Washingtonians pay more in rent than almost any other state, according to new data released by the U.S. Census Bureau.
On Thursday, Sept. 12, the Census Bureau released the 2023 one-year estimates from its American Community Survey, covering everything from income, employment and housing statistics to demographics, migration patterns and household size, broken down by city, county and state.
Published with the data were state-by-state rankings on several key statistics, including the cost of the median monthly housing costs for renters.
Rent in Washington among highest in the U.S.
With an estimated median rent cost of $1,731 a month, Washington had the fifth-highest figure of any state in America — the sixth-highest if you include Washington, D.C. The Evergreen State's median rent was over $300 higher than the national median of $1,406.
The only states with a higher median rent than Washington were Massachusetts, Colorado, Hawaii and California, while Florida's median rent fell just behind Washington's.
The median rent in Washington rose by just over $100 between 2022 and 2023, following jumps of nearly $150 in each of the previous two years, according to the Census Bureau's estimates. Rent in Washington is up nearly $400 over 2020's median of $1,337.
The news isn't all bad, though. The state has the eighth-highest median household income in the country, according to the Census Bureau. That means renters weren't quite as burdened by high costs as the data suggests at first glance. An estimated 48.1% of Washington's renters spent over 30% of their income on housing, the 17th-highest figure in the country.
Washington mortgage payments also among highest in the country
In addition to its high rent costs, Washington state had the sixth-highest median monthly mortgage cost — seventh if you include Washington, D.C. — in the country. At $2,396, up from $2,227 in 2022, the typical Washington homeowner pays nearly $500 a month more than the national median of $1,904.
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