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Seattle rent keeps climbing while national growth stalls, report finds

Jan 26, 2026, 5:01 AM | Updated: 3:11 pm

Seattle renters...

A view of apartments in Seattle. (Photo: Julia Dallas, MyNorthwest)

(Photo: Julia Dallas, MyNorthwest)

While rent stalled nationally, Seattle prices continued to climb, with the Pacific region leading the U.S.

The median rent for a three-bedroom single-family home in Seattle reached $3,695 in 2025, a 4.1% increase from 2024, according to a new report from Rentometer.

Since 2021, Seattle rents have risen 19.4%, showing long-term pressure.

“In a year defined by broad stabilization, Seattle highlights how large coastal cities can continue to see rent growth, even as surrounding markets and much of the country pause,” Isabelle Lapsley, a Rentometer spokesperson, stated via email.

Pacific region leads U.S.

Extending beyond Seattle, the Pacific region saw the highest rent growth nationally in 2025, but Washington’s results were mixed.

Bellevue rents rose 2.7% to $3,800, and Renton climbed 3.2% to $3,200, while Tacoma ($2,595), Kent ($2,999), and Vancouver ($2,495) remained flat.

Rentometer noted the Pacific overtook the Midwest and Northeast, which led in prior years. Rent growth in the Southeast, Southwest, and Rocky Mountains was mainly flat.

National average stalls

The Pacific region’s rent growth stood in stark contrast to the national average.

“Across the U.S., single-family rent growth slowed to a near standstill in 2025, with the national median holding flat at $2,100,” Lapsley stated.

Nationally, rent growth was modest, particularly in smaller cities and suburbs. But a few metros broke from the norm — Lincoln, Nebraska, and Staten Island, New York, saw the largest increases, with Chicago, Illinois, and San Francisco, California, also posting significant gains.

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