‘Affordability crisis.’ Tri-Cities is most expensive area in Eastern WA
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Tri-Cities ranks 85th nationally and is Eastern Washington’s cost leader.
- Two adults + one child need about $98,666; singles $48,789.
- Costs rose ~30% in five years, driven largely by healthcare, housing and taxes.
You’re not imagining it. The Tri-Cities is becoming disproportionately expensive compared to similar-sized cities and other metro areas is Washington state.
A new study from Washington Roundtable compared the cost of living in cities across the state against others in the country.
Every single metro area in the state was in the top 25% of 386 metropolitan statistical areas, said the nonprofit that includes top executives of major private employers concerned about the state’s affordability crisis.
The Tri-Cities came in as the 85th most expensive in the United States. When compared to comparably sized cities, the Tri-Cities fared even worse.
The basic cost of living is now cheaper in Spokane and the average wages in most fields are also higher.
That’s according to the most recent data from MIT’s Living Wage Calculator, which contrasts Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data with a wide array of consumer indexes for cities and counties nationwide.
Average wages in Yakima County also are outpacing Benton County in most areas, with fields related to engineering, science and computers bolstering Tri-City wages.
The calculator estimates that the annual income needed for a family of two working adults and one child in Spokane County is about $96,600 compared to nearly $98,700 in the Tri-Cities.
The Washington Roundtable study’s estimate is similar, reinforcing that the Tri-Cities is now the most expensive place to live in Eastern Washington.
A single person living in the Tri-Cities needs to make an average of nearly $48,800 to cover all normal expenses.
Tri-Cities housing costs
One factor keeping Tri-Cities more affordable than the west side of the state is average housing costs.
The calculator estimates a single person spends an average of about $13,500 per year on housing, and a family with two working adults and three children spend an average of nearly $25,000 on housing annually.
The housing price estimates appear to be kept low by longtime homeowners or those who bought in at low interest rates during the COVID-19 pandemic. The calculator doesn’t appear to account for home upkeep costs.
A new family moving to these metro areas can expect to pay significantly more.
For example, the average 1-bedroom apartment in the Tri-Cities leases for about $1,200 per month, or $14,400 a year, according to the University of Washington Center for Real Estate Research.
A RentCafe.com comparison of 1-bedroom apartments shows the average rent at $1,320 a month in the Tri-Cities, and Apartments.com gives an estimate of about $1,310 a month.
The Tri-City Association of Realtors reports the median price for buying a home in February was $444,500.
Part of the high home costs in the Tri-Cities is because of a lack of available lots to build on.
Of the more than 1,200 home listings on Zillow in the Tri-Cities area, only about 20 are listed for $300,000 or under. There are no home lots listed for under $125,000.
While town homes and mobile homes are for sale in the area, the lot rent or community fees associated with those types of homes can leave buyers with much higher monthly costs than the sticker price conveys.
High child care expenses
Child care is the single biggest expenditure for families, averaging about $12,400 per child in the Tri-Cities.
Though that estimate can be on the low end for many families because it shifts dramatically with the age of each child, it represents a 30% increase in the past five years.
Child Care Aware estimates the median cost of care at a child care center in Benton County is:
• $540 per month, or $6,500 annually, for school-age children
• $1,190 per month, or $14,300 annually, for preschool children
• $1,300 per month, or $15,600 annually, for toddlers
• $1,450 per month, or $17,420 annually, for infants
Franklin County median costs start lower and end higher, with ranges from $425 a month to $1,550 per month. Care at family child care businesses, usually run out of homes with smaller groups, averages around 10% cheaper.
About 45% of families in the Tri-Cities receive financial aid subsidies for child care.
Other costs: food, medical, transportation
Washington Roundtable estimates the cost of basic needs has grown by about 30% over the past five years, with the greatest increases related to healthcare costs, housing and taxes.
Healthcare spending has increased by an estimated 69% in the Tri-Cities in that period.
Yakima County has the lowest average costs for food in Washington state, atnearly $9,400 per year, or $780 per month, for a family of two adults and one child. The Tri-Cities comes in just behind at about $810 per month.
That’s offset by the Tri-Cities having the most expensive transportation costs at an average of $14,800 per year and $14,600 annually in Yakima.
King County averaged $12,300 annually for transportation.
Tri-City transportation costs also ranked among the most expensive compared to economically similar areas, coming in at second among a peer group of mid-sized metro areas consisting of cities including Spokane, Boise, Idaho, Reno, Nev., Tucson, Ariz., and Fresno, Calif.
That average Tri-Cities family of three is also spending nearly $10,700 each year on average for medical costs.
The Washington Roundtable study also took a look at statewide costs of goods and services.
Families spend 50% more on food than they did 10 years ago. Apparel spending has grown 37% since 2015. Families are now spending 58% more on home goods in that same time period, and recreation spending has jumped 72%.
Despite California’s reputation for being expensive, areas such as Fresno and Modesto were only marginally more expensive than the Tri-Cities, with the increases coming in cost of housing and medical spending.
Where a family of two working adults and one child needs nearly $98,700 to make it in the Tri-Cities, they’d only need $103,000 to $106,000 in communities in and around Fresno and Modesto.
That makes them cheaper than metro areas on the west side of Washington state.
How Washington state ranks
Washington state ranks as the 5th most expensive state to live in.
It’s the most expensive state to dine out or catch an Uber. Childcare and buying a home rank 5th, with groceries 7th most expensive.
Washington Roundtable says the areas the state is doing well include utilities as the 37th most expensive and health insurance as the 42nd most expensive.
“Washington’s affordability challenge is real, measurable, and growing,” researchers wrote.
The study says that the results reinforce that Washington state’s affordability crisis is being felt all over the state, not just in its largest cities.
“The conclusion is consistent: Washington’s cost of living is high, rising quickly, and shaping decisions for families, workers, employers, and communities statewide.”
