buy the typical home; just 32% of Black residents and 33% of Hispanic residents can afford to do the same.

All statistics taken from:

https:// www.wliha.org/sites/default/files/2025-09/WLIHA_Report%20 to%20the%20Community%202025_FNL_WEB.pdf

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d70140860791400013fe3ce/t/6154a8 0fddc28403888b9dea/1632938031441 Washington+State%27s+Housing+Affordability+Crisis.pdf