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You are here:   Home → Social Environment → Housing Affordability by City
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Indicator: Housing Affordability by City

Data and Data Discussion provided by King County Benchmark Program

(1) Housing Affordability by King County Jurisdiction

(2) Housing Unit Affordability to Low-Income Households

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Upstream Indicators
  •   Urbanization and Impervious Surface Changes --- The number of acres of urban land, clear-cut, and regenerating forest have increased in King County since 1986. Acres of grass and deciduous, mixed and coniferous forest have decreased. Acres of rural forests and privately owned working forests have declined in recent years  (view data graph)
  •   Land Use Mix --- The data for this indicator was taken from a snapshot study of King County.  
  •   Ratio of Jobs to Housing --- Despite small changes in the jobs-to-housing ratio in each of the four counties, there has been relatively little change in the jobs-to-housing ratio in the region over the last 14 years.  (view data graph)
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Downstream Indicators
  •   Estimated Number and Percent of Homeless Persons --- From 2000 to 2004, the number of homeless increased nearly 30% to 6,852. On the one night count for 2008, that number had risen to 8,439, an 8% increase over 2007 figures. (Survey methods were changed in 2006.) Of these, nearly one third, including children, were sleeping outside in below freezing weather, an increase of 15% over the previous year. (1) The current emergency system and transitional housing system has approximately 6,700 beds. (2)  (view data graph)
  •   Income Distribution --- In the two decades between 1979 and 1999, there was a shift of income away from the four lower income groups to the highest income group. In King County in 2004, the richest 20% of the population received more than ten times the income of the poorest 20%.  (view data graph)
  •   Vehicle Miles Traveled --- In 2007, VMT for the Puget Sound region increased by 0.6 percent over 2006, continuing an almost 30-year trend. Annual VMT has decreased only three times since 1980 when the first estimates became available.  (view data graph)
  •   Walkability Index --- In 2005, King County finished a major study called “Land Use, Transportation, Air Quality and Health” (which led to the current program HealthScape), that measured how specific land use and transportation actions affect air quality, mobility, congestion, and public health. No trend data are yet available.   (view data graph)
  •   Freedom from Discrimination --- Indicator information based on three surveys conducted in 1999, 2001 and 2004. There were no significant changes over the three survey years for the county.  (view data graph)
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Related Goals

Sustainability Snapshot:

Affordable quality housing for everyone is one of our region's biggest challenges. The gap between median incomes and median home prices, for instance, has grown to the point where in many parts of King County less than 2 percent (and often none) of the house sales are at a price that is affordable to low or moderate income households. In consequence, the locations where affordable housing does exist are farther and farther from urban centers, jobs, shops and services.

Sustainability Trend:

Homes prices have increased at a greater rate than incomes over the last two decades, making home ownership less affordable. However, rents have increased at a slower rate, generally in line with median household incomes.

Data Discussion

The Indicator Defined

Percent of houses in King County cities that are affordable to buyers at 30% median income, 30-49% median income, and 50-79% of median income.

Data Interpretation/Evaluation

In King County, just 10% of all single family homes sold in 2005 were affordable to the median income household. Nearly half of these homes were purchased in South King County, while just 3% were found in East King County. For lower income households interested in homeownership, condominiums provide more affordable housing opportunities. Over a third of all condo sales in 2005 were affordable to households at 80% of median income and such units were relatively evenly distributed among King County's sub-areas. Additionally, more than nine out of ten rental units in King County were affordable to households earning 80% of median income and nearly half of all rental units were affordable to households earning 50% of median income (Table 2).

Data Source and Limitations

Median sales price data of single family homes and condominium units taken from the King County Records, Elections and Licensing Services Division/ Recorder's Office.  Rental unit affordability provided by Dupre + Scott Apartment Advisors Inc.  Total rental units is likely overestimated.  It is speculated that home ownership has increased from the rate reported in the 2000 U.S. Census (and assumed here) but is not verifiable at time of publication.

Median income is for King County.

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