Your monthly guide to rental conditions in Seattle Metro. This is our October 2026 report, covering September 2026 rental data: what rents looked like last month, what's driving the market, and what it means if you own a rental home.
Seattle Metro Rental Market Snapshot — September 2026
Here's where Seattle Metro rents landed in September 2026, across all property types — apartments, condos, townhomes, and single-family homes.
The Seattle Metro median rent was $2,104 in September 2026, up 1.87% year-over-year but down 0.94% from August, with homes sitting on market an average of 46 days as the market shifted into its typical fall slowdown.
| Metric | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Median Rent (All Types, Seattle Metro) | $2,104 | +1.9% YoY |
| Avg. Days on Market | 46 days | — |
Source: Doorstead market data, aggregated from public records and online rental listings, all rental property types, September 2026.
What's Driving Seattle Metro Rental Market Conditions Right Now
Seattle Metro Rental Supply and New Construction
The heaviest construction pressure is concentrated on the Eastside, particularly the Bellevue-to-Redmond corridor along the new East Link 2 Line, where at least 1,585 new multifamily units entered the pipeline in the first half of 2026 alone. In Seattle proper, new pipeline intake actually fell 30% year-over-year through June 2026, though roughly 19,368 units remained under construction metro-wide in Q2, with significant density in the Denny Triangle and transit-oriented sites like Roosevelt. Statewide, Washington authorized about 20,877 residential units through June 2026, up 27% from the same period in 2025, so supply is still rising across the metro even as the mix shifts toward the Eastside.
Why People Rent in Seattle Metro
High mortgage rates at 7.28% keep homeownership out of reach for most households, and with renters making up 39.5% of the metro, that math isn't changing anytime soon. International in-migration is the main population engine right now, adding a net +9.0 per 1,000 residents and helping Seattle rank fifth nationally for numeric population gain, reaching 784,777 residents through July 2025. Microsoft's three-day-per-week return-to-office mandate, effective February 2026, and the East Link 2 Line opening in March 2026 have pushed renter demand toward Eastside stations (South Bellevue, Downtown Bellevue, Overlake Village, Downtown Redmond), while Capitol Hill, Ballard, Wallingford, and Northgate continue drawing tech workers and young professionals in Seattle proper.
What This Means for Seattle Metro Landlords
Summer is Seattle's peak leasing season, and it's now behind you — the market softens meaningfully through fall and into winter, which shows up in the 46-day average time on market already reported for September. Price your vacancy competitively today rather than testing the top of the range; rents grew just 1.87% year-over-year in September, and holding out for a higher number through October and November will likely cost you more in vacancy than any rent bump would recover.
Seattle Metro Rent by City — September 2026
Kirkland and Renton lead the Seattle metro in leasing speed, with homes moving in 33 and 36 days on market respectively, making them the strongest demand pockets in the current snapshot. Kent sits at the opposite end of the table at 65 days, a significant gap above every other city, while Seattle itself came in at 49 days with a 1.2% month-over-month slowdown. Across the rest of the metro, Bellevue, Tacoma, Everett, and Redmond clustered between 39 and 45 days, pointing to a market where most cities are leasing in five to six weeks, with Kent as the clear outlier.
| City | Median Rent | 2BR Median | 3BR Median | Avg. DOM | YoY Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle, WA | $2,015 | $2,695 | $3,415 | 49 days | -0.5% |
| Everett, WA | $1,936 | $1,813 | $2,744 | 43 days | +2.1% |
| Bellevue, WA | $2,767 | $2,663 | $3,736 | 39 days | -1.9% |
| Redmond, WA | $2,425 | $2,499 | $3,640 | 45 days | +3.5% |
| Renton, WA | $2,329 | $2,352 | $3,127 | 36 days | +8.3% |
| Tacoma, WA | $1,681 | $1,769 | $2,563 | 43 days | +6.3% |
| Kirkland, WA | $2,710 | $2,653 | $4,041 | 33 days | -3.4% |
| Kent, WA | $1,921 | $1,907 | $3,059 | 65 days | +9.6% |
| Source: Doorstead market data, aggregated from public records and online rental listings, all property types, September 2026. Median Rent is across all property types. |
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Seattle, WA: International in-migration added 11,572 residents in the year ending July 2025, keeping rental demand broad-based even as domestic out-migration runs negative. At $2,015 median rent and 49 days on market, Seattle leased slower than every city in this table except Kent, and the -1.2% month-over-month slip confirms the seasonal fade that typically follows summer's peak activity.
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Everett, WA: At $1,936 median rent and 43 days on market, Everett leased at a pace in line with the metro midfield in September. The +2.1% year-over-year gain stands out as a quiet success story: rents grew even as much of the metro softened, pointing to tighter supply at the more affordable end of the price spectrum.
