SmartAsset has just released the latest version of their study that determines how much having a roommate can save you in the 50 largest U.S. cities. Seattle finished just outside of the top ten in the eleventh spot, which was still good enough to potentially save you an average of $530 a month.
Since they conducted their 2015 version of this study, the average fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Seattle has increased 10.6 percent to $1,734/month while a two-bedroom now stands at $2,408/month. Assuming you’re splitting things 50/50, that means that the average Seattle renter could save themselves over $6,360/year instead of struggling on their own in a one-bedroom.
Seattle came in just under No. 10 Portland, where the average savings is $546/month ($6,552 per year).
Of course for some in Seattle this isn’t even a question. As SmartAsset previously pointed out, Seattle is about 24 percent more expensive than the average U.S. city., which means an annual income of $50,000 in the rest of the U.S. would need to be $62,000 here in order to maintain the same standard of living. That goes up to $83,000 if you want to afford a median price home.
So yeah, shacking up with a roommate or two looks pretty good right about now.