County housing intelligence
Washington Housing Market by County
Washington is not one housing market. Across 39 counties, the median county home value is $370,500 and the median county rent is $1,119/mo. The useful question is not whether Washington is cheap. It is which county fits your income, tax tolerance, and buy-versus-rent plan.
County median home value
$370,500
Median of county medians, less distorted by the largest metros.
County median rent
$1,119/mo
Gross rent includes rent plus utilities where Census reports it.
Counties compared
39
Every county with available ACS housing data in this state.
Fast answers
Start with the housing question.
Market brief
The state-level housing signal
These benchmarks use the median county in the state, not one metro-weighted average. That makes the brief better for county comparison and rural-to-urban screening.
Purchase price
State county median vs national benchmark
Rent
State county median vs national benchmark
Owner cost
State county median vs national benchmark
Income base
State county median vs national benchmark
Tax rate
State county median vs national benchmark
The Washington Pattern
These are the signals a statewide average hides. Start here before choosing counties to compare.
Price geography
King County, San Juan County, Snohomish County sit at the top of the purchase market, while Garfield County, Adams County, Columbia County anchor the lower-cost end.
Rent reality
King County, Snohomish County, Kitsap County lead on rent, while Ferry County, Garfield County, Pend Oreille County show where monthly lease costs are lowest.
Decision lens
Garfield County, Columbia County, Lincoln County screen best for purchase affordability when home values are measured against local household income.
Best Counties by Housing Goal
Different households need different rankings. Price alone is not enough, so these groups compare rent, income, owner costs, and tax exposure.
Cheapest to buy
Lowest median home values. Useful for purchase-price screening.
- 1. Garfield County
$214,200
- 2. Adams County
$251,300
- 3. Columbia County
$256,100
- 4. Lincoln County
$272,300
- 5. Pacific County
$274,000
Best buy affordability
Lowest home-value-to-income ratios. Better than price alone.
- 1. Garfield County
3.4x home-value-to-income
- 2. Columbia County
3.6x home-value-to-income
- 3. Lincoln County
3.8x home-value-to-income
- 4. Adams County
3.9x home-value-to-income
- 5. Grant County
3.9x home-value-to-income
Cheapest to rent
Lowest median gross rent among counties with ACS rent data.
- 1. Ferry County
$703/mo
- 2. Garfield County
$768/mo
- 3. Pend Oreille County
$786/mo
- 4. Stevens County
$864/mo
- 5. Okanogan County
$868/mo
Lowest rent burden
Where typical renters spend the smallest share of income on rent.
- 1. Lincoln County
21.0% rent burden
- 2. Okanogan County
22.0% rent burden
- 3. Ferry County
23.0% rent burden
- 4. Pend Oreille County
24.0% rent burden
- 5. Columbia County
25.0% rent burden
Lowest tax-rate signal
Lowest effective property-tax rates in the state data.
- 1. San Juan County
0.57% effective tax rate
- 2. Lincoln County
0.60% effective tax rate
- 3. Wahkiakum County
0.60% effective tax rate
- 4. Garfield County
0.61% effective tax rate
- 5. Klickitat County
0.62% effective tax rate
Owner-cost advantage
Counties where median owner costs are furthest below median rent.
- 1. Wahkiakum County
$404/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 2. Jefferson County
$204/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 3. Asotin County
$153/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 4. Pacific County
$119/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 5. Klickitat County
$111/mo cheaper to own than rent
Income-backed value
Higher-income counties that still hold a reasonable value-to-income profile.
- 1. Benton County
$87,316 income, 4.2x value-to-income
- 2. Columbia County
$71,528 income, 3.6x value-to-income
- 3. Franklin County
$82,755 income, 4.2x value-to-income
- 4. Thurston County
$93,985 income, 4.8x value-to-income
- 5. Pierce County
$96,632 income, 5.0x value-to-income
Tradeoffs to Check
The best page is not the one that crowns a winner. It is the one that shows where a county can surprise you after the headline price looks attractive.