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Bellevue, WA: The 2 Line light rail connection to Seattle, open since March 2026, and Microsoft's three-day-per-week RTO mandate have reshaped where Eastside renters look first, with properties near Downtown Bellevue and BelRed stations carrying a new commute premium. Even so, September showed pressure: at $2,767 median rent, Bellevue posted the sharpest month-over-month drop in this table at -1.9%, and the -1.9% year-over-year figure confirms that premium rents face real resistance in the current concession-heavy environment.
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Redmond, WA: The 2 Line's stops at Redmond Technology and Downtown Redmond have made the city more accessible to Seattle commuters, and Microsoft's RTO mandate keeps local employment demand elevated. Rents held at $2,425 median with a modest -1.0% month-over-month dip, while the +3.5% year-over-year gain puts Redmond among the stronger annual performers on the Eastside.
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Renton, WA: Renton was flat month-over-month in September, but the +8.3% year-over-year gain is the second-largest in this table, signaling that renters priced out of Bellevue and Redmond are moving south along the 405 corridor. At 36 days on market, it also leased faster than Seattle, Everett, and Redmond, so owners here should resist the temptation to discount.
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Tacoma, WA: At $1,681 median rent, Tacoma is the most affordable city in this table by a wide margin, and that price point is clearly drawing renters: the +6.3% year-over-year gain ranks third overall here. The -1.0% month-over-month dip is a normal seasonal pull-back, and 43 days on market keeps Tacoma competitive with Everett despite the longer distance from Seattle.
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Kirkland, WA: Kirkland posted the fastest leasing pace in this table at 33 days on market in September, and rents were essentially flat month-over-month at $2,710 median. The -3.4% year-over-year figure is worth watching, but when a city leases this quickly it suggests pricing is finding its market level rather than stalling, so owners should hold firm on rent rather than cut to match last year's numbers.
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Kent, WA: Kent's 65-day median DOM was the longest in this table by a substantial margin in September, and with rents flat month-over-month, demand has not yet caught up to available supply. The +9.6% year-over-year gain is the largest in the table, so the long-run direction is positive, but owners pricing vacancies right now should be realistic: slow DOM in a softening season means a competitive list price beats a vacant unit.
Seattle Metro Rent by Bedroom Count and Property Type — September 2026
Rent by Bedroom Count in Seattle Metro
Rents across the Seattle metro scaled consistently with bedroom count in September, but the jumps were uneven. The $521 gap between 1- and 2-bedroom rentals was the steepest step-up in the lineup, nearly triple the $190 spread between studios and 1-bedrooms. The 3-bedroom tier pushed to $3,291, adding $997 over 2-bedrooms, while the move from 3- to 4-bedrooms added a comparatively smaller $696, bringing the top of the range to $3,987. From studio to 4-bedroom, renters are looking at a $2,404 spread across the market.
| Bedroom Count in Seattle Metro | Median Rent (September 2026) |
|---|---|
| Studio | $1,583 |
| 1-Bedroom | $1,773 |
| 2-Bedroom | $2,294 |
| 3-Bedroom | $3,291 |
| 4-Bedroom | $3,987 |
| Source: Doorstead market data, aggregated from public records and online rental listings, Seattle Metro, September 2026. |
Rent by Property Type in Seattle Metro
Single-family homes led every other property type in September, with a median rent of $3,443, which is $1,339 (63.6%) above the blended metro median of $2,104, and they leased in just 15 days. Townhouses also cleared the blended median by a wide margin at $3,104 (+$1,000, +47.5%), though they took nearly twice as long to lease at 28 days. Condos came in just above the blended median at $2,282 (+$178, +8.5%) and leased quickly at 18 days. Apartments sat $333 (15.8%) below the blended median at $1,771 and took 86 days to lease, by far the longest time on market across all four property types.
| Property Type in Seattle Metro | Median Rent | Avg. Days on Market | YoY Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Property Types (Blended) | $2,104 | 46 days | +1.9% |
| Single Family | $3,443 | 15 days | +6.1% |
| Condo | $2,282 | 18 days | -2.7% |
| Townhouse | $3,104 | 28 days | -2.4% |
| Apartment | $1,771 | 86 days | -0.3% |
| Source: Doorstead market data, aggregated from public records and online rental listings, Seattle Metro, September 2026. |
Data Sources & Methodology
- Rental market data: Median rents, days on market, listing counts, and rent change figures. Sourced from county public records, deed and tax assessor data, and rental listings on publicly accessible platforms.
- Doorstead Platform Data: Internal leasing outcomes from Doorstead-managed rental homes across all property types, including days to lease. Trailing 12 months.
Data refreshed monthly. Doorstead benchmarks reflect managed properties only and may not be representative of the broader Seattle Metro rental market.