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What $1,200 rents in Seattle right now

A bevy of vintage studios

A blue illustration has a repeating pattern of keys in the background. In the foreground is a blue, two-basket scale with a heart in one basket and a dollar sign in the other.

Welcome to Curbed Comparisons, where we explore what you can rent for a certain dollar amount in Seattle. We found five listings within $100 of today’s price: $1,200.

A dotted line. In the middle, there’s an animation of a heart alternating with a dollar sign.
Viewing a beige-colored room facing a corner, there’s a three-window bank to the left and another window to the right. A light fixture above has a ceiling fan. Via Craigslist

Belltown

A vintage studio near Seattle Center rents for $1,225 (with similar ones going for up to $1,255 with better views), and at 450 square feet, it’s not itty-bitty, either. Although it has a couple of less-than-desirable rental property updates (like ceiling tile!), it keeps some extra period charm from 1923, like the bathtub and millwork. Both cats and dogs are allowed, and it’s walkable to downtown and plenty of buses.

Photo may be of a similar unit.

A room with beige walls, white crown molding, and hardwood floors facing a far wall with two windows. To the right, there’s a large nook with part of a kitchen visible. Via Craigslist

First Hill

Just over I-5 from downtown, a 350-square-foot vintage studio full of original details goes for $1,250 a month, with similar, bigger studios going for up to $1,450. The living area has a large window bank, and the kitchen area is partially separated by a cased opening. Cats and dogs can come, and there’s bike parking, although it’s walkable to plenty of transit. Rent includes utilities and storage.

Photo may be of a similar unit.

A small, white room has large windows reaching into the corners along the far and right walls. A simple bed is in that back corner, and there’s a counter and shelving to the left. Via Keystone Properties NW

Capitol Hill

Here’s where the microstudios come in: Kulle has a studio open for $1,175 a month, but apartments there get as small as 160 square feet. There’s a kitchenette with microwave and mini-fridge, although there are shared kitchens with other tenants. What it lacks in space it makes up in common amenities, including a roof deck, bike parking, and a lounge. No word on a pet policy. It’s in a transit-rich neighborhood, though, and is just over I-5 from downtown.

Photo is of a model unit.

University District

Just a block and a half from the University of Washington campus, here’s another 1920s vintage studio—this one at $1,250 for 500 square feet. That means plenty of room for a walk-in closet, as well as a semi-separate, eat-in kitchen. While laundry is shared, it’s on every floor, and Wi-Fi is included in the rent. Both cats and dogs can come. There’s no private car storage, but the UW campus is kind of its own transit center, with frequent bus service to destinations all over the region.

Rainier Beach

Just a block-and-a-half walk to the shores of Lake Washington, this one-bedroom apartment in a slightly more suburban-style development with large lawns and carports rents for $1,210 a month. Amenities are rich, including a community vegetable garden, a playground, after-school tutoring and art classes for the kiddos, and a clubhouse. It comes with in-unit laundry and parking for both bikes and cars, although it’s on the 7 and right behind a business complex with a Safeway (and, as the listing astutely points out, a Taco Bell). Pets can come, too.

Poll

Which $1,200 apartment would you rent?

This poll is closed

  • 9%
    Belltown
    (16 votes)
  • 20%
    First Hill
    (37 votes)
  • 11%
    Capitol Hill
    (20 votes)
  • 23%
    U District
    (41 votes)
  • 35%
    Rainier Beach
    (63 votes)
177 votes total Vote Now