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Sarah Mitchell
Compass Real Estate · Washington
“Your trusted relocation specialist since 2009. 350+ homes sold. Zero-pressure, data-first approach.”
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Washington housing market
Washington housing market summary
The typical home in Washington is worth $591,879, down 0.3% over the past year. Homes that actually closed went for a median of $651,800 after 19 days on market. On supply, pricing discipline, and speed of sale, Washington currently reads as a balanced market at 3.1 months of supply. At today's 7.03% 30-year fixed rate, that typical home costs $3,160 a month in principal and interest with 20.0% down.
Sources: Zillow, August 2026 · Refreshes monthly · Redfin, through May 2026 · Freddie Mac via FRED, September 2026
Washington housing market at a glance
Every tile carries the provider and the month it was published
Typical home value
$591,879
-0.3% YoY · Zillow, August 2026
Median sale price
$651,800
Redfin, through May 2026
Typical asking rent
$2,105/mo
Median of 111 cities · Zillow, August 2026
30-yr fixed rate
7.03%
Freddie Mac via FRED, September 2026
Monthly P&I
$3,160
20.0% down, 30-yr fixed
Days on market
19
+4 days YoY
Active listings
24,273
+4.8% YoY
Median household income
$94,952
U.S. Census ACS, 2023
Typical home value is Zillow's ZHVI — the value of a typical home across the whole housing stock, not just the homes that sold. Median sale price is what actually closed. Redfin stopped publishing public market trackers in June 2026; latest available period is May 2026.
Where Washington home prices are heading
Washington's typical home value is $591,879, down 0.3% over 12 months. The two-year number matters more than the one-year number: it spans a full rate cycle rather than a single seasonal swing. Values are currently 2.2% below their two-year high, which means sellers who bought at the top may need to bring money to closing rather than take equity out of it.
Against the national picture, Washington runs 60.5% above the U.S. typical home value of $368,697, and its 12-month move of -0.3% is trailing the national pace of +1.2%.
What would have to change for Washington prices to fall. Prices fall when supply outruns demand for long enough that sellers compete on price rather than waiting. Washington is carrying 3.1 months of supply — below the four-month line, so inventory would have to roughly double before sellers lose pricing power. Active listings are +4.8% year over year and new listings -7.9%, which is close to flat. The other lever is the rate. At 7.03%, existing owners with cheaper mortgages have little reason to list, which is what has kept supply artificially low across most of the country. A sustained move down in rates unlocks those sellers and adds inventory; it also adds buyers. Which side moves first decides the direction.
Market trends
Statewide monthly series · Redfin, through May 2026 · No longer updating · Redfin stopped publishing public market trackers in June 2026; latest available period is May 2026.
What it costs to buy in Washington at today's rate
Down payment
$118,376
20.0% of value
Loan amount
$473,503
30-yr fixed
Monthly P&I
$3,160
at 7.03%
Income needed
$135,429
28.0% front-end ratio
A buyer purchasing the typical Washington home at $591,879 puts $118,376 down, finances $473,503, and pays $3,160 a month in principal and interest. Property taxes, homeowners insurance, HOA dues, and mortgage insurance sit on top of that and vary by county — budget for them separately rather than assuming the P&I figure is the payment.
Lenders typically want principal and interest under 28.0% of gross income, which puts the qualifying income for that purchase at roughly $135,429. Washington's median household earns $94,952 (Census ACS 2023) — a gap of $40,477 above what the median household brings in. Put differently, the median household would spend 39.9% of gross income on principal and interest alone — above the ratio most lenders underwrite to, which is why buyers here typically need a larger down payment, a co-borrower, or a cheaper city than the statewide typical home.
The value-to-income ratio in Washington is 6.2x. Anything above 5x means prices have run well ahead of local earnings; buyers are relying on dual incomes, prior equity, or outside capital rather than local wages. Model your own numbers in the affordability calculator or the mortgage calculator.
