How much rent can I afford in Seattle?

The standard rule is no more than 30% of your gross income on rent. On a $90,000 salary that is $2,250 a month, which comfortably covers Seattle's median one-bedroom of about $2,100. The tool computes your exact maximum from your income.

What is the 30% rule?

It is a guideline that says housing should consume at most 30% of your gross monthly income, leaving enough for other essentials and savings. Spending above 30% is considered rent-burdened, and above 50% is severely rent-burdened.

Should I use gross or net income?

The traditional 30% rule uses gross income, and most landlords screen applicants against gross. If you want a stricter, more realistic view, apply 30% to your take-home pay instead, which this tool supports by simply entering your net figure.

What is the median rent in Seattle?

A typical Seattle one-bedroom rents for around $2,100 a month, though core neighborhoods like South Lake Union and Capitol Hill run higher and outlying areas run lower. The tool uses $2,100 as a benchmark you can override.

What if my rent is above 30% of income?

Being slightly over is common in expensive cities, but the further above 30% you go, the less room you have for savings and emergencies. Consider a roommate, a cheaper neighborhood tier, or negotiating, all of which the affordability tiers help you compare.

Seattle Rent Affordability Calculator

Before signing a Seattle lease, it pays to check the rent against your income. This calculator applies the widely used 30%-of-income rule, benchmarks the rent against Seattle’s roughly $2,100 median one-bedroom, and tells you which neighborhood tier your budget realistically supports.

How it works

The 30% rule caps rent at 30% of gross monthly income; the tool compares your proposed rent to that cap:

monthly income  = annual income / 12
max rent (30%)   = monthly income × 0.30
rent-to-income % = proposed rent / monthly income × 100

A ratio at or under 30% is affordable, 30% to 50% is rent-burdened, and above 50% is severely rent-burdened. The tool also maps your maximum affordable rent onto Seattle neighborhood tiers — from outlying areas below the median up to premium core neighborhoods well above it.

Example and tips

On a $90,000 gross salary, monthly income is $7,500 and the 30% cap is $2,250 a month — enough for a median Seattle one-bedroom at $2,100 (a 28% ratio, comfortably affordable). Push the rent to $3,000 and the ratio jumps to 40%, which is rent-burdened and leaves little for savings. If your target rent exceeds your cap, splitting a unit with a roommate roughly halves your share and is the quickest way back under 30%.