Report finds half of Southwest Washington residents can’t afford housing, food, other necessities

Half of Southwest Washington residents don’t have enough money to afford basic necessities like housing and food, according to a report released last week.

Data from the Urban Institute shows a widening gap between Clark County residents’ earnings and the cost of living. Housing costs remain the largest obstacle for most Clark County residents, according to the report. And when broken down by ZIP code, some neighborhoods paint an even grimmer picture.

Ninety percent of low-income residents in the 98661 (which includes Minnehaha) and 98663 (which includes Vancouver’s Rose Village neighborhood) ZIP codes have trouble affording housing, while 80 percent of low-income residents of 98665 (which includes Hazel Dell) and 98686 (which includes Mount Vista) cannot keep up with the cost of living. Sixty-seven percent of low-income residents in 98604 (which includes Battle Ground) are burdened by housing costs.

According to the report, low-income households are those that make below $50,000, and “cost burdened” means residents spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing.

The report breaks down average housing costs by congressional district. Clark County is in the 3rd Congressional District, which encompasses Southwest Washington, including Lewis, Pacific, Wahkiakum, Cowlitz and Skamania counties and a sliver of southern Thurston County.

The average monthly rent is $1,930 in Southwest Washington, compared with the state’s $2,080 average. The average home sale price is $451,000, compared with the state’s average of $656,000.

The data reveals that Clark County residents also strain to cover other basic necessities. Clark County residents pay $455 a month for health insurance, more than the state average of $416.

The average price of a gallon of gas is $4.34 in Southwest Washington, compared with $4.38 statewide.

The average monthly grocery bills are $1,130 for Clark County residents. The state average is $1,180.

The average annual price of child care for two young children is $38,300 in Washington, compared with $29,100 nationwide. (The data was not broken down by county.)

No safety net

Average weekly earnings are $1,460 in Washington, compared with $1,250 nationwide. No Southwest Washington data was available.

Southwest Washington’s congressional district outpaces the state average for credit card debt, according to the report. Southwest Washington residents have a 4.1 percent credit card delinquency rate, compared with the state’s 3.8 percent average.

Residents in the 98663 ZIP code have a 19 percent delinquent debt average. Residents in 98661, 98665 and 98686, on average, have 18 percent debt rates.

The student loan delinquency rate is 11.1 percent in Washington, compared with Southwest Washington’s 11.4 percent.