Figures are illustrative, not a quote or a pre-approval. Rate: Freddie Mac via FRED, September 2026 · Value: Zillow, August 2026 · Income: U.S. Census ACS, 2023
Buying in Washington in the next 12 months?
Tell us your timeline. We send the Washington market brief: the price ranges that are actually clearing, the cities where your budget goes furthest, and what to fix on your credit before you apply.
Rent or buy in Washington?
Zillow publishes its rent index per city rather than per state, so the honest statewide read is the median across the 111 largest Washington cities that carry it: $2,105 a month. Set against a typical home value of $591,879, that is a price-to-rent ratio of 23.4x.
Above 20x, the arithmetic favours renting over short horizons: the purchase premium takes years of appreciation to recover, and that appreciation is not guaranteed. Principal and interest on the typical home runs $1,055 more per month than that typical rent — and that is before taxes, insurance, and the roughly 1% of value a year most owners spend on maintenance.
For a second read on the same question, the Census ACS puts median gross rent across all Washington households — every unit type, not just what is currently listed — at $1,682 a month (2023), with 63.9% of Washington households owning rather than renting. Asking rents lead the ACS figure because they reflect today's new leases rather than the whole stock of existing ones.
Run the rent-vs-buy calculator with your own holding period and down payment — the statewide ratio is a starting point, not an answer.
Supply: what is on the market in Washington
| Measure | Latest | Year earlier | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active listings | 24,273 | 23,161 | +4.8% |
| New listings | 13,255 | 14,390 | -7.9% |
| Homes sold | 7,881 | 8,354 | -5.7% |
| Months of supply | 3.1 | 2.8 | +0.3 |
| Sale-to-list ratio | 99.8% | 100.1% | Below asking |
What these mean. Active listings is the shelf — everything a buyer could tour today. New listings is restock rate; when it falls faster than sales, the shelf empties. Months of supply is active inventory divided by homes sold per month: at the current sales pace, how many months it would take to sell every home currently listed. Under 4 months of supply tilts toward sellers, 4 to 5 months is the neutral band, and above 5 months tilts toward buyers — above 7 months is a glut. These are the same thresholds the market verdict on every city and ZIP page is scored against. Sale-to-list ratio is the discipline check — above 100% means homes are clearing over asking on average, below means sellers are conceding.
Redfin, through May 2026 · No longer updating — Redfin stopped publishing public market trackers in June 2026; latest available period is May 2026. Zillow's inventory and new-listing counts are published per city and appear on the individual city pages.
Where Washington home values are moving fastest
12-month change in typical home value · Zillow, August 2026
Rising fastest
- 1.East Wenatchee+2.6%
- 2.Chehalis+2.0%
- 3.Lynden+1.1%
- 4.Port Orchard+1.0%
- 5.Oak Harbor+0.9%
- 6.Liberty Lake+0.6%
- 7.Quincy+0.6%
- 8.Bremerton+0.4%
Falling
- 1.Sammamish-8.5%
- 2.Kirkland-8.5%
- 3.Bothell-7.9%
- 4.Bellevue-7.2%
- 5.Kenmore-7.2%
- 6.Redmond-6.8%
- 7.Woodinville-6.5%
- 8.Mill Creek-6.2%
Computed from Zillow's typical home value for each city at August 2026 against the same month a year earlier, across the 150 largest Washington cities by population. Small markets swing hardest because a handful of transactions moves the index — read the city page before treating a large move as a trend.
