State ranking · HUD FMR + Census ACS

Washington: County Rent Burden

How much of household income goes to rent in each Washington county, FY 2026.

22.9%
State avg 2BR burden
0
Counties over 30% (of 39)
0
Severely burdened (>50%)

What rent burden reveals about Washington

Rent burden measures the share of household income going to rent. The federal standard, used by HUD and the Census Bureau, flags any household paying more than 30% of gross income on rent as "cost-burdened" and any household above 50% as "severely cost-burdened." This page calculates county-level burden by dividing HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rents — 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom — by Census-reported median household income for each county in Washington. Across the 39 counties with complete data, the weighted average 2-bedroom burden is 22.9%, compared with a national average of 21.7% — meaning Washington sits 1.2 percentage points higher than the US benchmark.

The distribution matters more than the state average. In Washington, 0 of 39 counties (0%) have a 2-bedroom burden above 30%, and 0 counties cross the severe-burden threshold of 50%. The most burdened county is Snohomish County at 27.8%, where the FY 2026 2-bedroom FMR of $2,501 eats that share of the local median income of $107,982. Because HUD's FMR sits at the 40th percentile of gross rents, this calculation understates the reality faced by renters paying market-rate: many higher-quality units in each county rent well above FMR, pushing actual burden rates even higher than the numbers shown below.

Burden data has direct policy stakes. High-burden counties see stronger demand for Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers (which cap tenant contribution at 30% of adjusted income and cover the gap up to FMR) and for Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) units, both of which rely on HUD's FMR as the foundational input. High burden also correlates with longer waitlists for public housing and greater housing instability — eviction filings, doubling up, and homelessness all rise in counties above the 50% threshold. Pair this page with the cheapest-counties ranking and year-over-year rent growth to see which Washington counties are getting more affordable, which are tightening fastest, and where the burden gap between Washington and the rest of the country is widening or narrowing.

State Avg Burden
22.9%
National Avg
21.7%
Counties > 30%
0
of 39
Severely Burdened
0
> 50% of income

All Counties by Rent Burden

# County 1 BR Rent 2 BR Rent 1 BR Burden 2 BR Burden
1 Snohomish County $2,146 $2,501 23.8% 27.8%
2 Whatcom County $1,493 $1,794 22.1% 26.6%
3 Whitman County $891 $1,169 20.2% 26.5%
4 Walla Walla County $1,181 $1,550 19.6% 25.8%
5 Skamania County $1,677 $1,922 22.3% 25.6%
6 San Juan County $1,343 $1,762 19.3% 25.3%
7 Kittitas County $1,108 $1,454 19% 25%
8 Spokane County $1,193 $1,531 19.5% 25%
9 Thurston County $1,682 $1,960 21.5% 25%
10 Kitsap County $1,548 $2,031 18.9% 24.7%
11 King County $2,146 $2,501 21.1% 24.6%
12 Pierce County $1,605 $1,971 19.9% 24.5%
13 Clark County $1,677 $1,922 21.2% 24.3%
14 Yakima County $1,047 $1,374 18.5% 24.2%
15 Skagit County $1,311 $1,720 18.4% 24.1%
16 Cowlitz County $1,199 $1,451 19.7% 23.9%
17 Wahkiakum County $1,021 $1,137 21.5% 23.9%
18 Jefferson County $1,165 $1,367 19.7% 23.1%
19 Chelan County $1,143 $1,500 17.5% 23%
20 Grays Harbor County $927 $1,216 17.5% 23%
21 Klickitat County $1,018 $1,336 17.4% 22.8%
22 Island County $1,356 $1,671 18.4% 22.7%
23 Douglas County $1,143 $1,500 17.1% 22.4%
24 Clallam County $966 $1,266 17% 22.3%
25 Franklin County $1,268 $1,538 18.4% 22.3%
26 Lewis County $975 $1,279 16.8% 22%
27 Pacific County $926 $1,134 17.8% 21.8%
28 Ferry County $742 $973 16.3% 21.4%
29 Asotin County $931 $1,220 16.2% 21.2%
30 Benton County $1,268 $1,538 17.4% 21.1%
31 Adams County $863 $1,133 15.9% 20.9%
32 Grant County $939 $1,232 15.8% 20.8%
33 Okanogan County $828 $1,043 16.5% 20.8%
34 Mason County $1,032 $1,354 15.8% 20.7%
35 Pend Oreille County $838 $1,099 15.8% 20.7%
36 Garfield County $798 $1,047 15.3% 20.1%
37 Stevens County $885 $1,131 15.8% 20.1%
38 Columbia County $951 $1,052 16% 17.6%
39 Lincoln County $778 $1,021 13.1% 17.2%
National burden rankings → All Washington rents → Cheapest counties →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the rent burden in Washington? ▼
The average 2-bedroom rent burden in Washington is 22.9% of household income. 0 of 39 counties exceed the 30% affordability threshold.
Which counties in Washington are most rent burdened? ▼
The most rent-burdened county is Snohomish County at 27.8% of income. No counties exceed the 50% severe burden threshold.
How does Washington compare to the national average? ▼
Washington's average rent burden is 22.9% vs the national average of 21.7%. That's 1.2 percentage points higher than average.

Data sources: HUD FY 2026 Fair Market Rents and U.S. Census Bureau median household income. Rent burden = (annual FMR ÷ median income) × 100.

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