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Mar
If you are looking to move to Seattle, WA you may want to start house hunting earlier than you had anticipated. The housing marketing in Seattle and the surrounding area is red hot right now with home prices growing by double-digit increases year over year for the first time since 2014.
In December of 2020 the price of a home in the Seattle area rose 13.6% over December of 2019. In December of 2019 home prices in the Seattle area were only up 4.1% year over year.
According to an article by the Seattle Times home prices in Pierce County are growing the fastest, with the price for a house in Parkland, WA rising 19.2% and the price for a house in Tacoma, WA rising 17.5%.
Overall since 2015 the price for homes in the Seattle area have risen by 55%.
While this is a great time to be a home seller in Seattle or surrounding communities, it is not so great for those seeking to move to Seattle or buy a home. An article by Komo News cites a broker who says their client offered 15% over asking price but ended up 12th in bidding order for a home in West Seattle.
The same article cites a Texas couple moving to Seattle who realized the boom was happening and abandoned their hopes of finding a home in Seattle itself, instead looking at the suburbs for a lower priced home knowing they will have to pay more than asking price for it.
Featured image a cropped version of a chart of Seattle home price percentage changes compared to the National average since 2015 by the Seattle Times. Read their linked article above to see the full chart.
Jul
The great thing about starting a business is that the barriers to entry are low. It’s part of the American dream. And although the barriers are low, the business owner will need to spend countless hours on building the company. That being said, certain cities across America seem to be better than others when it comes to startups. And, according to Crowdspring, Seattle is among the best cities in the countries to start a business in. Read on to find out why.
Seattle and Startups
To get started, let’s take a took at the full list of great startup cities, in no particular order:
- Seattle, WA
- Austin, TX
- Boulder, CO
- Miami, FL
- Los Angeles, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- Provo, UT
- Las Vegas, NV
- Denver, CO
- Chicago, IL
So, what makes Seattle better then New York City, or Tampa, or San Diego? To get a hint, check out the photo below about Seattle’s “Surge Cities Index”.
Job creation, population growth, early-stage funding deals, and more are all positive (more than zero, or, not in the negative numbers).
Amanda Bowman of Crowdspring writes, “Seattle has been among the fastest-growing cities in the United States since 2010, and its population is expected to increase by an additional 200,000 over the next 20 years. A young, vibrant population, a booming tech industry and a run of interesting restaurants, unique shops and coffeehouses are among the reasons for the increase in start-up traffic in Seattle.”
This pretty much says it all. When you have a city, especially a large one like Seattle, that is growing so quickly, it’s only a matter of time until people start opening businesses and forming companies. Seattle’s popular will grow by a nice 200,000 residents over the next 20 years. Surely a few of those (and probably more!) people will be working on startups within the city.
Amanda Bowman continues, “Seattle doesn’t offer major tax incentives for entrepreneurs, but it does have plenty of venture capital firms and economic development ventures to help foster the development of small businesses and start-up companies.” And while Seattle doesn’t offer any major tax incentives yet, that may change. The silver lining in that quote is that there are numerous venture capital firms and economic development ventures which will help give startups their initial push.
Featured photo by Pexels on Pixabay
Apr
Fight over tiny house homeless villages in Seattle is escalating
Jason C. 0 comments Homeless, Seattle
Seattle has a homeless problem. That isn’t to say other major cities don’t either; however, the homeless issue in Seattle is different. Case in point: Tiny homeless villages, once sanctioned by Seattle, are now excluding Seattle management from entering the area. At what point will the city crack down? And if and when they do, how will they do it? Both the Seattle Times and KOMO News are reporting on these homeless villages.
Who is in Charge?
This is a fight between the founding group and the non-profit case managers of Seattle. The real question is how the facilities should be run. Now, the case managers have been excluded from entering these homeless villages since padlocks have been installed at the entrances.
According to Nickelsville, the founding group of these villages, the non-profit managers are there to make “trouble”.
Scott Greenstone of the Seattle Times writes, “LIHI (Low Income Housing Institute) wants residents of the villages to be required to meet regularly with case managers; Nickelsville does not. The groups are also fighting over who should have the power to kick someone out of a village. Unable to come to an agreement after months of dispute, LIHI cut pay for Nickelsville staff and demanded they turn over rosters, phones, and documents last week.”
It’s clear to see, then, how things are escalating. Also recently, a non-profit manager attempted to visit one of these homeless villages. Someone in the village called the police on the non-profit manager but the manager left before police arrived. Therefore, this begs the question: Who is really in charge of these tiny homeless villages?
A Growing Number of Homeless
The City of Seattle officially sanctioned these homeless villages to help deal with the homeless problem in the city. According to the LIHI, the number of homeless is increasing. Scott continues, in regards to the police being called on the manager, “this is a hiccup in the city’s response to a growing crisis of homelessness, which has over the past four years included opening nine tiny-house villages as an inexpensive, stopgap response.”
The KOMO News had a dreary outlook on the situation. As a matter of fact, they go beyond the homelessness problems with this quote: “Seattle in Dying”. That’s actually the title of the article. And while the KOMO News believes Seattle is dying, in a way, they give recommendations for change that they hope will turn the city around.
