Housing decision brief
Garfield County, WA Housing Market
Garfield County screens as a below-state purchase price, below-state rent, a manageable tax-rate signal market. Use the page as a decision brief, not just a price lookup, because local income, taxes, and data confidence change how affordable the county really is.
1st lowest home value out of 39 Washington counties with data | 2nd lowest rent out of 39
Median home value
$214,200
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$768/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$698/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
3.4x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
30.0%
At or above the 30% burden threshold.
Rent vs own
$70/mo
Median owner cost screens below median rent.
Data confidence
2 notes
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
Lower purchase price
$214,200 median home value is 42% below Washington county median
Lower rent
$768/mo is 31% below Washington county median
Owning screens cheaper than renting
Median owner costs are $70/mo below median rent before individual mortgage terms.
Low disaster-risk signal
Risk score is 98.4 out of 100, a stronger cross-check for long-term ownership costs.
What to Check
Lower income base
$62,411 median income is 13% below Washington county median
Water quality cross-check
Water quality grade is F. Review water data before treating housing cost as the full story.
Crime data coverage
Crime data coverage is partial. Treat zero or low crime rates as incomplete until you check the source coverage.
Best Fit For
- Households weighing ownership against renting
- Long-term owners who care about disaster-risk exposure
- Remote earners or cash buyers looking below the state price line
Poor Fit For
- Households dependent on a deep local wage market
- Buyers who will not investigate local water systems before moving
- Anyone treating reported crime rates as complete without source context
County vs State vs National
The county number only matters after you see the benchmark. These comparisons show where Garfield County is genuinely cheap, where it is average, and where the hidden cost may be.
| Metric | County | State | U.S. | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Median home value Lower usually helps affordability. | $214,200 | $370,500 | $281,900 | 42% favorable42% below Washington county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $768 | $1,119 | $1,163 | 31% favorable31% below Washington county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $698 | $1,221 | $1,672 | 43% favorable43% below Washington county median |
Median household income | $62,411 | $71,528 | $74,755 | 13% pressure13% below Washington county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 0.61% | 0.79% | 1.02% | 22% favorable22% below Washington county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 30.00% | 29.00% | N/A | Near state median30.00% of renter income goes to rent. |
Income Fit
A low price only helps if local income can carry the monthly cost. This panel compares the county income base with rent and owner-cost thresholds.
Rent cushion
+$31,691
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$32,497
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Garfield County is affordable for renters, with a median gross rent of $768/month representing approximately 14.8% of median household income. The rent burden (GRAPI) stands at 30.0%.
Rent vs own
Renters in Garfield County pay $768/month on average, compared to $698/month for homeowners. This market favors buyers by about 9%.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $30,720/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $29,914/year. With a median household income of $62,411, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 30.0% of renter households in Garfield County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Garfield County sits 9% more expensive than Ferry County ($703/month) in terms of median gross rent.
Better Counties to Compare
Similar counties are matched on home value, rent, income, and state context. This is more useful than a simple nearest-price list.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Why compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adams County, WA | $251,300 | $901/mo | Same-state comparison near $251,300 home value and $901/mo rent. |
| Rio Grande County, CO | $215,400 | $782/mo | Out-of-state peer near $215,400 home value and $782/mo rent. |
| Burnett County, WI | $215,500 | $758/mo | Out-of-state peer near $215,500 home value and $758/mo rent. |
| Ste. Genevieve County, MO | $215,600 | $774/mo | Out-of-state peer near $215,600 home value and $774/mo rent. |
| Lincoln County, TN | $209,100 | $782/mo | Out-of-state peer near $209,100 home value and $782/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
- Water-quality monitoring is based on 1 active site in recent WQP data.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Garfield County
Is Garfield County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Garfield County?
How much income do you need for housing in Garfield County?
What should I double-check before moving to Garfield County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.