The Top 5 WA Counties with ‘Shockingly Low’ Rent Apartments

The Top 5 WA Counties with ‘Shockingly Low’ Rent Apartments originally appeared on KFFM.COM

By now, most people in America know that Washington State is one of the most expensive places to live in the country. Our minimum wage rate is currently the highest ($16.60 per hour) and the cost of living is inching toward 13% higher than the national average.

As of June 2025, consumer prices have risen 2.9 percent from last year. Washington residents are feeling the pinch in groceries, gas, and unfortunately, also in our rent. (Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics)

It might feel too expensive to live in Washington, but let’s take a closer look at where at least the RENT is actually affordable.

Why High Vacancy Rates Don’t Always Mean Cheap Rent in WA

The population of Washington reached 8,035,700 people in 2024, which is a 1% jump from the previous year. Some counties are struggling to have adequate affordable housing and vacancy rates across the state are at an average of 4.48%, with the highest vacancy in Whitman County (9.2%) and Island County as the lowest (1.2%).

Here is where all of this data gets interesting to me.

There is a common perception that the higher the vacancy rate, the higher the rent, but that is not necessarily true.

Vacancy percent does not necessarily equal a lower (cheaper) apartment rent. Pend Oreille, for instance, has a 9% vacancy rate but has a moderately high average rent for a one bedroom ($800) and 6.9% vacancy fee for two-bedrooms (average rent is $911).

The county with the lowest vacancy rate in Washington is Island County (.7%) with an average 1-bedroom rent of $1105, and a vacancy rate of 1.4% for a 2-bedroom (average rent is $1195).

Now that we have seen the data, what does this all mean? Where are the cheapest places to live in Washington?

Related: Top 5 Cities People in Seattle Are Moving Away to

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Average Cheapest Places to Rent a 1-Bedroom Apartment in Washington

Skamania – $640
Pacific – $659
Stevens – $680
Okanogan – $754
Clallam – $790

Need more space than a 1 bedroom? Here are the average cheapest 2-Bedroom apartments in Washington

Columbia: $428
Mason: $713
Stevens: $746
Jefferson: $800
Okanogan: $836

Curious where rent is the highest? We’ve got that list, too. Read it here.

So, if you’re looking to move to a county with the cheapest rent, try looking in Skamania, which has a population around 12,000. This would include the incorporated cities of Carson, North Bonneville, and Stevenson.

Reesha Cosby is an experienced journalist, content creator covering local market trends, lifestyle news, and real estate across Washington, Oregon, and California. With two decades as a respected radio veteran, including on-air radio roles in Nashville, Texas, Texarkana, Seattle and Yakima. She is the Regional Digital Managing Editor for Townsquare Media in Washington State.

The Top 5 WA Counties with ‘Shockingly Low’ Rent Apartments originally appeared on KFFM.COM.