“Seattle is Dying” is a short news special or documentary by KOMO News. Eric Johnson writes that the quote is “about citizens who don’t feel safe taking their families into downtown Seattle. It’s about parents who won’t take their children into the public parks they pay for. It’s about filth and degradation all around us. And theft and crime. It’s about people who don’t feel protected anymore, who don’t feel like their voices are being heard.” Eric continues, the documentary is “not a hopeless program. There are ideas and concepts in the show that could start conversations about change.”
Featured photo by Lannyboy89 on Pixabay
Apr
Let’s talk about Seattle. It’s a large city with a surplus of jobs and great areas to raise families. Niche—a website which showcases the best areas to live, work, and play—revealed their best places to live in the Seattle area for 2019. Where are these places? That’s the focus on this article! Furthermore, we’ll go into detail about the best places around Seattle to buy a house and raise a family as well. Let’s get started!
Top 25 Best Places to Live Around Seattle
Seattle boasts a population of around 725,000. That being said, this major city has numerous suburbs surrounding it. The top 25 places to live around Seattle are:
- Overlake
- Southeast Redmond
- Sammamish Valley
- North Redmond
- Westlake
- Northeast Bellevue
- Bridle Trails
- West Bellevue
- Northwest Bellevue
- South Hollywood Hill
- South Lake Union
- Beaux Arts Village
- Willburton
- Madrona
- Sammamish Plateau
- Grass Lawn
- Education Hill
- Redmond
- Windermere
- Belltown
- Mann
- Lower Queen Anne
- Woodridge
- Union Hill
- Bryant
Let’s look a little closer at why some of these cities make the list!
Redmond, Washington (#18)
It’s interesting to note that there are three “Redmond’s” on the list. They are Redmond, Southeast Redmond, and North Redmond. Redmond is home to Microsoft and Nintendo of America, among other popular companies.
According to Niche, “living in Redmond offers residents a suburban feel and most residents own their homes. In Redmond, there are a lot of restaurants, coffee shops, and parks. Many families and young professionals live in Redmond and residents tend to lean liberal. The public schools in Redmond are highly rated.”
Redmond has a population of 60,712 and has a median home value of $579,400. That is quite high; however, the median household income is $115,300 which is just over double the national median household income.
Sammamish Valley (#3)
Sammamish Valley is rated “A+” by Niche. Its median home value is $466,806 and has a much smaller population than Redmond. Sammamish Valley only has 11,316 residents.
According to Niche, “Sammamish Valley is in King County and is one of the best places to live in Washington. Living in Sammamish Valley offers residents a suburban feel and most residents rent their homes.”
The city is also rated “A” for diversity, “A-” for housing, and “A+” for public schools. Not bad! Next, let’s check out the top city: Overlake.
Overlake (#1)
Overlake is the number one best place to live in the Seattle area. Why? Is it because of the great schools? What about the diversity or low crime rate? Is Overlake good for families? The answer to all of these questions is a resounding “yes!”.
According to one reviewer on Niche, “There are many opportunities for youths to be active. There are multiple hospitals in the area that are very nice visually.” Having numerous hospitals in an area is important and something that Niche hasn’t talked about. We’re glad the reviewer mentioned it! Another reviewer said, “There are fairly few crimes but many police to make the area feel extra safe.” A low crime rate is a top priority for families looking to move to a new area.
Overlake is rated “A+” by Niche. The city has a population of 16,480 and the median home value is $539,609. The median rent is $1,641, which is right around double of the national rate for rent. The median household income in Overlake is $133,691. Not bad! Compare this with the median national household income: $55,322. So, the median household income in Overlake is more than double than average household income on a national scale.
Are you interested in moving to the Seattle area? Get a free moving quote to see how much it will cost you!
Featured photo by Infinite Thought on Pixabay
Redmond photo by Wikimedia Commons
Apr
Does it matter where you grow up? More specifically, are the same economic opportunities available to all Americans, no matter where they were raised? There’s new evidence that’s able to answer these questions. The Opportunity Atlas essentially puts the roots of poverty on the map.
As an introduction, they state, “The Opportunity Atlas answers this question using anonymous data following 20 million Americans from childhood to their mid-30s. Now you can trace the roots of today’s affluence and poverty back to the neighborhoods where people grew up. See where and for whom opportunity has been missing, and develop local solutions to help more children rise out of poverty.”
They then prompt you to explore cities around the U.S. In this article, we’re going to take a closer look at 5 major cities: Seattle, Dallas, Houston, Austin, and Chicago. Let’s get started!
Seattle
Take a look at the map above. The main colors here are red, white, blue and shades in between. The colors indicate household income over the course of one year. The redder the color, the less money the family makes. The bluer the color, the more the family makes. And, white is essentially the median income in the area. This goes for all maps you’ll look at in this article.
A quick glance at the map shows that the worse parts, income-wise, is right in the heart of Seattle. This doesn’t make that there are no high-paying jobs there. Instead, as mentioned before, it’s the median income for all families living within a certain area.
Dallas
There’s quite a bit more red in Dallas than there is in Seattle! The good thing, however, is that the cost of living is generally lower in Dallas than it is in Seattle. Venture out to University Park and Forney, among other cities, and you’ll realize areas of higher family median income.
Houston
The colors of Houston look very much like those of Dallas. I’d venture to say, however, that it appears Houston has more blue areas. The inner city to the north and south are quite red. West of the city looks very blue, especially around Sugarland and Bellaire. To the west, cities like Deer Park have a higher household income.
