Housing data for White Center, WA
White Center, WA has an estimated 14,886 residents and 6,034 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is an unincorporated community in King County.
44.5% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $1,595 a month.
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 14,886 (±1,176)
- Housing units
- 6,034 (±379)
- Households that rent
- 44.5%
- Median gross rent
- $1,595
- Residents since 2015–2019
- −6.0%
What stands out in White Center
Households that moved in since 2020: 18.2% (±4.2 points) in White Center, lower than in King County (31.9%).
Median household income: $87,189 (±$11,786) in White Center, lower than in King County ($124,746).
Renters paying 30% or more of income: 63.0% (±12.4 points) in White Center, higher than in King County (46.8%).
Median gross rent: $1,595 (±$127) in White Center, lower than in King County ($2,092).
- How long people stay in White Center
- Income and affordability in White Center
- Rent burden in White Center
- Median rent in White Center
Housing in White Center at a glance
- Median rent: $1,595 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $1,787 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms
- Rent burden: 63.0% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 44.5% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $87,189 median household income
- Home values: $645,200 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $2,661 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $6,257 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 23.4% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 49.7% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 51.0% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 6.9% rental vacancy rate
- Heating fuel: 62.7% heat with electricity
- Commute and cars: 29.6 minutes average trip to work
- Growth: −6.0% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 18.2% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 8.9% of homes have more than 1 person per room
- Fair Market Rent: $2,220 Small Area FMR, 2 bedrooms (ZIP 98146)
White Center against King County, its state and the nation
| White Center | King County | Washington | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 14,886 (±1,176) | 2,287,171 (exact) | 7,816,116 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 6,034 (±379) | 1,003,284 (±329) | 3,306,620 (±517) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 44.5% (±5.2 points) | 44.6% (±0.4 points) | 36.2% (±0.3 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $1,595 (±$127) | $2,092 (±$13) | $1,760 (±$7) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $87,189 (±$11,786) | $124,746 (±$968) | $98,141 (±$414) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $645,200 (±$29,132) | $859,900 (±$4,853) | $564,600 (±$1,940) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $6,257 (±$229) | $7,114 (±$40) | $4,556 (±$16) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 51.0% (±7.1 points) | 45.5% (±0.5 points) | 43.4% (±0.3 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 29.6 minutes (±1.4) | 27.6 minutes (±0.2) | 26.6 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 95.8% (±1.7 points) | 95.1% (±0.2 points) | 93.6% (±0.1 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 37.6 years (±2.5) | 37.4 years (±0.2) | 38.3 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
White Center covers 2.3 square miles of land, about 6,543 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How White Center has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 15,834 (±1,148) | 14,886 (±1,176) | −6.0% | Not a measurable change |
| Housing units | 6,146 (±207) | 6,034 (±379) | −1.8% | Not a measurable change |
| Median gross rent | $1,192 (±$98) | $1,595 (±$127) | +33.8% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $383,900 (±$32,815) | $645,200 (±$29,132) | +68.1% | Up after inflation |
| Median household income | $58,704 (±$5,909) | $87,189 (±$11,786) | +48.5% | Up after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $2,020 (±$131) | $2,661 (±$133) | +31.7% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $3,680 (±$189) | $6,257 (±$229) | +70.0% | Up after inflation |
| Households that rent | 49.0% (±4.2 points) | 44.5% (±5.2 points) | −4.5 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% (±1.2 points) | 6.9% (±5.4 points) | +6.9 percentage points | Measurable increase |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in King County
White Center has no police department of its own in the FBI’s figures, so this is the figure for King County as a whole.
In 2025, the police departments that report for King County recorded 350 violent and 2,711 property crimes per 100,000 residents.
A county-wide figure describes the whole county, not this place; crime varies from one community to the next.
ZIP codes in White Center
| ZIP code | Share of the ZIP’s land in this place | Residents | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 98146 | 32% | 28,573 | $1,818 | $679,500 | $102,520 |
A ZIP code is a mail route rather than a boundary, so the Census Bureau publishes figures for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas built from census blocks; the share column says how much of each one’s land lies in this place.
Places near White Center
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boulevard Park | 1.6 mi | $1,848 | $456,100 | 50.4% |
| Burien | 2.3 mi | $1,782 | $638,800 | 43.4% |
| Tukwila | 4.1 mi | $1,898 | $489,000 | 59.6% |
| SeaTac | 5.1 mi | $1,660 | $519,700 | 53.5% |
| Bryn Mawr-Skyway | 5.1 mi | $1,760 | $655,200 | 40.6% |
| Normandy Park | 5.3 mi | $1,893 | $1,014,100 | 16.6% |
| Mercer Island | 6.6 mi | $2,502 | $2,000,000 or more | 33.0% |
| Renton | 7.5 mi | $1,998 | $672,600 | 45.6% |
Places in Washington most like White Center
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snohomish | $1,654 | $683,900 | $87,250 | 44.6% |
| University Place | $1,762 | $624,800 | $99,031 | 42.8% |
| La Conner | $1,554 | $553,200 | $80,385 | 42.7% |
| Bryn Mawr-Skyway | $1,760 | $655,200 | $90,969 | 40.6% |
| Des Moines | $1,799 | $597,000 | $92,483 | 39.4% |
| Puyallup | $1,812 | $551,800 | $97,826 | 47.9% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across Washington.
HUD Fair Market Rent for White Center, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,091 | $2,180 | $2,549 | $3,324 | $3,954 |
HUD also publishes a Small Area Fair Market Rent for each ZIP code in the area; the Fair Market Rent page for this place lists its ZIP codes.
HUD income limits for White Center, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $34,550 | $57,550 | $81,700 |
| 2 people | $39,450 | $65,800 | $93,350 |
| 3 people | $44,400 | $74,000 | $105,000 |
| 4 people | $49,300 | $82,200 | $116,650 |
| 5 people | $53,250 | $88,800 | $126,000 |
| 6 people | $57,200 | $95,400 | $135,350 |
| 7 people | $61,150 | $101,950 | $144,650 |
| 8 people | $65,100 | $108,550 | $154,000 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $164,400.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
White Center is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for statistics, with no municipal government of its own.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about White Center
What is the average rent in White Center, WA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in White Center is $1,595 (±$127) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How much is a one-bedroom apartment in White Center?
The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in White Center, WA is $1,285 (±$1,108) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Are renters in White Center rent-burdened?
63.0% of renting households in White Center pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many renters are there in White Center?
White Center has an estimated 2,539 (±354) renting households, 44.5% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in White Center?
The median household income in White Center is $87,189 (±$11,786) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in White Center, WA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $645,200 (±$29,132) for owner-occupied homes in White Center (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is White Center growing?
In White Center, the number of residents went from 15,834 in 2015–2019 to 14,886 in 2020–2024 (−6.0%), not a measurable change.
What ZIP codes are in White Center?
The ZIP code that covers White Center is 98146.
What is the median rent in ZIP code 98146?
The median gross rent in ZIP Code Tabulation Area 98146 is $1,818 (±$72) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — White Center CDP, Washington
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — White Center CDP, Washington
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — White Center CDP, Washington
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — White Center CDP, Washington
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — White Center CDP, Washington
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — White Center CDP, Washington
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — White Center CDP, Washington
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area
- HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for White Center CDP, Washington (place:78225, in state:53).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .