2023 Report: Seattle’s Household Bills
How does living in Seattle affect your wallet? doxo breaks down key insights about the state’s household expenses, with a close eye to how bills differ in towns and cities. On average, Seattle’s household expenses, doxo’s data reveals, are $2,912 per month.
doxo’s data also has infographics for 85 cities and towns across Washington, breaking down localized bill pay data figures as well. The state-wide rankings for most and least expensive cities provides insight into cost of living in Washington and how it changes according to location.
The data sheds light on Seattle’s cost of living through other metrics, too. For example, the “percent of household income” data point shows what percentage of household income local residents spend on bills. doxo’s data also indicates how much more or less expensive specific cities are than the national and state average.
Seattle residents pay $2,912 in household bills a month
The average Seattle household pays $2,912 a month for the 10 most common household bills. This figure takes into account the 10 most common household bills, which are: Mortgage; Rent; Auto Loan; Utilities (electric, gas, water & sewer, and waste & recycling); Auto Insurance; Cable & Internet & Phone, Health Insurance (consumer paid portion); Mobile Phone; Alarm & Security; and Life Insurance.
Seattle ranks 14th out of 85 cities and towns across Washington in terms of average monthly spending. Slightly more expensive than Seattle is Renton, where residents pay $2,923 a month on average; slightly more affordable is Bonney Lake, where residents pay $2,882.
For comparison, the most affordable city in the state of Washington for household bills is Colville, where residents pay $1,645 per month.
Seattle’s household expenses, on average, are 42.3% higher than the national average of $2,046.
Absolute dollar amounts don’t tell the full story, however. The “percentage of household income” metric provides a more proportional look at bill spending in a particular location. Seattle households spend 37% of their income on household expenses, which is higher than many states where households pay costlier expenses on average.
Annually, Seattle residents pay $12 billion in household bills. See more data about bill pay in Seattle by clicking on the infographic link below.
Data: doxo INSIGHTS’ bill pay infographic about Seattle
- Average Bill Cost per HH: $2,912 per month
- City Bill Pay Market Size: $12 billion
- doxoINSIGHTS City Rank: 14 out of 85
- Percent of HHI Used for Bills: 37%
- Difference from the National Average: 42.3% higher
Housing costs drive Seattle’s high expenses
The average Seattle household pays $2,912 in the 10 most common household bills per month. The much higher-than-average rent and mortgage prices drive the expenses as high as they are, with both being significantly more than the national average. The average mortgage payment in Seattle is $2,510, and average rent is $1,769, compared to the national average mortgage bill of $1,321 and rent bill of $1,191. This makes Seattle’s mortgage costs 90% higher than the national average, and rent costs 49% higher than the national average.
Alarm and security is also an area in which Seattle residents spend considerably more than the national average. The average household in Seattle pays $150 a month for alarm and security, compared to the national average of $84.
Life insurance, however, is more affordable in Seattle than it is in the country overall. While US residents on average spend $89 per month on life insurance, in Seattle they spend just $65.
Note: Health Insurance and Life Insurance expenses do not account for payments made by employers on behalf of employees. These just include out-of-pocket expenses. Also, the state and national bill totals take into account the percentage of households that pay a bill.
Average Seattle Household Bill Spending
| Bill Category | Average Seattle Monthly Bill | National Average Monthly Bill | Seattle Percent +/- National Average ($2,046) |
| Mortgage | $2,510 | $1,321 | 90% higher |
| Rent | $1,769 | $1,191 | 49% higher |
| Auto Loan | $497 | $467 | 6% higher |
| Utilities | $418 | $351 | 19% higher |
| Auto Insurance | $276 | $207 | 33% higher |
| Cable & Internet | $115 | $118 | 3% lower |
| Health Insurance | $106 | $120 | 12% lower |
| Mobile Phone | $98 | $119 | 18% lower |
| Alarm & Security | $150 | $84 | 79% higher |
| Life Insurance | $65 | $89 | 27% lower |
| Total | $2,912 | $2,046 | 42.3% higher |
Sammamish is the most expensive area for Washington’s household bills
Residents of Sammamish pay the highest household bills in the state of Washington, at an average of $3,879 per month. Redmond, home to major tech companies, comes in second in the rankings, with residents paying an average of $3,631 on household expenses. Mercer Island, Bellevue, and Issaquah come in 3rd, 4th, and 5th, respectively. Seattle comes in 14th, at $2,912 on average.
Interestingly, residents who live in one of the 10 most expensive localities in Washington are likely to spend a smaller share of their income on household expenses than the residents of the 10 most affordable areas in Washington (listed below). For example, Sammamish residents spend just 24% of their income on household expenses, on average. Meanwhile, residents of Colville, the most affordable area in the state, spend 38% of their income on bills.
Access detailed infographics about each city or town by clicking on the hyperlinks in the “City” column in the tables below. You can also browse doxo INSIGHTS’ regional bill comparison database to see infographics about more than 4,200 cities and towns across all 50 states in the US.
10 Most Expensive Washington Cities for Household Bills
| Rank (1-10 out of 85) | City | Monthly Bill Expenses Per Household | Percent of Household Income Used for Bills |
| 1 | Sammamish | $3,879 | 24% |
| 2 | Redmond | $3,631 | 31% |
| 3 | Mercer Island | $3,513 | 28% |
| 4 | Bellevue | $3,475 | 31% |
| 5 | Issaquah | $3,410 | 32% |
| 6 | Woodinville | $3,365 | 29% |
| 7 | Kirkland | $3,272 | 33% |
| 8 | Maple Valley | $3,233 | 34% |
| 9 | Snohomish | $3,074 | 30% |
| 10 | Bothell | $3,069 | 32% |
*Household Bill Pay Expense averages shown above reflect the ten most common bills paid, including housing (rent/mortgage).
Colville is the most affordable place in Washington for household bills
Out of 85 cities and towns, Colville is the most affordable place in Washington, with residents paying $1,645 on average for household bills. Household bills account for 38% of local income in Colville.
Clarkston comes in at the second most affordable town or city in California, with residents paying $1,677 per month on average.
Also on the list of 10 least expensive cities in California are Cheney ($1,692 per month), Port Townsend ($1,707 per month), and Sequim ($1,748 per month).
10 Most Affordable Washington Cities for Household Bills
| Rank (76-85 out of 85) | City | Monthly Bill Expenses Per Household* | Percent of Household Income Used for Bills |
| 76 | Moses Lake | $1,869 | 37% |
| 77 | Port Angeles | $1,830 | 39% |
| 78 | Longview | $1,811 | 42% |
| 79 | Sunnyside | $1,809 | 45% |
| 80 | Aberdeen | $1,806 | 43% |
| 81 | Sequim | $1,748 | 37% |
| 82 | Port Townsend | $1,707 | 36% |
| 83 | Cheney | $1,692 | 35% |
| 84 | Clarkston | $1,677 | 38% |
| 85 | Colville | $1,645 | 38% |
Some individuals may be deciding whether to move from a more expensive city to a less expensive one. doxoINSIGHTS can be a valuable resource for consumers seeking to make key decisions like this, allowing them to compare Seattle’s household expenses against average bills in different cities in Washington. They can also use doxoINSIGHTS’ regional bill comparison database to compare average costs for over 4000 towns and cities across the country.