Austin
Austin, like you’ll see next with Chicago, looks like night and day when it comes to areas around the city. To the west, it’s mostly blue. To the east, it’s mostly red. Think about the kids growing up to the west and to the east. Do they stay in those areas when they grow up, and make the same or a similar amount of money as their parents did?
Chicago
Chicago, to the immediate west and south, is very red. Maywood is also red. Speaking of Maywood, the area has a very high crime rate. You might be wondering why the east side of Chicago is all white. It’s not because the area is full of average or median income households. Instead, that’s where Lake Michigan is!
Featured photo by Useche70 on Pixabay
Map photos are screenshots by RPS Relocation
Mar
Most New Apartment Buildings in the USA Are Considered High-End
Jason C. 0 comments Dallas, Data Visualization, Seattle
Good news for renters: Most new apartment buildings in 2017 are considered high-end. This trend continued in 2018 and will likely be a feature of new apartment complexes in 2019 as well. RENTCafé put together the numbers and even went city-by-city to show how luxury apartments are taking over. Let’s see what they found!
The Trend is Luxurious
Nadia Balint of RENTCafé writes, “Encumbered by high construction costs and encouraged by a surge in demand for rentals, developers have bet big on luxury apartments. Back in 2012, high-end properties represented about half of all newly completed construction, but now these projects occupy the lion’s share of the multifamily industry. Of the 1,600 large-scale apartment buildings completed in 2017 in the U.S., 1,270 (or 79%) classify as high-end properties”.
To put this into better perspective, let’s take a look at the percentage of properties with high-end apartments by year built. They are:
- 2012: 52%
- 2013: 64%
- 2014: 69%
- 2015: 76%
- 2016: 79%
- 2017: 79%
- 2018: 87%
And there you have it. The percentage of new, luxury apartments can’t get much higher than that! Let’s take a look at a visualization of this growth in luxury apartments. Check out the photo below.
Dallas, Seattle, and Las Vegas
The percentage of new, high-end apartment buildings can’t get much higher than 87%. But they can in Las Vegas! Nadia Balint continues, “The luxury market is also thriving in Las Vegas metro — where 100% of the apartments built in 2017 were high-end — boosted by Californians moving to Vegas in greater numbers and the area’s great economic outlook.”
The luxury apartment market is thriving in Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston as well. In Dallas-Fort Worth, a massive 98% of all new apartment buildings were high-end in 2017. Houston was just behind Dallas-Fort Worth. In 2017, 97% of their new apartment building were high-end.
Seattle wasn’t very close to Las Vegas, Dallas-Fort Worth, or Houston; however, the percentage of new, luxury apartment complexes isn’t bad their either. Case in point: 67% of the construction of new apartments in Seattle were high-end in 2017. In 2018, that number stayed the same. Back in 2015, however, the percentage of high-end, new apartment buildings was 72%. This is a slight decrease but it’s nothing to worry about if you’re a luxury apartment developer.
Methodology of Collecting the Data
How did RENTCafé get these numbers? How did get put together visualization above? The data comes from Yardi Matrix which, by the way, is RENTCafé’s “sister company”.
To define what’s luxurious or not, Yardi Matrix makes use of discretionary and high mid-range asset class categories. It’s important to note that “The regions and metro areas included in this report are defined as per Yardi Matrix’s market boundaries and may be different from the regional boundaries and metropolitan statistical areas as defined by the U.S. Census.”
Moving to Dallas, Seattle, or Las Vegas
Are you interested in moving to one of these cities? Are you a renter or plan to rent once you get there? Good news! You’ll be able to live in one of these new, luxurious apartment complexes if you want to. Allow RPS Relocation to help you started on decided to move.
Get a free moving quote for Dallas, Seattle, or Las Vegas today!
Featured photo by Expect Best on Pexels
Luxury apartment photos from RENTCafé are screenshots by RPS Relocation
Mar
The original Amazon headquarters is for sale! By that, I mean the house that Jeff Bezos rented while he launched Amazon. TheRealDeal—a real estate news website—shares the details of this story.
Amazon’s HQ House
Jeff Bezos started Amazon in the comfort of his own home, just outside of Seattle. It’s much smaller than Amazon’s current headquarters, clocking in at only 1,500 square feet. Bezos began renting the home in 1994. The house is currently on the market for a whopping $1.5 million.
Alex Nitkin of TheRealDeal writes, “The last time the house went on the market in 2009, it sold for $620,000, or $720,000 in today’s dollars, according to the Seattle Times.” This house is a fantastic investment then! In only 10 years, the value of this house increased by over 100%.
$1.5 million for a 1,500 square foot house sounds ridiculous to most of us. However, the average home price in the area is even more expensive! Alex continues, “Its current $1.5 million asking price is still well below the $2 million median home price in the area, as a surge of Amazon workers has helped boost Seattle-area property values.”
The surge of Amazon employees to Seattle has raised property values there. Amazon recently announced that their HQ2—their second headquarters—would be split between New York and Virginia. Since then, plans for their New York HQ2 have been scrapped due to political reasons. Will property values go up in Virginia due to a surge in new Amazon employees? If what happened around Seattle is any indication, the answer is yes.
So, where does Jeff Bezos live now? He does have a home in the Washington, DC area. Alex continues with details on a couple of additional homes. He writes, “Bezos, the world’s wealthiest man with $132 billion to his name, now owns a waterfront estate in nearby Medina valued at $76 million. In 2017, he dropped $13 million on a four-bedroom home adjoining his 12,000-square-foot Spanish-style mansion in Beverly Hills.”
Featured photo and Amazon house is a screenshot of ZDNet by RPS Relocation
Feb
$1,200 seems like a lot of money. Have you ever held 12 $100 bills in your hand? I haven’t. Yet, we regularly spend that much, or more, in the form of rent each money. $1,200 may go far or not-so-far depending on what city you’re looking to live in. For this article, we’re going to explore how far $1,200 will go in Seattle.
1222 NE 65th St, Seattle, WA
How beautiful! This apartment is in the heart of the Roosevelt neighborhood within Seattle. It’s a walking distance from the local Whole Foods, bars, and restaurants. There’s only one catch: This is a studio apartment and it’s only 228 square feet. However, that might not be a big deal to many people, especially those who will be renting their first apartment.
Here are some features of this apartment:
- Balcony
- Flexible leasing options
- Laundry in unit
- Online rent payment
- Pet park
- Disability access
- High-speed internet available
- Club house
12508 Lake City Way NE, Seattle, WA
If you enjoy spending time outdoors on a rooftop, look no further than this apartment complex. City North Seattle features a shared rooftop experience that is accessible all year round. As you can see, there’s a large infrared heater for when it’s cold outside. And, there’s also a nice grill for when the weather is better. However, if you want to grill in the winter too, nothing will stop you!
The apartments in City North Seattle start at 467 square feet. That’s double in size from the apartments at 1222 NE 65th Street. The apartment units feature “lofty” 9-foot ceilings which give the rooms a larger feel. Some other features of living in City North Seattle are:
- Cats are allowed
- Laundry is in unit
- Includes a fitness center
- Landscaped courtyards
- Multi-level garage parking
- Flexible leasing options
- Bicycle storage
- Computer nook area
6717 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle, WA
Meet Seattle’s newest apartment complex. This complex—a seven-story, mixed-use building with over 100 units—will be available to the public in 2021. And a unit can be yours for under $1,200/month! The units here start at 494 square feet, which isn’t bad for a new complex loaded with amenities.
There’s something special about this complex: It will feature what’s being called “The Nook”. This area will include a modern-looking fireplace, a library, and comfortable seating throughout. It will be visible from the street which will attract local passerby’s. Here’s a concept of what The Nook will look like:
The Nook will be located at the center of the apartment complex, allowing for maximum access for all guests. There’s another benefit to living in this complex: It will be walking distance from a soon-to-be light rail station! Some other features of this complex include:
- Pets allowed (including large dogs)
- Attached garage parking
- Gated entry and controlled access
- Deck and patio
- Disability access
- Bicycle storage
- Flexible leasing options
- High-speed internet access
- Business center
Living in Seattle
What do you think of these apartments? They are a good idea of what’s available to you if you wanted to live or relocate to this city. For $1,200, the square footage isn’t huge; however, a major benefit is being walking distance to so many hubs of restaurants, shopping, and transportation.
Speaking of money, how much will it cost you to relocate to Seattle? Use our free Moving Quote service to find out! You’d be surprised to find out that it’s possible to save up to 70%. Try it now!
Apartment photos are screenshots of Zillow by RPS Relocation
Featured photo is a screenshot of available Seattle apartments as displayed on Zillow
Jan
What are the most popular destinations in major U.S. cities? Bars, restaurants, gyms—every major city has these establishments. Now, we have an idea of which ones people prefer the most thanks to Lyft. The rideshare company released their 2018 Lyftie Award Winners. The awards cover the most popular places in 45 cities. If you live in our around these cities, do the establishments look familiar?
Here’s the full list:
2018 Atlanta Lyftie Award Winners
Most Visited Bar: Dark Horse Tavern
Most Popular Concert Venue: Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Most Visited Brunch Restaurant: Altanta Breakfast Club
Most Visited Late Night Restaurant: Waffle House
Most Visited Fitness Studio/Gym: LA Fitness
Most Visited Late Night Neighborhood: Buckhead
Only In Atlanta: Ponce City Market
2018 Austin Lyftie Award Winners
Most Visited Bar: Whisler’s
Most Popular Concert Venue: Stubb’s
Most Visited Brunch Restaurant: South Congress Cafe
Most Visited Late Night Restaurant: Kerbey Lane Cafe
Most Visited Fitness Studio/Gym: Castle Hill Fitness
Most Visited Late Night Neighborhood: Rainey Street
Only In Austin: Barton Springs Pool
2018 Baltimore Lyftie Award Winners
Most Visited Bar: Max’s Taphouse
Most Popular Concert Venue: Royal Farms Arena
Most Visited Brunch Restaurant: Barcocina
Most Visited Late Night Restaurant: The Greene Turtle Sports Bar & Grille
Most Visited Fitness Studio/Gym: Planet Fitness
Most Visited Late Night Neighborhood: Uptown Towson
