Primary sources for Seattle, WA
- Census Bureau profile of Seattle, WA, ACS data
- EIA-861 utility data for Seattle, WA, prices
- DOE LEAD tool for Seattle, WA, energy burden
- NOAA storms and FEMA flood claims for Seattle, WA
Electricity rates in Seattle, Washington
Seattle, WA ranks 1st of 44 Washington cities for homes in buildings of 5+ units (51%). Seattle, Washington has 741,440 residents in 353,019 households; 59.7% heat with electricity.
Seattle on the map
King County, with Seattle marked
Housing and heating in Seattle
Seattle, WA: 207,460 of 382,933 homes were built before 1980 and 118,395 in 2000 or later. Seattle, WA has 144,990 detached houses, 193,413 homes in 5+ unit buildings and 1,037 mobile homes.
Age of homes in Seattle, WA
% of homes by decade built, Seattle, WA
- 23pre-40
- 740s
- 850s
- 860s
- 770s
- 880s
- 790s
- 1200s
- 1810s
- 120+
Heating fuel in Seattle, WA
| Seattle, WA | Value | County | Gap | Rank (1 = highest) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle, WA, median year built | 1974 | 1983 | -9 years | 32 of 44 |
| Seattle, WA, built before 1980 | 54.2% | 46.6% | +7.6 points | 14 of 44 |
| Seattle, WA, built 2000 or later | 30.9% | 28.0% | +3.0 points | 15 of 44 |
| Seattle, WA, detached houses | 37.9% | 50.9% | -13.1 points | 42 of 44 |
| Seattle, WA, apartments in 5+ unit buildings | 50.5% | 36.7% | +13.8 points | 1 of 44 |
| Seattle, WA, mobile homes | 0.3% | 1.5% | -1.3 points | 41 of 44 |
| Seattle, WA, renter households | 55.8% | 43.9% | +11.8 points | 2 of 44 |
| Seattle, WA, median home value | $912,100 | $811,200 | +$100,900 | 6 of 44 |
| Seattle, WA, median gross rent a month | $1,998 | $2,035 | -$37 | 9 of 44 |
| Seattle, WA, people per household | 2.03 | 2.39 | -0.36 | 44 of 44 |
Facts about Seattle
- Residents of Seattle, WA, ACS 2023
- 741,4401 of 44 Washington cities with 30,000+
- Median household income in Seattle, WA
- $121,9847 of 44 of those cities
- Households in Seattle, WA
- 353,0192.10 people each
- Owner-occupied homes in Seattle, WA
- 44.2%156,194 owners and 196,825 renter households
- Housing units in Seattle, WA
- 382,93329,914 vacant or seasonal
- Homes heated by electricity in Seattle, WA
- 59.7%210,693 of 353,019 homes
- Land area of Seattle, WA
- 84.0 sq mi8,826.7 people per sq mi
- Bill as share of income in Seattle, WA
- 0.3% to 1.4%at 955 kWh a month over the $121,984 median household income
- Wind and tornado reports within 15 miles of Seattle, WA
- 0NWS point reports 2015 to 2025, 0.0 per 100,000 residents
- Median year homes were built in Seattle, WA
- 1974207,460 of 382,933 homes (54.2%) before 1980
- Median home value and rent in Seattle, WA
- $912,100$1,998 gross rent a month, 2.63% of value a year
Electricity price since 2015 around Seattle
Puget Sound Energy Inc charged Seattle homes 10.44 ¢/kWh in 2015. Seattle: 14.63 ¢ in 2024, 40% up. Seattle: against 31% up for the Washington average.
Seattle: a 955 kWh month at that price. Seattle: $100 in 2015, $140 in 2024. Seattle: $1,678 a year, 1.4% of the $121,984 median income.
Seattle: 10 yearly prices
| Year | Puget Sound Energy Inc, Seattle | Seattle: Gap to Washington average | Seattle: Gap to U.S. average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015, Seattle | 10.44 | +1.35 | -2.21 |
| 2016, Seattle | 11.12 | +1.64 | -1.43 |
| 2017, Seattle | 11.27 | +1.61 | -1.62 |
| 2018, Seattle | 10.93 | +1.18 | -1.94 |
| 2019, Seattle | 10.59 | +0.88 | -2.42 |
| 2020, Seattle | 10.80 | +0.93 | -2.35 |
| 2021, Seattle | 11.48 | +1.37 | -2.18 |
| 2022, Seattle | 11.76 | +1.50 | -3.28 |
| 2023, Seattle | 13.30 | +2.32 | -2.70 |
| 2024, Seattle | 14.63 | +2.73 | -1.85 |
Seattle, WA: EIA-861 home prices, 2015 to 2024, not a Seattle, WA price.
