Washington

In Washington, the Fair Market Rent (FMR) for a two-bedroom apartment is $874. In order to afford this level of rent and utilities, without paying more than 30% of income on housing, a household must earn $2,914 monthly or $34,964 annually. Assuming a 40-hour work week, 52 weeks per year, this level of income translates into a Housing Wage of $16.81.

In Washington, a minimum wage worker earns an hourly wage of $8.55. In order to afford the FMR for a two-bedroom apartment, a minimum wage earner must work 79 hours per week, 52 weeks per year. Or, a household must include 2.0 minimum wage earner(s) working 40 hours per week year-round in order to make the two bedroom FMR affordable.

In Washington, the estimated mean (average) wage for a renter is $14.71 an hour. In order to afford the FMR for a two-bedroom apartment at this wage, a renter must work 46 hours per week, 52 weeks per year. Or, working 40 hours per week year-round, a household must include 1.1 worker(s) earning the mean renter wage in order to make the two-bedroom FMR affordable.

Monthly Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments for an individual are $674 in Washington. If SSI represents an individual's sole source of income, $202 in monthly rent is affordable, while the FMR for a one-bedroom is $713.

A unit is considered affordable if it costs no more than 30% of the renter's income.


For an explanation of these data, see How to Use the Numbers / Where the Numbers Come From.

If necessary, use the scroll bar at the bottom of the table to view additional jurisdictions.