Only In Baltimore : Horseshoe Casino
2018 Boston Lyftie Award Winners
Most Visited Bar: Lansdowne Pub
Most Popular Concert Venue: Agganis Arena
Most Visited Brunch Restaurant: The Friendly Toast
Most Visited Late Night Restaurant: Felipe’s Taqueria
Most Visited Fitness Studio/Gym: CorePower Yoga
Most Visited Late Night Neighborhood: Southie
Only In Boston: Fenway Park
2018 Chicago Lyftie Award Winners
Most Visited Bar: Sidetrack
Most Popular Concert Venue: Douglas Park
Most Visited Brunch Restaurant: Beatrix
Most Visited Late Night Restaurant: The Vig
Most Visited Fitness Studio/Gym: XSport
Most Visited Late Night Neighborhood: Boystown
Only In Chicago: Navy Pier
2018 Cleveland Lyftie Award Winners
Most Visited Bar: Punch Bowl Social
Most Popular Concert Venue: House of Blues Cleveland
Most Visited Brunch Restaurant: TownHall
Most Visited Late Night Restaurant: Dive Bar
Most Visited Fitness Studio/Gym: Planet Fitness
Most Visited Late Night Neighborhood: East Bank Flats
Only In Cleveland: Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
2018 Charlotte Lyftie Award Winners
Most Visited Bar: Ink n Ivy
Most Popular Concert Venue: PNC Music Pavilion
Most Visited Brunch Restaurant: Tupelo Honey
Most Visited Late Night Restaurant: Gin Mill South End
Most Visited Fitness Studio/Gym: Charlotte Athletic Club
Most Visited Late Night Neighborhood: Uptown
Only In Charlotte: Epicentre
2018 Columbus Lyftie Award Winners
Most Visited Bar: Standard Hall
Most Popular Concert Venue: Ohio Stadium
Most Visited Brunch Restaurant: Forno Kitchen & Bar
Most Visited Late Night Restaurant: Union Cafe
Most Visited Fitness Studio/Gym: LA Fitness
Most Visited Late Night Neighborhood: Short North
Only In Columbus: Hollywood Casino Columbus
2018 Dallas-Fort Worth Lyftie Award Winners
Most winners in Lyft’s 2018 list were in Dallas only. No standalone business locations from Fort Worth or other area cities made the list, so it’s odd they decided to say these were he winners for all of DFW.
Most Visited Bar: Backyard Dallas
Most Popular Concert Venue: American Airlines Center
Most Visited Brunch Restaurant: Pecan Lodge
Most Visited Late Night Restaurant: Whataburger
Most Visited Fitness Studio/Gym: LA Fitness
Most Visited Late Night Neighborhood: Uptown Dallas
Only In Dallas-Fort Worth: The Statler
2018 Denver Lyftie Award Winners
Most Visited Bar: Avanti Food and Beverage
Most Popular Concert Venue: Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Most Visited Brunch Restaurant: Snooze an A.M. Eatery
Most Visited Late Night Restaurant: Lodo’s Bar & Grill
Most Visited Fitness Studio/Gym: 24 Hour Fitness
Most Visited Late Night Neighborhood: Lodo
Only In Denver: Union Station
2018 Detroit Lyftie Award Winners
Most Visited Bar: The Apparatus Room
Most Popular Concert Venue: Ford Field
Most Visited Brunch Restaurant: Dime Store
Most Visited Late Night Restaurant: Lafayette Coney Island
Most Visited Fitness Studio/Gym: Detroit Athletic Club
Most Visited Late Night Neighborhood: Greektown
Only In Detroit: The Belt
2018 Honolulu Lyftie Award Winners
Most Visited Bar: Mai Tai Bar
Most Popular Concert Venue: The Republik
Most Visited Brunch Restaurant: Scratch Kitchen
Most Visited Late Night Restaurant: Chingu
Most Visited Fitness Studio/Gym: UFC GYM
Most Visited Late Night Neighborhood: Chinatown
Only In Honolulu: Diamond Head
2018 Houston Lyftie Award Winners
Most Visited Bar: Kung Fu Saloon
Most Popular Concert Venue: NRG Stadium
Most Visited Brunch Restaurant: Snooze, an A.M. Eatery
Most Visited Late Night Restaurant: Whataburger
Most Visited Fitness Studio/Gym: LA Fitness
Most Visited Late Night Neighborhood: Midtown
Only In Houston: White Oak Music Hall
2018 Indianapolis Lyftie Award Winners
Most Visited Bar: Kilroy’s
Most Popular Concert Venue: Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center
Most Visited Brunch Restaurant: Milktooth
Most Visited Late Night Restaurant: Brothers Bar & Grill
Most Visited Fitness Studio/Gym: LA Fitness
Most Visited Late Night Neighborhood: Wholesale District
Only In Indianapolis: MIlitary Park
2018 Los Angeles Lyftie Award Winners
Most Visited Bar: The Abbey
Most Popular Concert Venue: Hollywood Bowl
Most Visited Brunch Restaurant: Soho House
Most Visited Late Night Restaurant: In-N-Out Burger
Most Visited Fitness Studio/Gym: LA Fitness
Most Visited Late Night Neighborhood: West Hollywood
Only In Los Angeles: Santa Monica Pier
2018 Las Vegas Lyftie Award Winners
Most Visited Bar: PT’s
Most Popular Concert Venue: Downtown Las Vegas
Most Visited Brunch Restaurant: Carnival Buffet at The Rio Hotel
Most Visited Late Night Restaurant: Pho Kim Long Restaurant
Most Visited Fitness Studio/Gym: LVAC
Most Visited Late Night Neighborhood: The Las Vegas Strip
Only In Las Vegas: Caesar’s Palace
2018 Madison Lyftie Award Winners
Most Visited Bar: The Old Fashioned
Most Popular Concert Venue: The Kohl Center
Most Visited Brunch Restaurant: DLUX
Most Visited Late Night Restaurant: Red Rock Saloon
Most Visited Fitness Studio/Gym: UW Natatorium
Most Visited Late Night Neighborhood: Marquette
Only In Madison: Memorial Union Terrace
2018 Memphis Lyftie Award Winners
Most Visited Bar: B.B. King’s Blues Club
Most Popular Concert Venue: FedEx Forum
