County housing intelligence
Washington Housing Market by County
Washington is not one housing market. Across 39 counties, the median county home value is $408,900 and the median county rent is $1,198/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
$408,900
Median of county medians, less distorted by the largest metros.
County median rent
$1,198/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, Columbia County, Adams County anchor the lower-cost end.
Rent reality
King County, Snohomish County, Kitsap County lead on rent, while Ferry County, Garfield County, Wahkiakum County show where monthly lease costs are lowest.
Decision lens
Garfield County, Columbia County, Adams 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
$239,200
- 2. Columbia County
$271,200
- 3. Adams County
$273,300
- 4. Ferry County
$283,400
- 5. Lincoln County
$292,800
Best buy affordability
Lowest home-value-to-income ratios. Better than price alone.
- 1. Garfield County
3.7x home-value-to-income
- 2. Columbia County
3.8x home-value-to-income
- 3. Adams County
4.1x home-value-to-income
- 4. Grant County
4.1x home-value-to-income
- 5. Lincoln County
4.1x home-value-to-income
Cheapest to rent
Lowest median gross rent among counties with ACS rent data.
- 1. Ferry County
$663/mo
- 2. Garfield County
$791/mo
- 3. Wahkiakum County
$853/mo
- 4. Pend Oreille County
$855/mo
- 5. Adams County
$877/mo
Lowest rent burden
Where typical renters spend the smallest share of income on rent.
- 1. Pend Oreille County
21.7% rent burden
- 2. Ferry County
22.3% rent burden
- 3. Lincoln County
23.3% rent burden
- 4. Okanogan County
24.0% rent burden
- 5. Garfield County
25.8% rent burden
Lowest tax-rate signal
Lowest effective property-tax rates in the state data.
- 1. San Juan County
0.53% effective tax rate
- 2. Pend Oreille County
0.58% effective tax rate
- 3. Stevens County
0.59% effective tax rate
- 4. Lincoln County
0.60% effective tax rate
- 5. Wahkiakum County
0.60% effective tax rate
Owner-cost advantage
Counties where median owner costs are furthest below median rent.
- 1. Jefferson County
$392/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 2. Wahkiakum County
$137/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 3. Pacific County
$97/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 4. Lincoln County
$86/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 5. Asotin County
$80/mo cheaper to own than rent
Income-backed value
Higher-income counties that still hold a reasonable value-to-income profile.
- 1. Benton County
$89,874 income, 4.5x value-to-income
- 2. Franklin County
$86,714 income, 4.4x value-to-income
- 3. Kitsap County
$104,158 income, 5.3x value-to-income
- 4. Thurston County
$96,563 income, 5.0x value-to-income
- 5. Columbia County
$71,810 income, 3.8x 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 $239,200 home value, $64,884 income | Low purchase prices can still feel tight when local wages are also low. |
| Affordable homes, higher tax rate | Columbia County $271,200 home value, 0.85% tax rate | A low home price can be offset by the annual property-tax bill. |
| Renter pressure | Wahkiakum County $853/mo rent, 50.00% rent burden | Monthly rent alone does not show whether renters can comfortably absorb the cost. |
| Expensive, but income-supported | King County $859,900 home value, $124,746 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 | $239,200 | $791/mo | $64,884 | 3.7x | 0.66% |
| Columbia County | $271,200 | $985/mo | $71,810 | 3.8x | 0.85% |
| Adams County | $273,300 | $877/mo | $66,136 | 4.1x | 0.79% |
| Grant County | $299,500 | $1,116/mo | $73,267 | 4.1x | 0.78% |
| Lincoln County | $292,800 | $883/mo | $71,512 | 4.1x | 0.60% |
| Franklin County | $379,300 | $1,198/mo | $86,714 | 4.4x | 0.72% |
| Yakima County | $310,100 | $1,109/mo | $70,656 | 4.4x | 0.79% |
| Asotin County | $325,600 | $1,043/mo | $72,283 | 4.5x | 0.72% |
| Benton County | $407,800 | $1,306/mo | $89,874 | 4.5x | 0.78% |
| Okanogan County | $299,800 | $887/mo | $63,207 | 4.7x | 0.76% |
| Grays Harbor County | $314,000 | $1,062/mo | $64,414 | 4.9x | 0.80% |
| Mason County | $411,800 | $1,285/mo | $83,270 | 4.9x | 0.73% |
| Pacific County | $334,800 | $1,005/mo | $67,081 | 5.0x | 0.72% |
| Thurston County | $480,300 | $1,736/mo | $96,563 | 5.0x | 0.88% |
| Ferry County | $283,400 | $663/mo | $55,614 | 5.1x | 0.64% |
| Stevens County | $350,600 | $898/mo | $69,327 | 5.1x | 0.59% |
| Cowlitz County | $397,500 | $1,206/mo | $76,531 | 5.2x | 0.82% |
| Lewis County | $385,800 | $1,097/mo | $74,796 | 5.2x | 0.67% |
| Spokane County | $410,700 | $1,283/mo | $78,582 | 5.2x | 0.84% |
| Kitsap County | $555,100 | $1,822/mo | $104,158 | 5.3x | 0.77% |
| Pierce County | $526,600 | $1,806/mo | $99,564 | 5.3x | 0.91% |
| Clark County | $522,900 | $1,748/mo | $97,536 | 5.4x | 0.82% |
| Douglas County | $432,500 | $1,305/mo | $80,363 | 5.4x | 0.77% |
| Pend Oreille County | $367,900 | $855/mo | $67,436 | 5.5x | 0.58% |
| Walla Walla County | $408,900 | $1,218/mo | $74,202 | 5.5x | 0.85% |
| Skamania County | $529,500 | $1,068/mo | $93,265 | 5.7x | 0.67% |
| Chelan County | $490,100 | $1,226/mo | $82,381 | 5.9x | 0.71% |
| Clallam County | $421,800 | $1,152/mo | $70,370 | 6.0x | 0.72% |
| Klickitat County | $425,300 | $1,105/mo | $71,042 | 6.0x | 0.62% |
| Skagit County | $545,100 | $1,536/mo | $89,263 | 6.1x | 0.79% |
| Snohomish County | $696,000 | $1,949/mo | $111,246 | 6.3x | 0.77% |
| Wahkiakum County | $396,800 | $853/mo | $62,653 | 6.3x | 0.60% |
| Whitman County | $359,600 | $1,049/mo | $55,406 | 6.5x | 0.75% |
| Island County | $593,300 | $1,662/mo | $90,551 | 6.6x | 0.67% |
| Kittitas County | $497,400 | $1,341/mo | $73,804 | 6.7x | 0.71% |
| King County | $859,900 | $2,092/mo | $124,746 | 6.9x | 0.83% |
| Jefferson County | $535,000 | $1,522/mo | $74,048 | 7.2x | 0.71% |
| Whatcom County | $585,800 | $1,555/mo | $81,784 | 7.2x | 0.70% |
| San Juan County | $799,200 | $1,512/mo | $84,800 | 9.4x | 0.53% |
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.