Uber rides cost more in Seattle than rest of US: report

SEATTLE - If you’ve taken an Uber around Seattle lately, you might have felt that sticker shock, and you’re not alone. 

A new report from NetCredit found Uber rides in Seattle are the most expensive in the nation. So, just how much are you paying, and what’s driving the high cost? NetCredit found on average, a 30-minute ride in Seattle costs about $60. 

The cheapest place for that same ride was in Indiana for half that price, according to NetCredit. At Seatac Airport, like clockwork, you can expect to see people hopping in and out of Uber rides at all hours of the day, but it comes with a price tag. 

"It’s like $91 to get to his apartment," said Alex Gutierrez, who is helping his brother move from Bothell to Arizona. 

He had a $100 Uber gift card, which he thought would get him to and from the airport, but that won’t be the case. Gutierrez also used to drive for Uber and was shocked by the difference in prices. 

"For a 40–45-minute drive like that it would be like $40 so, it’s almost double than in Arizona," Gutierrez said.

"It’s kind of unfair to those who need to get places but can’t afford it maybe and even if you can afford it, it’s a lot," Gaby Reichstein said. She told FOX 13 she ordered an Uber to Kirkland, and it cost $123.

"It’s pretty expensive, I travel a lot for work and I would compare this probably to LA pricing, you’re not going too far. I think it’s a 30-minute ride, but it’s $70 so it’s up there for sure," Noah Becker said. He ordered an Uber from the airport to downtown Seattle, a 14-mile drive.

For perspective, FOX 13 looked up other 14-mile drives and how much those Uber rides would cost: 

• From North Everett to Paine Field: $40.92
• From downtown Kirkland to the Landing in Renton: $54.95

Ariel Hardy told FOX 13 she doesn’t mind paying more for an Uber because of the convenience and the safety. She adds, when she orders an Uber in other cities like Denver, Seattle drivers are more personable, and their cars are cleaner. 

"We pay more, we get a nice, classy ride," Hardy said.

 FOX 13 reached out to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, and a spokesperson replied with a statement which said, in part: 

"Just like any airport, SEA has a fee for usage of the facilities that rideshare companies pay. This money goes right back into the maintenance and upkeep of the public facility used by the companies. Overall, we have no control over the prices charged by rideshare companies. They may use surge pricing for example or various means to create their pricing models just like they would outside a Mariner game or concert or trip to the grocery store.

"From our latest agreement from a couple of years ago, we charge $6.50 for every pickup for ride shares. In addition, we have an innovative fee charge for drop-offs that helps the environment encouraging lower emissions at the airport, a major goal of the Port. The dropoff fee is $4, but based on the fleet usage of electric vehicles, that gets reduced. The ride share companies have really been taking the opportunity for that which can cut the fee over half. Which is great to see the increase in electric vehicles to better emissions here as well. We’ve long had our taxi service contract benefit encouraging low emission and high fuel efficiency vehicles as well."

 The Press Secretary for Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell’s Office told FOX 13, while the city does not set Uber’s rates, like every other industry, they do require them to pay their worker’s minimum wage.

 So why are Uber rides so expensive in Seattle?

One of the reasons is Seattle’s Fare Share Ordinance. It requires minimum per-mile and per-minute compensation for drivers, as well as benefits and expense reimbursement. It’s meant to make sure drivers are paid fairly.

FOX 13 reached out to Uber about the high ride fares in Seattle, and a spokesperson sent the following statement:

"These high costs are the result of some of the most extreme app-based regulatory policies we’ve seen in the country. Since the City Council passed the Fare Share and PayUp minimum earnings laws, fares for drivers/delivery people have gone up—but so have prices for riders/customers. Seattle is now the most expensive city in the country to take an Uber or get a meal delivered, with costs rising every year since 2021. These laws were intended to raise earnings for drivers, but instead—they’ve made one of the most expensive cities in America even more unaffordable to use rideshare or delivery in."

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