How much did the rent go up (or down) in June?

It went up—but how much depends on who you ask

By Sarah Anne Lloyd@sarahannelloyd Jun 2, 2017, 9:19am PDT

An apartment building with outside entrances to the units and colorful doors—red, yellow, green, blue, and purple.

Median rent in Seattle, by all accounts, has gone up. But how far—and the actual dollar figure—vary depending on what data you’re looking at. The summary: For a one-bedroom, it’s anywhere from $1,330 to $1,920.

That lower-range number comes from Apartment List (AL), but that’s because their new methodology crunches the numbers in a way similar to how Housing and Urban Development (HUD) does on a national level. Their goal is to figure out what median rent people are actually paying, not just on active apartment listings, like the data you get from the census, but on a monthly basis.

For two bedrooms, said AL, median rent is just a few hundred more, at $1,660. Overall, according to their numbers, Seattle’s rent went up 5.2 percent compared to this time last year.

In a blog post, AL said listing sites like Zumper or Abodo—and previously, their own—tend to skew toward luxury rentals, which is why their numbers tend a little higher. After their adjustments, Seattle rent doesn’t crack the top ten nationally: We’re 12, behind even Vancouver, Washington.

Sam Radbil at Abodo told Curbed Seattle that their methodology captures apartments beyond the luxury market, and that basing their numbers on current listings is by design.

“We calculate median rent prices for one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments that are available and on the market,” said Radbil, “because already filled units and what those renters are paying isn't helpful to those still seeking a lease.”

Their numbers hit somewhere in the middle: $1,754 for a one-bedroom or $2,282 for a two-bedroom, 4.5 and 4.9 percent increases month over month, respectively.

Zumper has the highest estimate, with $1,500 a month for studios, $1,920 for one-bedrooms, and $2,460 for two-bedrooms. The only significant change from last month is in one-bedroom rent, at 3.8 percent, but the difference more substantial compared to this time last year: 7.3 percent.

Two bedrooms, per Zumper, increased 3.7 percent compared to this time last year, and studios 2.7 percent.

For clarity, we’ve compiled everyone’s median rent estimates, national ranking for Seattle, and year-over-year change.