| Signal | County | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Cheap price, weaker income base | Garfield County $214,200 home value, $62,411 income | Low purchase prices can still feel tight when local wages are also low. |
| Affordable homes, higher tax rate | Adams County $251,300 home value, 0.84% tax rate | A low home price can be offset by the annual property-tax bill. |
| Renter pressure | Wahkiakum County $1,086/mo rent, 40.00% rent burden | Monthly rent alone does not show whether renters can comfortably absorb the cost. |
| Expensive, but income-supported | King County $811,200 home value, $122,148 income | Some high-price counties also have stronger incomes, so affordability depends on both sides of the equation. |
Lowest home values
Best value-to-income
Lowest rents
Compare Every Washington County
Sorted by home-value-to-income ratio so the first rows are not just cheap counties, but counties where purchase prices look smaller relative to local income.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Income | Value/Income | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garfield County | $214,200 | $768/mo | $62,411 | 3.4x | 0.61% |
| Columbia County | $256,100 | $944/mo | $71,528 | 3.6x | 0.86% |
| Lincoln County | $272,300 | $872/mo | $71,227 | 3.8x | 0.60% |
| Adams County | $251,300 | $901/mo | $65,042 | 3.9x | 0.84% |
| Grant County | $275,700 | $1,059/mo | $71,115 | 3.9x | 0.82% |
| Asotin County | $286,200 | $994/mo | $69,107 | 4.1x | 0.80% |
| Yakima County | $281,100 | $1,068/mo | $68,015 | 4.1x | 0.82% |
| Benton County | $369,400 | $1,256/mo | $87,316 | 4.2x | 0.79% |
| Franklin County | $345,700 | $1,171/mo | $82,755 | 4.2x | 0.76% |
| Grays Harbor County | $279,500 | $1,018/mo | $63,539 | 4.4x | 0.87% |
| Pacific County | $274,000 | $962/mo | $62,350 | 4.4x | 0.82% |
| Stevens County | $308,000 | $864/mo | $67,405 | 4.6x | 0.65% |
| Okanogan County | $284,200 | $868/mo | $60,293 | 4.7x | 0.77% |
| Mason County | $377,400 | $1,205/mo | $78,359 | 4.8x | 0.75% |
| Pend Oreille County | $307,800 | $786/mo | $63,750 | 4.8x | 0.67% |
| Thurston County | $451,500 | $1,634/mo | $93,985 | 4.8x | 0.90% |
| Lewis County | $341,500 | $1,044/mo | $69,690 | 4.9x | 0.71% |
| Cowlitz County | $367,400 | $1,169/mo | $72,932 | 5.0x | 0.81% |
| Douglas County | $402,900 | $1,234/mo | $80,374 | 5.0x | 0.79% |
| Ferry County | $274,500 | $703/mo | $54,650 | 5.0x | 0.65% |
| Pierce County | $484,400 | $1,722/mo | $96,632 | 5.0x | 0.94% |
| Spokane County | $370,500 | $1,200/mo | $73,513 | 5.0x | 0.86% |
| Clark County | $487,900 | $1,668/mo | $94,948 | 5.1x | 0.84% |
| Kitsap County | $505,700 | $1,741/mo | $98,546 | 5.1x | 0.80% |
| Skamania County | $472,600 | $1,024/mo | $90,085 | 5.2x | 0.72% |
| Walla Walla County | $375,600 | $1,113/mo | $72,212 | 5.2x | 0.90% |
| Klickitat County | $388,700 | $1,119/mo | $70,400 | 5.5x | 0.62% |
| Clallam County | $385,600 | $1,110/mo | $67,999 | 5.7x | 0.74% |
| Skagit County | $486,200 | $1,439/mo | $85,474 | 5.7x | 0.82% |
| Chelan County | $454,900 | $1,182/mo | $78,306 | 5.8x | 0.71% |
| Snohomish County | $644,600 | $1,866/mo | $107,982 | 6.0x | 0.79% |
| Wahkiakum County | $344,500 | $1,086/mo | $57,091 | 6.0x | 0.60% |
| Island County | $535,300 | $1,631/mo | $88,358 | 6.1x | 0.70% |
| Whitman County | $323,300 | $1,002/mo | $52,893 | 6.1x | 0.79% |
| King County | $811,200 | $2,035/mo | $122,148 | 6.6x | 0.84% |
| Kittitas County | $459,900 | $1,253/mo | $69,928 | 6.6x | 0.71% |
| Whatcom County | $536,100 | $1,465/mo | $80,989 | 6.6x | 0.71% |
| Jefferson County | $495,100 | $1,291/mo | $71,143 | 7.0x | 0.73% |
| San Juan County | $726,500 | $1,413/mo | $83,682 | 8.7x | 0.57% |
Questions This Page Answers
Each answer is generated from the current county dataset, so it changes when the underlying ACS data changes.
What is the typical home value in Washington by county?
What is the typical rent in Washington by county?
Which Washington counties are most affordable to buy in?
Why do cheap counties still need a closer look?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.