SeaTac, WA — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

King County · Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue · population 34,024

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SeaTac, WA
Image: Wikipedia · SeaTac, Washington
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62
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where SeaTac stands

Steady, no major recent move.

Median home $595,095
1-year -1.1%
5-yr CAGR +3.7%
vs 5-yr peak -2.2%
Population +2.0%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2025-02$595k$268k$390k$511k$633k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
32/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
22/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
92/100
Excellent for remote work
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$1,912/mo$1,321$1,691$2,061202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent114136100120140202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 25.9
Rent

At a 25.9 price-to-rent ratio, renting beats buying in SeaTac for most shorter holds. The premium you pay to own would take many years of rent savings to recoup, and that's before maintenance, taxes, and opportunity cost on the down payment.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
44 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
57 · w22%
Distance from peak
77 · w18%
Population growth
80 · w16%
Rent YoY
43 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
78 · w10%
Long thesis

SeaTac has held up across the cycle: home values at $595,095 with +3.7% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

SeaTac's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About SeaTac

SeaTac is a city in King County, Washington, with an estimated population of 34,024. It anchors the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metro area. The population grew 2.0% annually from 2020 to 2024, a moderate gain. The median home value in SeaTac is $595,095 as of 2026-04, down 1.1% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +3.7% annual growth (-2.2% from the 5-year peak). Rents in SeaTac average $1,912 per month, roughly flat year-over-year (-0.4%). The composite momentum score is 62 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

Bull case

Net positive migration: population up 2.0% per year — demand fundamentals are intact.
Held the highs: currently -2.2% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

Bear case

Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About SeaTac (Wikipedia)

SeaTac is a city in southern King County, Washington, United States. The city is an inner-ring suburb of Seattle and part of the Seattle metropolitan area. The name "SeaTac" is derived from Seattle–Tacoma International Airport's nickname "SeaTac," itself a portmanteau of Seattle and Tacoma.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for King County right now.

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. King County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Cities like SeaTac

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
45° / 35°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
77° / 56°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
152
~42% of year
Annual precip
38″ rain
10″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
Very low
Wildfire
High
Earthquake
Very high
Flood
Moderate

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current SeaTac listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
75%
Very humid climate
Median household income
$90,400
Washington state median
Top industries (state-level)
Tech (Amazon/MS)Aerospace (Boeing)Agriculture

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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