ZIP 98115 vs ZIP 98034

98115 is one of 86 ZIP codes that lie mostly in King County, WA.

Shaded by typical home value, it ranks 13 of the 36 nearby ZIPs shown.

12 school locations in 98115: 10 elementary, 1 middle, 1 high.

In alphabetical order: Bryant Elementary School, Cascadia Elementary, Eckstein Middle School, Loyal Heights Elementary School, and more on the ZIP page. Locations only — no ratings are shown here.

98034 is one of 86 ZIP codes that lie mostly in King County, WA.

Shaded by typical home value, it ranks 18 of the 36 nearby ZIPs shown.

14 school locations in 98034: 7 elementary, 3 middle, 4 high.

In alphabetical order: Carl Sandburg Elementary, Discovery Community School, Environmental & Adventure School, Finn Hill Middle School, and more on the ZIP page. Locations only — no ratings are shown here.

In January 2000 the typical home in 98115 was worth $295,193.

Values peaked at $1,102,268 in June 2022. The latest reading is −7.3% from that peak.

As of August 2026: $1,021,372, −0.5% over twelve months.

Start with the typical home: $1,021,372. Put 20% down and borrow $817,098 at 7.40%, the 30-year fixed average as of October 8, 2026.

That is $5,657 a month in principal and interest.

The median household here earns $148,190 a year, $12,349 a month. So the payment takes 45.8% of income — rated “severe” (Lotvox ZIP bands: under 28% affordable · 28–36% stretched · 36%+ severe).

The line holds today's rate fixed and moves only the price: at that rate, the same share was 13.2% in 2000.

Take the typical home's price each month, borrow 80% at that month's actual 30-year average rate: in January 2000 (8.21%) the payment was $1,768.

In December 2020, with rates at 2.68%, it was $2,828.

By August 2026, at 6.67%, it was $5,255 — +86% since December 2020, while the home's value moved +17%.

Reported values rose +246% since January 2000.

General prices (CPI-U) rose +97% over the same span.

Divide one by the other: in August 2026 dollars, the 2000 home was worth $582,594. So the real change is +75%, not +246%.

98115: +246% since January 2000.

King County: +235% since January 2000.

Washington: +236% since January 2000 — 98115 ran ahead of it by 10 points.

Against 581 Washington ZIP codes, 98115 sits at the 24th percentile for affordability (price vs local income).

33rd for appreciation (recent value growth); 18th for rental yield (rent vs price).

Owning the typical home costs about $6,679 a month once taxes and insurance (estimated at 1.2% of price a year) are added. Renting runs about $2,299 a month.

Price divided by a year's rent: 37.0. Lotvox reads under 15 as favoring buying and 20 or more as favoring renting.

In January 2000 the typical home in 98034 was worth $223,732.

Values peaked at $1,103,307 in February 2025. The latest reading is −8.6% from that peak.

As of August 2026: $1,008,644, −4.5% over twelve months.

Start with the typical home: $1,008,644. Put 20% down and borrow $806,915 at 7.40%, the 30-year fixed average as of October 8, 2026.

That is $5,587 a month in principal and interest.

The median household here earns $128,974 a year, $10,748 a month. So the payment takes 52.0% of income — rated “severe” (Lotvox ZIP bands: under 28% affordable · 28–36% stretched · 36%+ severe).

The line holds today's rate fixed and moves only the price: at that rate, the same share was 11.5% in 2000.

Take the typical home's price each month, borrow 80% at that month's actual 30-year average rate: in January 2000 (8.21%) the payment was $1,340.

In December 2020, with rates at 2.68%, it was $2,325.

By August 2026, at 6.67%, it was $5,189 — +123% since December 2020, while the home's value moved +40%.

Reported values rose +351% since January 2000.

General prices (CPI-U) rose +97% over the same span.

Divide one by the other: in August 2026 dollars, the 2000 home was worth $441,558. So the real change is +128%, not +351%.

98034: +351% since January 2000.

King County: +235% since January 2000.

Washington: +236% since January 2000 — 98034 ran ahead of it by 115 points.

Against 581 Washington ZIP codes, 98034 sits at the 13th percentile for affordability (price vs local income).

3rd for appreciation (recent value growth); 26th for rental yield (rent vs price).

Owning the typical home costs about $6,596 a month once taxes and insurance (estimated at 1.2% of price a year) are added. Renting runs about $2,522 a month.

Price divided by a year's rent: 33.3. Lotvox reads under 15 as favoring buying and 20 or more as favoring renting.

Picture the Listings Flow Ladder as a basin: new listings pour in from the faucet, the homes for sale are the water, and closed sales run out the drain. Coming in — new listings: about 74 a month (Redfin, 3-month rolling data through August 2026). That is 85% of the 2015–2019 level for the same months.

On the shelf — homes for sale at the end of the period: 150.

Going out — closed sales: about 60 a month. That is 74% of the 2015–2019 level for the same months. The drain is drawn 68% narrower: the share of homes for sale that sell each month is 32% of its 2015–2019 level.

The ladder: homes for sale ÷ monthly sales = 2.5 months of supply — below the 4–6 month range Lotvox treats as balanced. In the basin, that is the water level against the shaded balanced band.

The net reading: about 14 more homes came on than sold each month, so inventory is growing. The basin is filling.

Homes sold: about 60 a month in August 2026 (Redfin).

The 2015–2019 level for the same month was 74 — so sales ran at 81% of it, and below it in 19 of the last 24 months.

Across King County, builders pulled permits for 8,505 new homes in 2025.

Of those, 30% were in 1-unit buildings (the Census Bureau's category for detached and attached single homes).

Picture the Listings Flow Ladder as a basin: new listings pour in from the faucet, the homes for sale are the water, and closed sales run out the drain. Coming in — new listings: about 93 a month (Redfin, 3-month rolling data through August 2026). That is 81% of the 2015–2019 level for the same months.

On the shelf — homes for sale at the end of the period: 207.

Going out — closed sales: about 52 a month. That is 52% of the 2015–2019 level for the same months. The drain is drawn 67% narrower: the share of homes for sale that sell each month is 33% of its 2015–2019 level.

The ladder: homes for sale ÷ monthly sales = 4.0 months of supply — inside the 4–6 month balanced range. In the basin, that is the water level against the shaded balanced band.

The net reading: about 41 more homes came on than sold each month, so inventory is growing. The basin is filling.

Homes sold: about 52 a month in August 2026 (Redfin).

The 2015–2019 level for the same month was 91 — so sales ran at 57% of it, and below it in 24 of the last 24 months.

Across King County, builders pulled permits for 8,505 new homes in 2025.

Of those, 30% were in 1-unit buildings (the Census Bureau's category for detached and attached single homes).

This ZIP sits in King County. IRS tax returns for 2022-2023: among the ten counties sending the most households, 23,473 moved in. Among the ten receiving the most, 29,819 moved out.

Net across those counties: −6,346 households. Beside it, homes for sale in this ZIP: 150 in June 2026.

Most arrivals came from Snohomish, WA (7,334 households); most departures went to Snohomish, WA (10,534).

County assessor records list 515 properties with a market value here. Their average assessed market value is $2,359,700; the typical home value is $1,021,372.

The assessor average sits +131.0% from the market figure — an average against a typical value, so treat it as a check, not a verdict.

This ZIP sits in King County. IRS tax returns for 2022-2023: among the ten counties sending the most households, 23,473 moved in. Among the ten receiving the most, 29,819 moved out.

Net across those counties: −6,346 households. Beside it, homes for sale in this ZIP: 207 in June 2026.

Most arrivals came from Snohomish, WA (7,334 households); most departures went to Snohomish, WA (10,534).

County assessor records list 236 properties with a market value here. Their average assessed market value is $2,854,050; the typical home value is $1,008,644.

The assessor average sits +183.0% from the market figure — an average against a typical value, so treat it as a check, not a verdict.