The recent “Out of Reach” report by the National Low Income Housing Coalition was full of shocking findings about the cost of living in Seattle. The figure of $23.56, which is the hourly wage required for a resident of King County to afford a one-bedroom apartment, has dominated the discussion about the report—and not without reason. But upon further inspection, The Stranger has found several more statistics buried in the report that are every bit as shocking. For example:
$24.12/hour:
Wage required to afford monthly Goodship snickerdoodle.
$26.34/hour:
Wage required to afford a large ginger beet juice at Juicebox once every six to eight months.
$26.44/hour:
Wage required to afford a small bowl of guacamole at Poquito’s.
$27.73/hour:
Wage required to afford a bottle of Rachel’s Ginger Beer (any size).
$28.19/hour:
Wage required to afford a General Porpoise doughnut.
$29.61/hour:
Wage required to afford a brownie macaron at Amandine Bakeshop.
$29.68/hour:
Wage required to afford any menu item at Hot Cakes or Hello Robin bakery.
$48.16/hour:
Wage required to afford to share a 150-square-foot music rehearsal space at Cloud Studios.
$50/hour:
Wage required to afford or justify making a single purchase of any garment at Totokaelo. 