Seattle residents say they are in 'survival mode,' selling homes as high prices squeeze middle class

Even a family with ties to one of America's biggest tech companies says it can no longer make the numbers work. Faced with rising costs for groceries, gas, insurance and housing, a Seattle-area family is selling their home and downsizing as inflation continues to strain household budgets.

"The last year has definitely been an absolute tightening up of what we’re spending on," Liesl Gatcheco told The Seattle Times in an article by business reporter Jessica Fu published Tuesday.

"It’s very stressful," Gatcheco said. "I feel like I’ve been living emotionally in survival mode."

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Fu wrote that inflation in the Seattle area "remained high" in June and continued to outpace the rest of the country. Consumer prices in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue region rose 4.5% over the past year, down from 4.9% in April but still higher than the U.S. inflation rate of 3.5%.

Gatcheco is a self-employed esthetician, whose income "has gone down as fewer clients make bookings," according to The Seattle Times.

Her husband works at Microsoft.

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"That used to mean stability and even upward mobility," Fu wrote. "Now, he’s constantly worried about layoffs. Just last week, the company cut 4,800 workers in its Xbox division and sales teams; in 2025, it laid off 15,000 employees. This year, the tech giant also offered voluntary buyouts to 7% U.S.-based employees."

Gatcheco said, "Working in tech used to be a sure thing, and it’s absolutely not anymore."

Gatcheco and her husband, who have twins, said they are selling their home in Crown Hill, a neighborhood in the city of Seattle, where her sister also lives with them in their downstairs unit, to downsize and "take control."

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Dusty Wilson, a math teacher at Highline College in Des Moines, about 20 minutes from Seattle, said that he and his wife, Charlene, drive less and use light rail because gas has gotten so expensive.

"We were always just drivers, and then gas hit $6 a gallon," Wilson said.

Fu also reported that food at restaurants have risen 6.2% over the year ending in June.

"Expenses that used to be ordinary, like takeout and dining out, have started to feel more like indulgences, even for people who never anticipated having to scale back," Fu wrote.

Veronica Brown, 36, who works in tech, told Fu, "I’m not hurting for money in any way."

However, Fu wrote that Brown said she no longer orders takeout after the total cost of her usual pad thai exceeded $40 once taxes, fees and a tip were added. She previously ordered delivery once or twice a month.

Brown said she is concerned about being able to make bigger purchases, like buying a house.

"Our money doesn’t go as far," Brown told Fu.

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A spokesperson for Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson told Fox News Digital that "Fu's story illustrates why affordability and inequality remain among the most urgent challenges facing Seattle and why it is a priority for this Administration. Mayor Katie Wilson is fighting for housing, childcare, and good jobs while expanding access to public benefits for Seattle residents."

The spokesperson continued by highlighting that over the past six months, Wilson's office has, "transmitted legislation to ban certain "junk fees" that landlords, particularly large ones, charge renters, reducing unexpected renter fees, accelerated construction of new shelters to help bring people indoors and help them shift to long-term housing," and "released the Seattle Transit Measure Proposal offering a low-cost way to bring people more and better of the cheapest option available, public transit for the next 10 years."

Her office also highlighted it has "proposed strengthening access to public libraries by delivering more physical and e-books, and keeping facilities safe, clean, and well maintained through the Seattle Library Levy, transmitted legislation for universal school meals, including both breakfast and lunch, so that students don’t have learn while hungry" and "supported City Council modifying eligibility for the City’s utility discount program qualifying more low-income residents and seniors."

"We look forward to the next six months and pulling together with our neighbors, families, immigrants, and workers to tackle challenges and keep Seattle a place everyone can call home," the spokesperson said.