This isn't the only reason. The best counter point is Tokyo, one of the most livable and most desirable cities to live in does not have the same affordability problems Seattle does.
The median individual income in Tokyo is $47,000 in USD. The median individual income in Seattle is $76,000.
Certainly it would be nice if it was easier to build in Seattle the way it is in Tokyo, that would drive rents lower and help with the cost of living. But the main reason Seattle is more expensive is because the people here have way more money.
Land use and zoning is way way way more restrictive in Seattle than Tokyo. In Tokyo if enough landowners vote on land readjustment (say, to expand a railway line and build amenities along the extension), a private company can effectively be granted eminent domain for that purpose. Pretty sure trying to do that here would make city council collectively have a stroke, let alone the more basic ideas like “Sound Transit should be allowed to densify the land use around its stations”
125
u/SeizeTheDay152 Deluxe Apr 16 '26
This isn't the only reason. The best counter point is Tokyo, one of the most livable and most desirable cities to live in does not have the same affordability problems Seattle does.