"Affording a Home in the Pacific Northwest: Income Requirements Revealed"

According to a report by Zillow, Seattle residents need to earn $213,984 annually to "comfortably afford" a home, making it one of the most expensive housing markets in the U.S. The average home value in Seattle is $815,858, and nationally, buyers must make over $106,000 a year to afford a home, which is 80% more than pre-pandemic levels. With housing prices soaring and wages not keeping pace, many buyers are resorting to alternative strategies such as moving, teaming up with friends or relatives, and house hacking to afford homeownership.