 WashingtonPierce County *
Number of Households (2000)
Total2,271,398260,800
Renter804,41395,177
% Renter35%36%
2009 Area Median Income1
Annual$71,582$68,100
Monthly$5,965$5,675
30% of AMI2$21,475$20,430
Maximum Affordable3 Monthly Housing Cost by % of Family AMI
30%$537$511
50%$895$851
80%$1,432$1,362
100%$1,790$1,703
2009 Fair Market Rent (FMR)4
Zero-Bedroom$623$636
One-Bedroom$713$743
Two-Bedroom$874$926
Three-Bedroom$1,237$1,349
Four-Bedroom$1,458$1,518
% Change from 2000 Base Rent to 2009 FMR
Zero-Bedroom26%40%
One-Bedroom26%41%
Two-Bedroom26%41%
Three-Bedroom26%41%
Four-Bedroom26%41%
Annual Income Needed to Afford FMR
Zero-Bedroom$24,923$25,440
One-Bedroom$28,521$29,720
Two-Bedroom$34,964$37,040
Three-Bedroom$49,497$53,960
Four-Bedroom$58,327$60,720
Percent of Family AMI Needed to Afford FMR
Zero-Bedroom35%37%
One-Bedroom40%44%
Two-Bedroom49%54%
Three-Bedroom69%79%
Four-Bedroom81%89%
2009 Renter Household Income
Estimated Median Renter Household Income5$39,036$37,671
Percent Needed to Afford 2 BR FMR90%98%
Rent Affordable at Median$976$942
% Renters Unable to Afford 2 BR FMR644%49%
2009 Renter Wage
Estimated Mean Renter Wage7$14.71$12.35
Rent Affordable at Mean Wage$765$642
2009 Minimum Wage
Minimum Wage$8.55$8.55
Rent Affordable at Minimum Wage$445$445
2009 Supplemental Security Income
Monthly SSI Payment$674$674
Rent Affordable at SSI$202$202
Housing Wage
Zero-Bedroom$11.98$12.23
One-Bedroom$13.71$14.29
Two-Bedroom$16.81$17.81
Three-Bedroom$23.80$25.94
Four-Bedroom$28.04$29.19
Housing Wage as % of Minimum Wage
Zero-Bedroom140%143%
One-Bedroom160%167%
Two-Bedroom197%208%
Three-Bedroom278%303%
Four-Bedroom328%341%
Housing Wage as % of Mean Renter Wage
Zero-Bedroom81%99%
One-Bedroom93%116%
Two-Bedroom114%144%
Three-Bedroom162%210%
Four-Bedroom191%236%
Work Hours/Week at Minimum Wage Needed to Afford FMR
Zero-Bedroom5657
One-Bedroom6467
Two-Bedroom7983
Three-Bedroom111121
Four-Bedroom131137
Work Hours/Week at Mean Renter Wage Needed to Afford FMR
Zero-Bedroom3340
One-Bedroom3746
Two-Bedroom4658
Three-Bedroom6584
Four-Bedroom7695
Full-time Jobs at Minimum Wage Needed to Afford FMR
Zero-Bedroom1.41.4
One-Bedroom1.61.7
Two-Bedroom2.02.1
Three-Bedroom2.83.0
Four-Bedroom3.33.4
Full-time Jobs at Mean Renter Wage Needed to Afford FMR
Zero-Bedroom0.81.0
One-Bedroom0.91.2
Two-Bedroom1.11.4
Three-Bedroom1.62.1
Four-Bedroom1.92.4
 WashingtonPierce County *
 WashingtonPierce County *
Number of Households (2000)
Total2,271,398260,800
Renter804,41395,177
% Renter35%36%
2009 Area Median Income1
Annual$71,582$68,100
Monthly$5,965$5,675
30% of AMI2$21,475$20,430
Maximum Affordable3 Monthly Housing Cost by % of Family AMI
30%$537$511
50%$895$851
80%$1,432$1,362
100%$1,790$1,703
2009 Fair Market Rent (FMR)4
Zero-Bedroom$623$636
One-Bedroom$713$743
Two-Bedroom$874$926
Three-Bedroom$1,237$1,349
Four-Bedroom$1,458$1,518
% Change from 2000 Base Rent to 2009 FMR
Zero-Bedroom26%40%
One-Bedroom26%41%
Two-Bedroom26%41%
Three-Bedroom26%41%
Four-Bedroom26%41%
Annual Income Needed to Afford FMR
Zero-Bedroom$24,923$25,440
One-Bedroom$28,521$29,720
Two-Bedroom$34,964$37,040
Three-Bedroom$49,497$53,960
Four-Bedroom$58,327$60,720
Percent of Family AMI Needed to Afford FMR
Zero-Bedroom35%37%
One-Bedroom40%44%
Two-Bedroom49%54%
Three-Bedroom69%79%
Four-Bedroom81%89%
2009 Renter Household Income
Estimated Median Renter Household Income5$39,036$37,671
Percent Needed to Afford 2 BR FMR90%98%
Rent Affordable at Median$976$942
% Renters Unable to Afford 2 BR FMR644%49%
2009 Renter Wage
Estimated Mean Renter Wage7$14.71$12.35
Rent Affordable at Mean Wage$765$642
2009 Minimum Wage
Minimum Wage$8.55$8.55
Rent Affordable at Minimum Wage$445$445
2009 Supplemental Security Income
Monthly SSI Payment$674$674
Rent Affordable at SSI$202$202
Housing Wage
Zero-Bedroom$11.98$12.23
One-Bedroom$13.71$14.29
Two-Bedroom$16.81$17.81
Three-Bedroom$23.80$25.94
Four-Bedroom$28.04$29.19
Housing Wage as % of Minimum Wage
Zero-Bedroom140%143%
One-Bedroom160%167%
Two-Bedroom197%208%
Three-Bedroom278%303%
Four-Bedroom328%341%
Housing Wage as % of Mean Renter Wage
Zero-Bedroom81%99%
One-Bedroom93%116%
Two-Bedroom114%144%
Three-Bedroom162%210%
Four-Bedroom191%236%
Work Hours/Week at Minimum Wage Needed to Afford FMR
Zero-Bedroom5657
One-Bedroom6467
Two-Bedroom7983
Three-Bedroom111121
Four-Bedroom131137
Work Hours/Week at Mean Renter Wage Needed to Afford FMR
Zero-Bedroom3340
One-Bedroom3746
Two-Bedroom4658
Three-Bedroom6584
Four-Bedroom7695
Full-time Jobs at Minimum Wage Needed to Afford FMR
Zero-Bedroom1.41.4
One-Bedroom1.61.7
Two-Bedroom2.02.1
Three-Bedroom2.83.0
Four-Bedroom3.33.4
Full-time Jobs at Mean Renter Wage Needed to Afford FMR
Zero-Bedroom0.81.0
One-Bedroom0.91.2
Two-Bedroom1.11.4
Three-Bedroom1.62.1
Four-Bedroom1.92.4
 WashingtonPierce County *

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C H A R T   F O O T N O T E S
1.Fiscal Year 2009 Area Median Income (HUD, 2009).
2.Annual income of 30% of AMI or less is the federal standard for Extremely Low Income households. Does not include HUD-specific adjustments.
3. "Affordable" rents represent the generally accepted standard of spending not more than 30% of gross income on gross housing costs.
4.Fiscal Year 2009 Fair Market Rent (HUD, 2008; final as of October 1).
5.Census 2000 median renter household income, projected to 2009 using HUD's income adjustment factor.
6. Estimated by comparing the percent of renter median household income required to afford the two-bedroom FMR to the percent distribution of renter household income as a percent of the median within the state, as measured using 2007 American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Sample housing file.
7.Based on 2007 BLS data, adjusted using the ratio of renter to overall household income reported in Census 2000, and projected to April 1, 2009.
* 50th percentile FMR (See Appendix A).
†Wage data not available (See Appendix A).
 For a listing of towns within FMR areas in New England States, click here.

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