True Cost of Renting in Bellevue
Bellevue is Seattle's affluent eastern neighbor across Lake Washington, home to Microsoft's Redmond campus, a growing tech corridor, and a Downtown skyline that has tripled in size since 2010. The new East Link light rail connection to Seattle (opening 2024) has made Bellevue accessible without the SR-520 bridge commute. Rents are slightly above Seattle for comparable units in the urban core, reflecting tech-sector wealth concentration.
Neighborhoods & Average Rents
Downtown Bellevue
- Studio:
- $1,900/mo
- 1 Bed:
- $2,600/mo
- 2 Bed:
- $3,700/mo
Rapidly built urban core around Bellevue Square mall; all new construction luxury towers with amenity packages of $150–200/mo. East Link Light Rail to Seattle in 15 minutes. Puget Sound Energy electric (PSE rates slightly higher than Seattle City Light). Parking $150–200/mo.
Crossroads
- Studio:
- $1,500/mo
- 1 Bed:
- $2,000/mo
- 2 Bed:
- $2,800/mo
Diverse suburban district east of I-405; mix of older apartment complexes and newer construction. King County Metro bus to Microsoft campus in 15 minutes, to Downtown Bellevue in 10 minutes. PSE electric. Most complexes include one parking space.
South Bellevue / Newport Hills
- 1 Bed:
- $2,200/mo
- 2 Bed:
- $3,100/mo
Established hillside neighborhoods south of Downtown Bellevue; newer apartment complexes near Newport Hills Park and Ride. Good access to I-90 for Seattle or Issaquah commutes. East Link Light Rail South Bellevue station nearby.
Utility Providers
- Electric
- PSE (Puget Sound Energy)
- Water
- Bellevue Utilities
- Internet
- Comcast Xfinity, Ziply Fiber, CenturyLink
Commute & Transportation
Bellevue's primary freeway connections are SR-520 (floating bridge to Seattle, tolled $4–6 each way) and I-90 (southern floating bridge to Seattle). I-405 runs north-south through Bellevue connecting to Kirkland, Renton, and Tukwila. Microsoft's main campus in Redmond is 8 miles north via SR-520. The East Link Light Rail opened in 2024, connecting Downtown Bellevue to Capitol Hill and Seattle in 15 minutes without the bridge commute. Major Bellevue employers include T-Mobile HQ, Concur Technologies, Paccar, and dozens of smaller tech companies.
Rental Market Overview
Bellevue offers comparable (and sometimes lower) rents to Seattle's tech neighborhoods while being closer to the Microsoft and Redmond tech campus. PSE electric rates are higher than Seattle City Light but still well below California utilities. No state income tax applies equally across WA. Washington state law limits security deposits to 1 month's rent for most units. The East Link connection changed Bellevue's transit calculus dramatically. Renters insurance averages $15–20/month. Bellevue has no local rent control — Washington state prohibits local rent control ordinances.
Data last updated: 2026-04
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