If you’re looking to save some cash on rent, a new report by rental platform Zumper has you covered.
The latest research, released this week, reviewed more than a million active listings across the platform.
It found that Bellevue is the most expensive city to rent a one-bedroom in the Seattle metro area.
The median one-bedroom rent price in Bellevue sat at $2,380. Redmond took second place with a median price of $2,230, followed by Bothell, Seattle and Lynnwood.
If you want to find the most affordable rents, Wenatchee takes the prize, with the median price for a one-bedroom rental sitting at $1,260. The second-cheapest city was Lakewood, followed by Auburn, Oak Harbor, and Bremerton.
One important warning, though, from analysts at Zumper: rent prices are increasing more in affordable areas.
“Expensive cities like Seattle and Bellevue are kind of softening or flat year-over-year in terms of rent prices, while we’re seeing more affordable suburbs seeing stronger rent growth,” said Zumper Analyst Crystal Chen.
Chen said Kent, Oak Harbor, and Shoreline saw some of the biggest growths.
“This reflects a sort of value-driven renter shift, where people are still drawn to this area, but they might be a little bit more price sensitive about where they land,” Chen said.
To save, consider moving farther away from high-priced areas. Look for smaller or older units and consider moving rentals in the winter.
“That’s typically when property owners will price down units, especially ahead of the holidays,” Chen said.
Seattle ranked 16th in terms of overall price among other U.S. metro areas.
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