Most Visited Brunch Restaurant: Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken
Most Visited Late Night Restaurant: Tin Roof
Most Visited Fitness Studio/Gym: Life Time Fitness
Most Visited Late Night Neighborhood: Beale Street Entertainment District
Only In Memphis: Graceland
2018 Miami Lyftie Award Winners
Most Popular Concert Venue: Hard Rock Stadium
Most Visited Brunch Restaurant: Big Pink
Most Visited Late Night Restaurant: Mango’s Tropical Cafe
Most Visited Fitness Studio/Gym: LA Fitness
Most Visited Late Night Neighborhood: South Beach
Only In Miami: Wynwood Walls
2018 Milwaukee Lyftie Award Winners
Most Visited Bar: Lakefront Brewery
Most Popular Concert Venue: Bradley Center
Most Visited Brunch Restaurant: Café Benelux
Most Visited Late Night Restaurant: Brothers Bar & Grill
Most Visited Fitness Studio/Gym: Wisconsin Athletic Club
Most Visited Late Night Neighborhood: Haymarket
Only In Milwaukee : Miller Park
2018 Twin Cities Lyftie Award Winners
Most Visited Bar: The Saloon
Most Popular Concert Venue: US Bank Stadium
Most Visited Brunch Restaurant: Union Bar & Grille
Most Visited Late Night Restaurant: Stella’s Fish Café & Prestige Oyster Bar
Most Visited Fitness Studio/Gym: LA Fitness
Most Visited Late Night Neighborhood: Downtown West
Only In Twin Cities: Mall of America
2018 New Jersey Lyftie Award Winners
Most Visited Bar: Bar Anticipation
Most Popular Concert Venue: MetLife Stadium
Most Visited Brunch Restaurant: The Cheesecake Factory
Most Visited Late Night Restaurant: Grasshopper off the Green
Most Visited Fitness Studio/Gym: Planet Fitness
Most Visited Late Night Neighborhood: Atlantic City
Only In New Jersey: SoJo Spa Club
2018 New Orleans Lyftie Award Winners
Most Visited Bar: Bacchanal Fine Wine & Spirits
Most Popular Concert Venue: New Orleans City Park
Most Visited Brunch Restaurant: Commander’s Palace
Most Visited Late Night Restaurant: Dat Dog
Most Visited Fitness Studio/Gym: City Park
Most Visited Late Night Neighborhood: Bourbon Street
Only In New Orleans: Cafe Du Monde
2018 Nashville Lyftie Award Winners
Most Visited Bar: Acme Feed & Seed
Most Popular Concert Venue: Ascend Amphitheater
Most Visited Brunch Restaurant: Biscuit Love Gulch
Most Visited Late Night Restaurant: Lower Broadway / Downtown
Most Visited Fitness Studio/Gym: Downtown YMCA
Most Visited Late Night Neighborhood: Lower Broadway / Downtown
Only In Nashville: Ryman Auditorium
2018 New York City Lyftie Award Winners
Most Visited Bar: Elsewhere
Most Popular Concert Venue: Forest Hills Stadium
Most Visited Brunch Restaurant: Smorgasburg
Most Visited Late Night Restaurant: Freehold
Most Visited Fitness Studio/Gym: Planet Fitness
Most Visited Late Night Neighborhood: Freehold
Only In New York City: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
2018 New York (Upstate) Lyftie Award Winners
Most Visited Bar: City Beer Hall
Most Popular Concert Venue: The St. Joseph’s Amphitheater at Lakeview
Most Visited Brunch Restaurant: Stella’s Diner
Most Visited Late Night Restaurant: Falley Allen
Most Visited Fitness Studio/Gym: LA Fitness
Most Visited Late Night Neighborhood: Allentown
Only In New York (Upstate): Buffalo Riverworks
2018 Orange County Lyftie Award Winners
Most Visited Bar: Baja Sharkeez
Most Popular Concert Venue: Honda Center
Most Visited Brunch Restaurant: Mutt Lynch’s
Most Visited Late Night Restaurant: Goat Hill Tavern
Most Visited Fitness Studio/Gym: 24 Hour Fitness
Most Visited Late Night Neighborhood: Newport Beach
Only In Orange County: Disneyland Park
2018 Orlando Lyftie Award Winners
Most Visited Bar: Ember
Most Popular Concert Venue: Camping World Stadium
Most Visited Brunch Restaurant: Bahama Breeze
Most Visited Late Night Restaurant: Mango’s Tropical Cafe
Most Visited Fitness Studio/Gym: LA Fitness
Most Visited Late Night Neighborhood: Wall Street Plaza
Only In Orlando: Disney Springs
2018 Ottawa Lyftie Award Winners
Most Visited Bar: The Lieutenant’s Pump
Most Popular Concert Venue: Lansdowne Park
Most Visited Brunch Restaurant: Daly’s Restaurant
Most Visited Late Night Restaurant: Heart & Crown Irish Pub
Most Visited Fitness Studio/Gym: Movati Athletic
Most Visited Late Night Neighborhood: ByWard Market
Only In Ottawa: Carleton University
2018 Philadelphia Lyftie Award Winners
Most Visited Bar: Morgan’s Pier
Most Popular Concert Venue: Wells Fargo Center
Most Visited Brunch Restaurant: Parc
Most Visited Late Night Restaurant: Pat’s King of Steaks
Most Visited Fitness Studio/Gym: Planet Fitness
Most Visited Late Night Neighborhood: Center City
Only In Philadelphia: Eastern State Penitentiary
2018 Phoenix Lyftie Award Winners
Most Visited Bar: El Hefe Scottsdale
Most Popular Concert Venue: State Farm Stadium
Most Visited Brunch Restaurant: Bottled Blonde
Most Visited Late Night Restaurant: Cold Beers & Cheeseburgers
Most Visited Fitness Studio/Gym: LA Fitness
Most Visited Late Night Neighborhood: Scottsdale Entertainment District
Only In Phoenix: Talking Stick Resort
2018 Pittsburgh Lyftie Award Winners
Most Visited Bar: Tequila Cowboy Bar & Grill
Most Popular Concert Venue: Stage AE
Most Visited Brunch Restaurant: Eat’n Park
Most Visited Late Night Restaurant: Primanti Bros.
