Seattle Housing Not Family-Sized

As Seattle grows, families are finding it harder to find homes, because the city has a disproportionate number of one-bedrooms and studios compared to other American cities.

1 minute read

September 19, 2017, 2:00 PM PDT

By Casey Brazeal @northandclark


Seattle Apartments

Edmund Lowe Photography / Shutterstock

Seattle has a lot of one-bedroom apartments, and that trend is not changing anytime soon. "A whopping 52 percent of multifamily units constructed in Seattle since 2012 have been one-bedroom apartments, according to data provided to Curbed Seattle by real estate data group Costar. 29 percent of new units are studios," Sarah Anne Lloyd reports for Curbed Seattle.

The dominance of the one-bedroom in Seattle is out of proportion with the rest of the country. Portland, for example, has twice the percentage of three-bedroom apartments and a good deal more two-bedroom apartments as well, Lloyd points out. 

Wednesday, September 13, 2017 in Curbed Seattle

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight