Washington: money rules on one page
The pay & local tax, benefits, renting, unemployment and cost of living answers PayByTown has checked for Washington, each with the rule people ask about most and the official source it comes from. Open a topic for the details and the calculator. Last checked .
Pay & local tax
All of pay & local tax- Take-home pay calculator2026 paycheck afterfederal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, Paid Family & Medical Leave (employee share) and WA Cares long-term careSource: State revenue departments and statutes, checked
Benefits
All of benefits- SNAP income limitsGross income limit200% of the federal poverty lineSource: Washington State Department of Social and Health Services: Basic Food, checked
Renting
All of renting- Security depositsDeposit back within30 days (see details)Source: RCW 59.18.253, checked
- Breaking a leaseTenant notice (month-to-month)20 days, ending with a rental periodSource: RCW 59.18.200, checked
- Eviction noticesUnpaid rent notice14 days (pay or move out)Source: RCW 59.12.030, checked
- RepairsTime to repair10 days; urgent: 24 hoursSource: RCW 59.18.060 Landlord—Duties, checked
- Rent increasesNotice before a rent increase90 daysSource: RCW 59.18.140, checked
Unemployment
All of unemployment- Unemployment benefitsWeekly benefit$383–$1,208, up to 26 weeksSource: ESD news release: new average annual wage estimates, checked
Cost of living
All of cost of living- Childcare costsCounties with prices39Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau, National Database of Childcare Prices (NDCP) 2008-2022, county-level data file (NDCP2022.xlsx), checked
Each rule is published only after it passes our two-of-three source check. This page summarizes; the topic pages have the full rule, exceptions and every citation. General information, not legal or tax advice.