The Climbing Cost Of Housing
Central Washington Students grapple with Ellensburg’s high cost of living
story by Jordan Bartlow and Patrick Pugh, design by Zoey Ryan
Bills. Utilities. Taxes. More bills. The rising cost of living in Ellensburg presents a significant challenge for students due to increases in housing, groceries and basic necessities. Factors like a persistent housing shortage, post-COVID economic adjustments and broader inflation trends have amplified these costs. This is plain to see in Ellensburg’s 8th-place position on The New York Times list of the 10 most expensive small towns in America.
Subhead: Where To Go In a Small Town?
Yurim Lee, an assistant professor for the department of economics at CWU, has an idea as to why the cost of housing is only going up in the area. “Ellensburg in general has a limited amount of supply for housing, that's why you see a lot of new homes being built around the neighborhood,” says Lee. “But at the same time, because construction is typically geared towards what is going to be sold, which are pretty large houses, three-four bedroom homes, that also contributes, especially to rent going up.”
For the first time, it is more expensive to live off campus than it is to live on campus. According to CWU Housing, a single room on campus costs $10,700, a shared room with private bath is $8,950 and a shared room with communal bath is $7,700.
The average rent in Ellensburg runs between $699 – $2,900, with an average of $1,500, according to the real estate marketplace Zillow. If average rent is $1,500, then a 12-month lease would cost $18,000. This doesn’t include utilities, which are separate for most housing.
Lee explains that “rental cost jumped after Covid, trying to make up for the loss” of rents during the pandemic. “The mismatch between supply and demand for years, the city of Ellensburg has stated there is a lack of supply in housing in the city, and this is also true for faculty, staff and students in Ellensburg as well.”
According to Jennifer Hoyt, Ellensburg managing broker at John L. Scott real estate, the local housing market has “kind of slowed down because of interest rates being higher, and affordability and cost of living in general.” Hoyt adds, “The low inventory was really affecting first-time buyers,” for whom the rise in property values and limited inventory can make it difficult to find an affordable property.
If local homebuyers are struggling to afford housing with decent jobs, how are students expected to maintain a livable lifestyle while going to school?
Subhead: Strategies For Students
According to The New York Times, Ellensburg’s average housing prices are $417,000, which is $100,000 off from the top five most expensive small towns nationally. Ellensburg students may need to find good ways to budget or get financial help to make housing costs less stressful.
“The housing rental housing market hasn’t gone as crazy as the sales market,” Hoyt says. “Since the pandemic, it seems like there's more online classes offered. That definitely has an impact, where some students are choosing to live, work or go to school from home and be primarily online.” This has led to a lot of change for students and where they want to live. Some stay at home now with family due to the high rent cost.
Some students find a way to make it work by making a budget or having roommates, according to Hoyt. College students that live off campus could use these ideas to afford the cost of living in a house or apartment. Being able to split utilities goes a long way when there’s more than one person paying for it.
Lee notes, “I would say students were hit pretty hard and that's because oftentimes, if you look at students' expenditures, they are pretty focused in certain areas and they tend to be well after tuition and education costs. It's typically housing and groceries.” She adds, “The amount of expenditures is relatively small. That means your basic needs actually take a bigger portion than the average American. So, if you see any changes in housing costs, which we already talked about, or groceries, or food outside home, like takeaway or restaurants, then students are going to be hit hard.”
Tanner Jellison, a senior majoring in business, says that he has noticed an increase. “It was a struggle to get everyone in the house on an agreeable price for each room because of how expensive it is,” Jellison says. “I do try and cut back on electricity around the house and being smart by spending my money on things I need instead of want.”