CSVBill and heat pump calculator, Seattle
Compare Seattle with nearby cities
| City near Seattle, WA | Distance from Seattle | Residents | Median income | Median year built | Median home value | Storm reports within 15 miles | Work from home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle, WA (this page) | 0 mi | 741,440 | $121,984 | 1974 | $912,100 | 0 | 31.3% |
| Kirkland, WA | 8.7 mi northeast | 91,614 (-649,826) | $143,533 (+$21,549) | 1983 (+9 yr) | $1,022,500 (+$110,400) | 0 (+0) | 29.1% (-2.2 pts) |
| Bellevue, WA | 9.2 mi east | 151,199 (-590,241) | $161,300 (+$39,316) | 1981 (+7 yr) | $1,203,100 (+$291,000) | 0 (+0) | 32.8% (+1.5 pts) |
| Shoreline, WA | 9.5 mi north | 59,280 (-682,160) | $113,336 (-$8,648) | 1968 (-6 yr) | $759,400 (-$152,700) | 0 (+0) | 22.6% (-8.7 pts) |
| Burien, WA | 9.9 mi south | 51,331 (-690,109) | $90,597 (-$31,387) | 1965 (-9 yr) | $609,300 (-$302,800) | 1 (+1) | 15.8% (-15.5 pts) |
| Redmond, WA | 11.7 mi east | 75,721 (-665,719) | $162,099 (+$40,115) | 1991 (+17 yr) | $1,091,700 (+$179,600) | 0 (+0) | 35.0% (+3.7 pts) |
Who supplies Seattle
King County lists 4 utilities for Seattle, WA (741,440 residents): homes pay 3.67 to 14.63 cents per kWh, about $35 to $140 a month at 955 kWh, 0.3% to 1.4% of the $121,984 Seattle median income. King County page.
Who lives in Seattle: income, cars, homes
In Seattle, WA, 66,685 households own no vehicle and 128,382 own two or more; home EV charging depends on that. Seattle, WA homes: 136,205 have 3+ bedrooms, 151,695 none or one, median 4.0 rooms. In Seattle, WA, 83,076 of 189,746 renter households pay 30% or more of income in rent; 168,084 households moved in since 2018 and 43,092 before 2000, so electric accounts turn over quickly. Of 450,872 workers in Seattle, WA, 141,046 work from home, 169,435 drive alone, 62,577 ride transit and 37,223 walk. In Seattle, WA, 53,698 of 353,019 households earn under $35,000, 62,980 $35,000-$75,000, 91,237 $75,000-$150,000 and 145,104 $150,000 or more. 71,260 residents of Seattle, WA live below the poverty line, and the median age is 35.5.
Household income in Seattle, WA
| Seattle, WA | Value | Rank in Washington (1 = highest) |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle, WA, households under $35,000 | 15.2% | 26 of 44 |
| Seattle, WA, households $150,000 or more | 41.1% | 7 of 44 |
| Seattle, WA, residents below poverty | 9.9% | 26 of 44 |
| Seattle, WA, median age | 35.5 | 32 of 44 |
| Seattle, WA, homes with 3+ bedrooms | 35.6% | 44 of 44 |
| Seattle, WA, households without a vehicle | 18.9% | 1 of 44 |
| Seattle, WA, households with 2+ vehicles | 36.4% | 44 of 44 |
| Seattle, WA, workers at home | 31.3% | 5 of 44 |
| Seattle, WA, cost-burdened renters | 43.8% | 37 of 44 |
| Seattle, WA, moved in since 2018 | 47.6% | 4 of 44 |
| Seattle, WA, moved in before 2000 | 12.2% | 32 of 44 |
Outage risk around Seattle
Seattle, WA: no NWS wind or tornado report within 15 miles of the center, 2015 to 2025.
Cost of living with electricity in Seattle
Seattle, WA: 353,019 households at $1,081 a year per home for electricity (King County average, DOE LEAD) come to about $381.6 million, an estimate; all home energy is $1,682 a year per household.
| Group in Seattle, WA | Households | Power per home | Power bill of the group | Share of Seattle, WA median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle, WA, all households | 353,019 | $1,081 | $381.6 million | 0.89% |
| Seattle, WA, homeowners | 156,194 | $1,336 | $208.7 million | 1.10% |
| Seattle, WA, renters | 196,825 | $753 | $148.2 million | 0.62% |
Climate and electric heating around Seattle
Seattle is in King County, WA. Seattle: degree days are county values.
Seattle: 6,290 heating degree days a year. Seattle: 80 cooling degree days a year.
| Seattle | County value |
|---|---|
| Seattle, heating degree days, 1991-2020 normal | 6,290 |
| Seattle, heating degree days, 2016-2025 mean | 6,074 |
| Seattle, cooling degree days, 1991-2020 normal | 80 |
| Seattle, cooling degree days, 2016-2025 mean | 122 |
| Seattle, homes heated with electricity, ACS 2019-2023 | 53.1% |
Seattle: NOAA nClimDiv 7 Oct 2026; ACS B25040.
