State FMR profile · HUD FY2026

Fair Market Rents in Washington

The average 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent across Washington is $1,180/mo - 23% above the US average.

$1,180
Avg 1BR FMR
39
Counties
11
Metro areas

The verdict

Washington's 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent averages $1,472 - 25% above the US average, the 14th highest of 51 states.

Washington's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom averages $1,472, 25% above the US average - the 14th highest of 51 states. A household needs about $58,880 in annual income to afford it under HUD's 30% affordability rule, and rents vary 189% between the state's cheapest and priciest counties.

#14
most expensive of 51 states (2BR)
+25%
vs the US 2-bedroom average
$58,880
income to afford it (30% rule)
189%
gap, cheapest→priciest county

Washington ranks 14th priciest but 35th of 51 by rent GROWTH (+2.1% YoY) - a pricey state whose growth has actually cooled relative to the rest of the country.

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents for 39 counties and 11 metro areas in WA. Verify with HUD →

What these rents mean for Washington

Across Washington's 39 counties and 11 metro areas, HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent averages $1,180/mo for a 1-bedroom (studio through 4-bedroom averages are broken out below). FMR is set at the county or metro FMR area level, not statewide, so that figure is the arithmetic average of every FMR area inside WA, weighted equally. Local housing authorities use each county's or metro's FMR (not the state average) to calibrate Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher payment standards, typically ranging from 90% to 110% of FMR.

Benchmarked against the rest of the country, Washington's average 1-bedroom FMR of $1,180 is 23% above the US average of $959. Inside the state, rents are not uniform - the cheapest 1-bedroom FMR is in Ferry County at $742, while the most expensive is in Snohomish County at $2,146, a spread of roughly 189% between the lowest- and highest-cost counties. That intra-state dispersion is why urban voucher recipients, families relocating for jobs, and landlords setting Section 8 rents all need to check the specific FMR area rather than rely on a statewide figure.

For affordability, the 30% rule implies a household income of $47,200 per year (about $3,933/month) to afford Washington's average 1-bedroom at $1,180. With a state population of 7,740,984 and median household income of $94,952, a significant share of Washington renters fall above the 30% cost-burden threshold in higher-FMR counties. Pair these rent figures with Washington's rent burden rankings and year-over-year rent growth pages to see which counties are tightening fastest and which remain comparatively affordable.

Where Washington sits among all 50 states + DC

Average 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. every US state

$1,472 Top 27% higher than 73% of 51 states

$900–$1,000: 11 states (22%). Below this entry. $1,000–$1,100: 7 states (14%). Below this entry. $1,100–$1,200: 8 states (16%). Below this entry. $1,200–$1,300: 2 states (4%). Below this entry. $1,300–$1,400: 3 states (6%). Below this entry. $1,400–$1,500: 8 states (16%). This entry sits in this band. $1,500–$1,600: 3 states (6%). Above this entry. $1,600–$1,700: 1 states (2%). Above this entry. $1,700–$1,800: 1 states (2%). Above this entry. $1,800–$1,900: 1 states (2%). Above this entry. $1,900–$2,000: 1 states (2%). Above this entry. $2,000–$2,100: 1 states (2%). Above this entry. $2,100–$2,200: 1 states (2%). Above this entry. $2,200–$2,300: 2 states (4%). Above this entry. $2,300–$2,400: 0 states (0%). Above this entry. $2,400–$2,500: 1 states (2%). Above this entry. WA $900 $2,500 every US state, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $0.1K-wide band; taller bars hold more states. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents · FY2026

State Average vs National Average

Studio
$1,082
+21% vs US avg
1 BR
$1,180
+23% vs US avg
2 BR
$1,472
+25% vs US avg
3 BR
$2,003
+31% vs US avg
4 BR
$2,351
+34% vs US avg

Most expensive counties in Washington by 1-bedroom FMR

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent, the highest-cost 10 of 39 WA counties

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Inside WA, 1-bedroom FMR runs from $742 in Ferry County to $2,146 in Snohomish County.

Source HUD Fair Market Rents and U.S. Census Bureau ACS data As of FY2026

Cheapest Counties

Lowest FMR rental costs →

Most Expensive Counties

Highest FMR rental costs →

Rent Burden

% of income spent on rent →

Rent Growth

YoY rent trends by county →

Metro areas in Washington

Each metro FMR area applies one rent schedule across all its counties, ranked here by 1-bedroom FMR.

# Metro area Studio1 BR2 BR3 BR4 BR
1 Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area $2,074
$2,146
$2,501$3,272$3,847
2 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA MSA $1,538
$1,682
$1,960$2,613$3,288
3 Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA MSA $1,400
$1,548
$2,031$2,676$2,941
4 Bellingham, WA MSA $1,463
$1,493
$1,794$2,495$3,010
5 Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA MSA $1,186
$1,311
$1,720$2,392$2,599
6 Kennewick-Richland, WA MSA $1,122
$1,268
$1,538$2,071$2,385
7 Longview-Kelso, WA MSA $1,000
$1,199
$1,451$2,018$2,434
8 Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area $1,103
$1,193
$1,531$2,088$2,506
9 Walla Walla, WA MSA $1,074
$1,181
$1,550$2,118$2,600
10 Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA MSA $1,034
$1,143
$1,500$2,063$2,516
11 Yakima, WA MSA $1,040
$1,047
$1,374$1,911$2,093

Counties in Washington, ranked by rent (39)

All 39 counties with a published FY2026 Fair Market Rent, highest 1-bedroom first.