Most Visited Fitness Studio/Gym: LA Fitness
Most Visited Late Night Neighborhood: South Side
Only In Pittsburgh: Giant Eagle Supermarket
2018 Portland Lyftie Award Winners
Most Visited Bar: White Owl Social Club
Most Popular Concert Venue: McMenamins Crystal Ballroom
Most Visited Brunch Restaurant: Tasty n Alder
Most Visited Late Night Restaurant: Voodoo Doughnut
Most Visited Fitness Studio/Gym: Multnomah Athletic Club
Most Visited Late Night Neighborhood: Buckman
Only In Portland: OHSU’s Aerial Tram
2018 Richmond Lyftie Award Winners
Most Visited Bar: Southern Railway Taphouse
Most Popular Concert Venue: Innsbrook After Hours
Most Visited Brunch Restaurant: Maple & Pine Restaurant
Most Visited Late Night Restaurant: Southern Railway Taphouse
Most Visited Fitness Studio/Gym: Gold’s Gym
Most Visited Late Night Neighborhood: The Fan
Only In Richmond: Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
2018 San Antonio Lyftie Award Winners
Most Visited Bar: Sternewirth
Most Popular Concert Venue: Yanaguana Gardens
Most Visited Brunch Restaurant: Pearl Brewery
Most Visited Late Night Restaurant: Brass Monkey
Most Visited Fitness Studio/Gym: Gold’s Gym
Most Visited Late Night Neighborhood: Tobin Hill
Only In San Antonio: Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center
2018 Sacramento Lyftie Award Winners
Most Visited Bar: Faces Nightclub
Most Popular Concert Venue: Golden 1 Center
Most Visited Brunch Restaurant: Iron Horse Tavern
Most Visited Late Night Restaurant: LowBrau Bierhalle
Most Visited Fitness Studio/Gym: 24 Hour Fitness
Most Visited Late Night Neighborhood: Lavender Heights
Only In Sacramento : The Shady Lady Saloon
2018 San Diego Lyftie Award Winners
Most Visited Bar: Mavericks Beach Club
Most Popular Concert Venue: Valley View Casino Center
Most Visited Brunch Restaurant: Breakfast Republic
Most Visited Late Night Restaurant: Mavericks Beach Club
Most Visited Fitness Studio/Gym: 24 Hour Fitness
Most Visited Late Night Neighborhood: Gaslamp Quarter
Only In San Diego: Petco Park
2018 Seattle Lyftie Award Winners
Most Visited Bar: Optimism Brewing Company
Most Popular Concert Venue: CenturyLink Field
Most Visited Brunch Restaurant: Portage Bay Cafe
Most Visited Late Night Restaurant: Big Mario’s Pizza
Most Visited Fitness Studio/Gym: Washington Athletic Club
Most Visited Late Night Neighborhood: Capitol Hill
Only In Seattle: Seattle Center
2018 San Francisco Lyftie Award Winners
Most Visited Bar: Emporium SF Arcade Bar
Most Popular Concert Venue: Golden Gate Park
Most Visited Brunch Restaurant: Tartine Manufactory
Most Visited Late Night Restaurant: In-N-Out Burger
Most Visited Fitness Studio/Gym: 24 Hour Fitness
Most Visited Late Night Neighborhood: SoMa
Only In San Francisco: Ferry Building Marketplace
2018 San Jose Lyftie Award Winners
Most Visited Bar: The Patio
Most Popular Concert Venue: Levi’s Stadium
Most Visited Brunch Restaurant: Flames Eatery & Bar
Most Visited Late Night Restaurant: 4th St. Pizza Co.