Analyst note on Seattle
Seattle, WA counts 741,440 residents in 353,019 households, on 84.0 square miles. Household income in Seattle, WA is $121,984; 156,194 of its 353,019 households own. 210,693 of the 353,019 occupied homes in Seattle, WA heat with electricity.
Seattle, WA has 382,933 housing units, 29,914 of them vacant or seasonal. A filing named like the city, City of Seattle, is listed, so a local or municipal utility may serve at least part of Seattle, WA. Seattle, WA ranks 1st of 44 Washington cities for households without a vehicle (18.9%).
Seattle, WA ranks 2nd of 44 Washington cities for the share of renter households (56%). Seattle, WA ranks 5th of 44 Washington cities for people working from home (31.3% of workers).
ZIP codes in Seattle
| ZIP area touching Seattle, WA | Share of the ZIP's land inside Seattle | Share of Seattle's land in the ZIP |
|---|---|---|
| 98115 (Seattle, WA) | 100.0% | 7.8% |
| 98118 (Seattle, WA) | 100.0% | 7.4% |
| 98108 (Seattle, WA) | 82.5% | 7.3% |
| 98125 (Seattle, WA) | 100.0% | 6.5% |
| 98106 (Seattle, WA) | 94.1% | 6.2% |
| 98103 (Seattle, WA) | 100.0% | 5.5% |
| 98199 (Seattle, WA) | 100.0% | 5.1% |
| 98117 (Seattle, WA) | 100.0% | 4.6% |
| 98105 (Seattle, WA) | 100.0% | 4.6% |
| 98144 (Seattle, WA) | 100.0% | 4.0% |
| 98134 (Seattle, WA) | 100.0% | 4.0% |
| 98112 (Seattle, WA) | 100.0% | 3.8% |
| 98126 (Seattle, WA) | 97.9% | 3.6% |
| 98116 (Seattle, WA) | 100.0% | 3.6% |
| 98133 (Seattle, WA) | 41.6% | 3.5% |
| 98119 (Seattle, WA) | 100.0% | 2.9% |
| 98122 (Seattle, WA) | 100.0% | 2.8% |
| 98136 (Seattle, WA) | 100.0% | 2.7% |
| 98177 (Seattle, WA) | 38.9% | 2.6% |
| 98107 (Seattle, WA) | 100.0% | 2.6% |
| 98109 (Seattle, WA) | 100.0% | 2.3% |
| 98102 (Seattle, WA) | 100.0% | 1.5% |
| 98178 (Seattle, WA) | 22.4% | 1.3% |
| 98104 (Seattle, WA) | 100.0% | 1.1% |
| 98101 (Seattle, WA) | 100.0% | 0.6% |
| 98121 (Seattle, WA) | 100.0% | 0.5% |
| 98195 (Seattle, WA) | 100.0% | 0.5% |
| 98164 (Seattle, WA) | 100.0% | 0.0% |
| 98154 (Seattle, WA) | 100.0% | 0.0% |
| 98174 (Seattle, WA) | 100.0% | 0.0% |
Census 2020 ZCTA to place land-area overlap. Look up any ZIP.
Washington: home prices since 2001, planned plants.
Questions on Seattle
Seattle: what is the electricity rate?
Seattle, WA has no price of its own; its 741,440 residents are served by one of 4 utilities, and a 955 kWh month costs $35 to $140.
Seattle: how does it rank among Washington cities?
Seattle, WA: rank 1 of 44 by its 741,440 residents, rank 7 of 44 by $121,984 median income.
Seattle: how many homes heat with electricity?
Seattle, WA: 210,693 of 353,019 occupied homes, 59.7%; King County 53.1%.
Seattle: how much income goes to electricity?
At 955 kWh a month, 0.3% to 1.4% of the $121,984 median income in Seattle, WA.
Seattle: damaging storms reported nearby?
0 NWS wind and tornado reports within 15 miles of the center of Seattle, WA, 2015 to 2025, 0.0 per 100,000 residents.
How old are the homes in Seattle?
Seattle, WA: median home built 1974; 207,460 of 382,933 homes (54.2%) predate 1980, 144,990 are detached and 193,413 sit in buildings of 5+ units.
How many Seattle, WA households have no car?
66,685 households; 128,382 have two or more.
How big are the homes in Seattle, WA?
136,205 of 382,933 homes have 3+ bedrooms; median 4.0 rooms.
How many Seattle, WA renters struggle with rent?
83,076 of 189,746 renter households pay 30% or more of income in rent.