Zillow: Rent has gone up $44 per month in Seattle because of Amazon boom

SEATTLE -- For a long time people in the Seattle area have wondered what the impact of Amazon and the South Lake Union boom have had on cost of living.

According to a study released by Zillow, Amazon and other tech companies have led to increased rents.

Zillow found a Seattle renter with a 650 sq. ft. apartment saw their monthly rent increase by about $44 between 2011-15. That means an extra $528 each year.



It's all because of what the real estate company calls the "South Lake Union Boom." The study says expansions of other companies -- Microsoft, Google and Facebook -- have also influenced how much you pay.

It's probably fair to say whichever city Amazon selects for its new HQ2, residents there will also likely see the cost of living go up.