The most and least expensive cities in Washington
Typical home value across the 150 largest cities · Zillow, August 2026
Most expensive
- 1.Mercer Island$2.26M
- 2.Sammamish$1.52M
- 3.Bellevue$1.42M
- 4.Newcastle$1.35M
- 5.Woodinville$1.32M
- 6.Redmond$1.32M
- 7.Kirkland$1.18M
- 8.Bainbridge Island$1.18M
- 9.Issaquah$1.11M
- 10.Snoqualmie$1.06M
Most affordable
- 1.Hoquiam$244,951
- 2.Aberdeen$276,473
- 3.Toppenish$276,511
- 4.Sunnyside$320,990
- 5.Ephrata$322,059
- 6.Othello$335,306
- 7.Grandview$336,233
- 8.Yakima$361,999
- 9.Moses Lake$362,448
- 10.Airway Heights$370,987
The spread between Mercer Island and Hoquiam is 9.2x — one reason a single statewide number is close to useless for a buyer with a fixed budget. Pick the city first, then the price band. Speed is a separate axis from price: SeaTac was the quickest of these markets to clear at 4 days on market (Redfin, through May 2026).
How Washington compares
| Market | Typical value | 12-mo change | Median income | Value / income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $591,879 | -0.3% | $94,952 | 6.2x |
| United States | $368,697 | +1.2% | — | — |
| Oregon | $496,113 | -0.1% | $80,426 | 6.2x |
| Idaho | $478,744 | +2.0% | $74,636 | 6.4x |
The three states above are Washington's nearest land neighbours — the markets buyers most often price against when a move is still negotiable. Oregon and Idaho carry lower typical home value than Washington, which is what makes them the usual destination for equity-funded moves out of Washington.
Values and 12-month changes: Zillow, August 2026 · Refreshes monthly. Income: U.S. Census ACS, 2023. ACS publishes household income per state, not for the nation on the same basis, so the U.S. row shows home value only.
Washington housing markets by city
565 cities tracked — the 60 largest by population shown
Seattle
$833,192
Spokane
$396,121
Tacoma
$488,463
Vancouver
$501,696
Bellevue
$1.42M
Kent
$635,965
Everett
$636,751
Spokane Valley
$410,897
Renton
$731,654
Federal Way
$586,172
Yakima
$361,999
Bellingham
$661,763
Kirkland
$1.18M
Auburn
$598,170
Kennewick
$431,000
Pasco
$416,723
Redmond
$1.32M
Marysville
$617,386
South Hill
Pop. 68K
Sammamish
$1.52M
Lakewood
$515,727
Richland
$466,478
Shoreline
$785,498
Lacey
$509,747
Olympia
$529,479
Burien
$631,188
Bothell
$994,964
Bremerton
$482,410
Edmonds
$906,912
Puyallup
$565,156
Lynnwood
$746,040
Lake Stevens
$689,234
Issaquah
$1.11M
Parkland
$464,187
Longview
$385,699
Wenatchee
$494,357
Mount Vernon
$584,082
Graham
$596,750
University Place
$653,880
Spanaway
$505,720
Walla Walla
$416,341
Des Moines
$597,964
Pullman
$433,772
SeaTac
$577,720
Orchards
Pop. 30K
Maple Valley
$770,918
Camas
$746,744
Tumwater
$522,305
Moses Lake
$362,448
Mill Creek East
Pop. 25K
Mercer Island
$2.26M
Bainbridge Island
$1.18M
Oak Harbor
$531,079
Frederickson
$534,892
North Lynnwood
Pop. 24K
Kenmore
$987,284
Eastmont
Pop. 23K
Union Hill-Novelty Hill
Pop. 23K
Cottage Lake
Pop. 23K
Hazel Dell
Pop. 23K
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What to do next in Washington
If you are buying
- Set the payment before the price. Start from what you can carry monthly, then work backwards with the affordability calculator — the typical Washington home is $3,160/mo in P&I today.
- Pick the city, not the state. Values across Washington run from $244,951 in Hoquiam to $2.26M in Mercer Island.
- Put two finalists head to head in the city comparison tool before you tour anything.
- Fix the credit file before you shop the rate. A better score moves the payment more than haggling over price does at 7.03%.
If you are selling
- Price against your city, not the statewide figure — the spread between Washington markets is wider than the year-over-year move in any of them.
