It actually makes more sense than it might seem upon first glance, at least in the context of people moving from Texas.
Texas’ minimum wage is the federal rate of $7.25/hr. Washington’s is $17.30/hr, while Seattle specifically has it even higher at $21.30/hr
Cost of living in Seattle is around 55% higher than in, say, Houston Texas, but its minimum wage is about three times the amount.
Add on to that the fact that Seattle has an expansive public transit network that costs much less than owning a car (about $108/mo for unlimited public transit rides on all buses, sometimes paid for entirely or in part by your employer), and there are definitely ways people can drive their cost of living down more if they want to.
HB 1491 has already been passed by the Washington legislature, but will only get adopted in 2029 (read more details here), and Seattle’s Mayor, Katie Wilson, is trying to push through additional upzoning and denser housing requirements that don’t just happen near light rail stations, but near other transit routes as well. (read more here)
It actually makes more sense than it might seem upon first glance, at least in the context of people moving from Texas.
Texas’ minimum wage is the federal rate of $7.25/hr. Washington’s is $17.30/hr, while Seattle specifically has it even higher at $21.30/hr
Cost of living in Seattle is around 55% higher than in, say, Houston Texas, but its minimum wage is about three times the amount.
Add on to that the fact that Seattle has an expansive public transit network that costs much less than owning a car (about $108/mo for unlimited public transit rides on all buses, sometimes paid for entirely or in part by your employer), and there are definitely ways people can drive their cost of living down more if they want to.
Hopefully the state will rezone the land near the light rail stations for.high density housing
They are!
HB 1491 has already been passed by the Washington legislature, but will only get adopted in 2029 (read more details here), and Seattle’s Mayor, Katie Wilson, is trying to push through additional upzoning and denser housing requirements that don’t just happen near light rail stations, but near other transit routes as well. (read more here)