Neighborhood
West Seattle
Seattle, Washington US
West Seattle, Seattle, Washington has a higher-priced investment profile, with pricing about 3% above Seattle and about 69% above Washington, a gross yield of 2.8, and a price trend down 3.0% over the past year. Its main strength is walkability of 89 and education in the 85th percentile. The main risk is a Red Flag score of 40, while the yield is comparatively low.
AI Summary•Updated May 2026
Area
1.22 mi²
ZIP Code
98116
County
King County
State
Washington
Redfin — median sale & volumeZillow ZORI — asking rentFEMA National Risk Index v1.20OpenStreetMap — POIFBI UCR — state crimeEPA — radon zonesEPA FRS / BTS — hazard screeningUS Census ACS / TIGER 2024
Verified Price · Median Sale
$953,217
YoY-3.0%
Gross Rental Yield
2.8%
Listed rent · ZORI annualized
Red Flag Index
Moderate
40 / 100
Walkability Score
89
OpenStreetMap POI density · national percentile
Education Score
85 / 100
Pre-pandemic SEDA (2018/19) · district proxy
AI Score
46
DistrictScore attractiveness · national model
West Seattle Property Prices & Rental Yield
Verified Redfin sale data and Zillow ZORI asking rent for West Seattle, Seattle.
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Sign in to view — freeMarket Economics Snapshot
May 2026| Metric | Value | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Median Sale Price | $953,217 | -3.0% |
| Price / Sq Ft (Verified) | $596/sqft | -0.8% |
| Asking Rent (Median) | $2,188/mo | +1.9% |
| Gross Rental Yield | 2.8% | — |
| Liquidity Score | 36 / 100 | Moderate |
| Homes Sold (Period) | 121 | -4.7% |
Is West Seattle Safe? Natural-Hazard Risk
FEMA National Risk Index composite across eight hazards, plus inherited Washington crime context.
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Sign in to view — free What Stands Out AI Insight
Highly walkable neighborhood — score 89/100
Active transaction volume — 121 homes sold last period
Dense amenities — 67 dining & 16 grocery options nearby
Earthquake risk is Very High (100/100)
Insights are generated from West Seattle's live DistrictScore metrics.
West Seattle Environment & Safety
Satellite PM2.5 air-quality history, FBI UCR crime trend (Washington-level, the finest official aggregation), EPA radon potential and point-source hazard screening.
Washington Crime Trend
FBI UCR20132024
All crimes / 1k
Violent / 1k
| Year | Crimes / 1k | Violent / 1k | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 27.9 | 3.3 | -13.0% |
| 2023 | 32.5 | 3.6 | -12.5% |
| 2022 | 37.5 | 3.8 | +11.9% |
| 2021 | 33.7 | 3.4 | +12.1% |
| 2020 | 30.3 | 2.9 | +0.9% |
| 2019 | 30.3 | 3.0 | — |
Reported at the state level — the finest official US crime aggregation; West Seattle inherits the Washington figures.
Radon Potential
EPAZone 3
Zone 3 — Lowest potential · West Seattle
EPA radon zones estimate indoor radon potential county-wide (Zone 1 highest, Zone 3 lowest). Testing is recommended in all zones.
Environmental Hazards
EPA / BTSSuperfund (NPL)1.4 kmHigh
Industrial odor4 nearbyHigh
Point-source screening near West Seattle: EPA Superfund National Priorities List & Facility Registry (2026), BTS aviation noise (2020, 24-hour average level). Superfund shows distance to the nearest listed site; odor shows detected sources within the screening radius. Only detected sources are listed; the bar shows severity vs. all U.S. neighborhoods.
Walkability & Amenities in West Seattle
Amenity density and pedestrian access from OpenStreetMap points of interest.
Walkability & Amenities
OpenStreetMap POI89
Very Walkable
Walkability Score
16
Grocery
67
Dining
13
Schools
0
Universities
5
Hospitals
0
Pharmacies
13
Parks
0
Rail Transit
0
Coworking
POI counts are amenities within West Seattle's boundary plus a 400 m walk buffer. Rail transit excludes bus stops.
West Seattle vs Seattle vs Washington
How West Seattle benchmarks against its city and state medians.
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Sign in to view — freeBuying Property in the US as a Foreigner
Federal & Washington tax facts for non-resident buyers, plus the latest local market news.
Buying as a Foreigner
US Tax & OwnershipApplies to everyone7
Capital Gains (Federal)
Long-term capital gains taxed federally at 0/15/20%, plus a 3.8% Net Investment Income Tax on higher incomes (2026).
Property Tax
Property tax: ~0.74% average effective rate (statewide average; set and collected locally).
State Income Tax
No state income tax — rental income is not taxed at the state level.
State Capital Gains
No general income tax; the 7% capital gains tax exempts real estate.
Transfer Tax
Real estate transfer tax: REET graduated 1.1-3% (mansion-style).
Assessment Cap
No Proposition 13-style assessment cap; property is reassessed at market value.
Mansion Tax / Rent Control
Statewide rent control caps rent increases (HB 1217; 9.683% max for 2026); transfer tax is mansion-style.
US citizens & tax residents6
Primary-Home Exclusion
Selling your main home: exclude up to $250k of gain (single) / $500k (married) if you owned and lived there 2 of the last 5 years.
1031 Like-Kind Exchange
A 1031 like-kind exchange defers capital gains tax on investment property; 45 days to identify, 180 to close. Real estate only.
Depreciation Recapture
Residential rentals depreciate over 27.5 years; on sale, recaptured depreciation is taxed up to 25% (Section 1250).
Mortgage Interest Deduction
Mortgage interest is deductible on up to $750k of home debt. The SALT cap rose to $40,000 for 2025-2029 (reverts to $10k in 2030).
Opportunity Zones
Opportunity Zones are now permanent (2025): reinvested capital gains get deferral plus a basis step-up, and are tax-free after 10 years.
Rental Income (Resident)
Rental income is reported on Schedule E; passive-loss rules (Section 469) limit deducting rental losses against other income.
Foreign buyers (non-residents)5
FIRPTA (Foreign Sellers)
FIRPTA: the buyer withholds 15% of the gross sale price when a nonresident sells US property. It is an advance deposit, not the final tax.
Non-Resident Capital Gains
Nonresident sellers pay US capital gains tax (generally 15-20%) on the net gain via Form 1040-NR; FIRPTA withholding is credited.
Non-Resident Rental Tax
Nonresident rental income is taxed at 30% of gross by default, or on net income at graduated rates via a Section 871(d) election (W-8ECI).
Estate Tax (Non-Resident)
Nonresidents get only a $60,000 US estate-tax exemption (vs $13.99M for residents); US property above it is taxed up to 40%. Treaties may help.
ITIN Requirement
Nonresidents without an SSN need an ITIN (Form W-7) to file US tax returns, claim FIRPTA refunds, and report rental income.
Talk to a US real-estate tax advisor
FIRPTA, ITIN & Washington property-tax guidance for foreign buyers
West Seattle Real Estate FAQ
West Seattle, Seattle, Washington has a higher-priced profile. Pricing is about 3% above Seattle and about 69% above Washington, gross yield is 2.8, and prices are down 3.0% over the past year. Walkability is 89, education is in the 85th percentile, and the Red Flag score is 40.
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