39 of 39
# County Studio1 BR2 BR3 BR4 BR
1 King County $2,074
$2,146
$2,501$3,272$3,847
2 Snohomish County $2,074
$2,146
$2,501$3,272$3,847
3 Thurston County $1,538
$1,682
$1,960$2,613$3,288
4 Clark County $1,570
$1,677
$1,922$2,619$3,109
5 Skamania County $1,570
$1,677
$1,922$2,619$3,109
6 Pierce County $1,428
$1,605
$1,971$2,733$3,102
7 Kitsap County $1,400
$1,548
$2,031$2,676$2,941
8 Whatcom County $1,463
$1,493
$1,794$2,495$3,010
9 Island County $1,172
$1,356
$1,671$2,324$2,733
10 San Juan County $1,215
$1,343
$1,762$2,332$2,333
11 Skagit County $1,186
$1,311
$1,720$2,392$2,599
12 Benton County $1,122
$1,268
$1,538$2,071$2,385
13 Franklin County $1,122
$1,268
$1,538$2,071$2,385
14 Cowlitz County $1,000
$1,199
$1,451$2,018$2,434
15 Spokane County $1,103
$1,193
$1,531$2,088$2,506
16 Walla Walla County $1,074
$1,181
$1,550$2,118$2,600
17 Jefferson County $1,119
$1,165
$1,367$1,901$2,293
18 Chelan County $1,034
$1,143
$1,500$2,063$2,516
19 Douglas County $1,034
$1,143
$1,500$2,063$2,516
20 Kittitas County $1,002
$1,108
$1,454$2,022$2,439
21 Yakima County $1,040
$1,047
$1,374$1,911$2,093
22 Mason County $1,030
$1,032
$1,354$1,883$2,097
23 Wahkiakum County $798
$1,021
$1,137$1,581$1,907
24 Klickitat County $921
$1,018
$1,336$1,602$1,825
25 Lewis County $882
$975
$1,279$1,688$1,832
26 Clallam County $880
$966
$1,266$1,761$2,026
27 Columbia County $738
$951
$1,052$1,463$1,765
28 Grant County $933
$939
$1,232$1,707$2,067
29 Asotin County $925
$931
$1,220$1,697$2,037
30 Grays Harbor County $838
$927
$1,216$1,691$1,869
31 Pacific County $796
$926
$1,134$1,557$1,902
32 Whitman County $806
$891
$1,169$1,626$1,961
33 Stevens County $879
$885
$1,131$1,573$1,897
34 Adams County $795
$863
$1,133$1,576$1,901
35 Pend Oreille County $759
$838
$1,099$1,379$1,844
36 Okanogan County $732
$828
$1,043$1,428$1,559
37 Garfield County $735
$798
$1,047$1,456$1,756
38 Lincoln County $716
$778
$1,021$1,420$1,713
39 Ferry County $683
$742
$973$1,353$1,632

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average rent in Washington? ▼
The average FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Washington is $1,180 per month. A 2-bedroom averages $1,472.
How does Washington rent compare to the national average? ▼
Washington rents are 23% above the national average. A 1-bedroom here averages $1,180 vs $959 nationally.
Where is the cheapest rent in Washington? ▼
The most affordable county is Ferry County with a 1-bedroom FMR of $742. The most expensive is Snohomish County at $2,146.
What income do I need to afford rent in Washington? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need at least $47,200/year ($3,933/month) to afford the average 1-bedroom FMR in Washington.

Explore Washington rent data

Rent burden → Rent growth → Cheapest counties → Most expensive counties → National rent-burden rankings → Affordability calculator →

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

What this means for renters

Treat Washington's FY2026 average Fair Market Rent as HUD's affordability benchmark, not a single market quote.

  • Budget to roughly 30% of income: the FY2026 average 1-bedroom FMR of $1,180 implies about $47,200/yr to rent without being cost-burdened. Run your numbers
  • Washington's counties vary widely around this average -- compare specific counties before assuming this figure applies to yours. View county rankings
  • See where Washington ranks nationally on rent. National rankings

Fair Market Rent is HUD's 40th-percentile policy benchmark used to set Housing Choice Voucher payment standards. This is a state-level average across 39 counties; actual asking rents in any specific county can run higher or lower, and HUD updates FMRs once a year. This site is informational and not financial or relocation advice.

Related

Browse all counties → | Rankings →
Data sourced from HUD Fair Market Rents and U.S. Census Bureau ACS data. See our methodology for details. Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rent data (huduser.gov). Median household income and homeownership rate: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (census.gov/programs-surveys/acs).

Every figure on PlainRent is rendered directly from HUD's published Fair Market Rent records, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of FY 2026.