- Read the supply table above. At 3.1 months of supply, you still set the terms — but only if the home is priced to the comps on day one.
- Watch days on market in your city, not the state. The statewide median was 19 days (Redfin, through May 2026); your city page carries its own.
- Time the listing against new-listing volume. New listings are -7.9% year over year — less competition than a year ago.
Washington housing market questions
What is the typical home value in Washington?
The typical home value in Washington is $591,879 (Zillow, August 2026). That is a -0.3% change over the past 12 months. The median price of homes that actually sold was $651,800 (Redfin, through May 2026); sale prices skew toward whatever segment is transacting, which is why they differ from the typical-value figure.
Are Washington home prices going up or down?
Washington home values are down 0.3% year over year (Zillow, August 2026). Values sit 2.2% below their highest reading in the past two years.
How much income do you need to buy a home in Washington?
At the current 30-year fixed rate of 7.03%, a $591,879 home with 20.0% down carries roughly $3,160 a month in principal and interest. Using the 28% front-end ratio most lenders underwrite to, that implies a household income of about $135,429 before taxes, insurance, HOA dues, or mortgage insurance are added. Washington's median household income is $94,952 (Census ACS, 2023), a gap of $40,477 above the median household. These figures are illustrative, not a quote or a pre-approval.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Washington?
Typical asking rent across the largest Washington cities Zillow publishes rent data for is $2,105 a month (median of 111 cities, Zillow, August 2026). Against a typical home value of $591,879, that is a price-to-rent ratio of 23.4x. Ratios under about 15x generally favour buying if you plan to stay put; above about 20x, renting and investing the difference tends to win over short horizons. Principal and interest alone runs $1,055 more than that typical rent each month, before taxes, insurance, and maintenance.
Which Washington cities are the most affordable?
Among the largest cities we track in Washington, the lowest typical home values are in Hoquiam ($244,951), Aberdeen ($276,473), Toppenish ($276,511), Sunnyside ($320,990), Ephrata ($322,059). Values are Zillow's typical-home-value index for August 2026.
Which Washington cities are the most expensive?
The highest typical home values among the largest Washington cities are in Mercer Island ($2.26M), Sammamish ($1.52M), Bellevue ($1.42M), Newcastle ($1.35M), Woodinville ($1.32M). Price per square foot, inventory, and days on market for each are on the individual city pages.
Which Washington cities are appreciating the fastest?
Over the past 12 months the largest home-value gains among Washington cities we track were in East Wenatchee (+2.6%), Chehalis (+2.0%), Lynden (+1.1%), Port Orchard (+1.0%), Oak Harbor (+0.9%). Fast appreciation usually reflects constrained supply, in-migration, or a small transaction base — check the individual city page before reading it as a trend.
How long do homes take to sell in Washington?
Homes in Washington spent a median of 19 days on market in the last month Redfin published (Redfin, through May 2026). That is 4 days slower than the same month a year earlier. The quickest market among the state's largest cities was SeaTac at 4 days. Redfin stopped publishing public market trackers in June 2026; latest available period is May 2026.
How does Washington compare to neighboring states?
Washington's typical home value of $591,879 compares with Oregon at $496,113, Idaho at $478,744. The U.S. typical home value is $368,697, putting Washington 60.5% above the national figure. Oregon and Idaho are cheaper on a typical-value basis.
Is now a good time to buy in Washington?
That depends on your timeline, not the headline. The measurable inputs today: a 30-year fixed rate of 7.03%, 3.1 months of supply statewide (Redfin, through May 2026), active listings +4.8% year over year, and home values -0.3% over the past year. Buyers with a five-year-plus horizon are mostly exposed to the payment, not the price, so the rate you can qualify for matters more than the month you buy. Properties Incorporated is an independent data platform, not a brokerage or lender — this is information, not advice.
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City-vs-city in Washington
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Neighboring state markets
- Oregon housing market — $496,113 typical value
- Idaho housing market — $478,744 typical value
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