Seattle single-family rents spike nearly 20% since 2021, bucking U.S. trend

SEATTLE - While the national housing market reached a near standstill in 2025, Seattle’s single-family rental market continued to climb, bucking a trend of cooling prices seen across much of the U.S.

According to a recent 2025 Annual Single-Family Rentals Report released by Rentometer, the median rent for a three-bedroom single-family home in Seattle rose to $3,695 last year. This represents a 4.1% increase over 2024, a notable contrast to the national median, which held flat at $2,100.

Keep reading to learn more about this latest rental report and what it means for Seattle-area renters in 2026. 

A long-term climb for Seattle renters

By the numbers:

The report highlights a growing divide between coastal hubs like Seattle and the rest of the country. 

While 2025 saw a broader stagnation in the rental sector, Seattle's long-term trajectory remains steep. Since 2021, rents in the city have surged by 19.4%, reflecting persistent pressure on local housing inventory.

"Seattle followed a different path," the report noted, pointing out that even as growth moderated in other large cities, Seattle continued to see upward movement. This trend places Seattle among a select group of "large coastal cities" that maintain pricing power despite broader market stabilization.

Regional divergence

Dig deeper:

According to the report, the Pacific region recorded the highest regional rent growth in the country at 3%. However, within Washington state, the 2025 data shows an increasingly uneven landscape:

• Bellevue: $3,800 (+2.7%)
• Renton: $3,200 (+3.2%)
• Seattle: $3,695 (+4.1%)
• Tacoma and Kent: Flat growth

While Seattle and its immediate neighbors saw gains, cities like Tacoma and Kent stabilized. 

This regional strength stands in stark contrast to the Sunbelt, where cities like Dallas (-4.4%) and Austin (-3.6%) experienced significant rent declines as a wave of new apartment supply provided more alternatives for tenants.

National stagnation and renter relief

Big picture view:

Nationally, the report describes 2025 as a year where rent growth effectively "stalled." For the first time in the post-pandemic era, wage growth began to outpace rent hikes in many markets, offering what the report calls a "breath of fresh air" for millions of families.

However, for Seattle residents, that relief has yet to fully materialize. With a single-family vacancy rate that remains tight relative to the national average of 6.3%, Seattle landlords have maintained more leverage than their counterparts in the Southeast or Southwest.

The report's methodology and data

The findings in the report are based on an analysis of over 3.5 million new rental records nationwide, focusing specifically on three-bedroom single-family homes. 

Rentometer, a Boston-based firm with 15 years of experience in rent estimates, shifted its reporting to median rents this year to better reflect typical market conditions.

The report concludes that while the "rental boom" has ended for much of the U.S., high-demand pockets like Seattle continue to face affordability challenges driven by limited single-family inventory and a resilient local economy.

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