Most Visited Fitness Studio/Gym: 24 Hour Fitness
Most Visited Late Night Neighborhood: Santana Row
Only In San Jose: Tres Gringos Cabo Cantina
2018 Salt Lake City Lyftie Award Winners
Most Visited Bar: The Sun Trapp
Most Popular Concert Venue: USANA Amphitheatre
Most Visited Brunch Restaurant: Red Iguana
Most Visited Late Night Restaurant: Beer Bar
Most Visited Fitness Studio/Gym: Gym at City Creek
Most Visited Late Night Neighborhood: Downtown Salt Lake City
Only In Salt Lake City: Powder Mountain Resort
2018 St. Louis Lyftie Award Winners
Most Visited Bar: Wheelhouse Downtown
Most Popular Concert Venue: Enterprise Center
Most Visited Brunch Restaurant: Pappy’s Smokehouse
Most Visited Late Night Restaurant: Broadway Oyster Bar
Most Visited Fitness Studio/Gym: Planet Fitness
Most Visited Late Night Neighborhood: The Grove
Only In St. Louis: The City Museum
2018 Toronto Lyftie Award Winners
Most Visited Bar: Rebel
Most Popular Concert Venue: Budweiser Stage
Most Visited Brunch Restaurant: Mildred’s Temple Kitchen
Most Visited Late Night Restaurant: Belfast Love Public House
Most Visited Fitness Studio/Gym: Myodetox Performance
Most Visited Late Night Neighborhood: West Queen West
Only In Toronto: CF Toronto Eaton Centre
2018 Tampa Lyftie Award Winners
Most Visited Bar: Franklin Manor
Most Popular Concert Venue: Raymond James Stadium
Most Visited Brunch Restaurant: The Cheesecake Factory
Most Visited Late Night Restaurant: American Social
Most Visited Fitness Studio/Gym: LA Fitness
Most Visited Late Night Neighborhood: Hyde Park
Only In Tampa: Armature Works
2018 Washington, DC Lyftie Award Winners
Most Visited Bar: El Centro D.F.
Most Popular Concert Venue: RFK Stadium
Most Visited Brunch Restaurant: Busboys and Poets
Most Visited Late Night Restaurant: Brixton
Most Visited Fitness Studio/Gym: Planet Fitness
Most Visited Late Night Neighborhood: 14th and U
Only In Washington, DC: John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Featured photo by Wikimedia Commons
Lyftie award winners photos are screenshots by RPS Relocation
Jan
The real estate market varies in each city around the USA. Some cities offer great deals such as cheap housing, large backyards, or ample square footage per apartment. Cities within a certain region of the USA generally share a similar average square footage per apartment. Today, we’re going to focus on the city with the smallest average square footage per apartment: Seattle. MYNorthwest covered the study that came to this conclusion.
Let’s read what they have to say.
RentCafe’s Apartment Size Study
RentCafe conducted a nationwide study to determine the average apartment sizes (by square footage) for various regions. Joseph Albanese of MYNorthwest writes, “According to a study by RentCafe, Seattle boasts the tiniest apartments in the United States — an average apartment size of 711 square feet. That’s smaller than Manhattan, Los Angeles, and other major cities.”
People who live in or near major cities know that better deals can be found outside the city. Chicago, DC, New York City, Miami, and other cities are infamous for having housing that’s small or not affordable. Seattle tops the list for smallest average apartment. Why?
In a nutshell, the answer is supply and demand. Median income is related to the average cost of renting an apartment. The supply of apartments must meet the demand based upon what renters can afford. In Seattle, that means smaller apartments.
Joseph continues, “RentCafe considered new apartments built in Seattle between 2008 and 2018. To put Seattle’s 711 square foot average into some perspective, Manhattan and Chicago both have average sizes of 733 square feet.”
There are a couple important facts here. One is that the study only considers relatively new apartments (those built between 2008 and 2018). Another fact is that apartments in Manhattan and Chicago have larger square footage than those in Seattle. It’s surprising to think the average apartment is smaller in Seattle than it is in Manhattan.
Seattle Apartments are Getting Larger
With apartments in Seattle, there’s good news and bad news. The good news is that average apartment size in Seattle is increasing; however, it isn’t increasing by much. As a matter of fact, the average apartment size only grew 4% from 2008-2018.
Here’s the bad news: Apartments in Seattle are getting more expensive. Joseph writes, “RentCafe notes that local rents shot up by 74 percent during that same time, from $1,186 in 2008 to $2,064 in 2018.”
As mentioned before, the average square footage of an apartment in Seattle is 711. To compare, the average square footage of an apartment in the Pacific Northwest region is 856. It would take Seattle decades to get to 856 square footage if sizes only rise 4% every 10 years. Speaking of regions around the USA, MYNorthwest also included a map of them.
The USA Map of Average Apartment Size
MYNorthwest included map put together by RentCafe. Titled “The Average Size of U.S. Apartments By Region”, this map shows 9 different regions around the county. It also lists the average apartment size overall in the country, which is 882 square feet.
Joseph shares another interesting fact from the data. He writes, “Nationally, rents for new apartments have gone up by 28 percent since 2008, while their sizes shrank by 5 percent. The average apartment in the US dropped by 52 square feet since 2008 (currently 941 square feet).”
The Southwest is the big winner when it comes to average apartment size. There, the average size is 975 square feet. The loser is California, which is considered a region due to its large size. The region of California has an average apartment size of 837 square feet. Seattle—the main focus on this article—has more than 100 less average square feet than that region.
Have you rented an apartment in a major city? How about Seattle? Let us know if your experience is in line with these average apartments sizes.
Featured photo by Johan Bos on Pexels
USA Map of Average Apartment Size photo is a screenshot by RPS Relocation
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