How Much Hourly Salary Do You Need in WA for a Simple Apartment?

How Much Hourly Wage Do I Need To Afford An Apartment in Washington State?

There's no doubt that rental prices have gone up over the last few years but how much hourly salary does a worker need to make in Washington State to even afford a simple apartment in 2023?

What's The Current Hourly Wage You Need For A One-Bedroom Apartment In WA State?

Through the years, I've rented and the prices seem stable until a few years ago when they seem to have skyrocketed.

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My first apartment cost me $150 a month, it was a studio, but it was back when I was making $3.35 an hour and yes that was in Washington State back in the late 1980's.

I even paid $650 for a 2-bedroom apartment in West Seattle back in the late 90's.

When I first moved to the Tri-Cities back in 2007, my first apartment was $450 per month and I finally moved into a 3-bedroom 2-bath in Richland for $750.

I know, pretty good rental rates but those prices have drastically changed over the last few years.

So how much hourly wage does the average worker need to make in Washington State to afford a simple one-bedroom apartment? I can tell you it's well above the $3.35 I was making back in the 80's.

In a recent article from Buzzfeed, they broke down the statistics and discovered that for a simple one-bedroom apartment in Washington State, you need to make an hourly wage of $21.00 and for a 2-bedroom apartment with no frills it's $31.33!

As you can see, even with the boost in the minimum wage in Washington State at $16.28 next year, you'll still be under your housing cost for a one-bedroom apartment in WA State.

The report also points out that the minimum wage in ANY state doesn't cover the cost of a one-bedroom apartment in their respective states.

You can read more details on the survey and report here