Housing decision brief
San Juan County, WA Housing Market
San Juan County screens as a higher purchase price, rent that needs comparison, 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.
38th lowest home value out of 39 Washington counties with data | 30th lowest rent out of 39
Median home value
$726,500
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$1,413/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$1,499/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
8.7x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
27.0%
Below 30% usually screens as less pressured.
Rent vs own
$86/mo
Median rent screens below owner cost.
Data confidence
1 note
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
Rent burden below pressure line
27.00% of renter income goes to rent, below the 30% burden threshold.
What to Check
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
- No strong fit signal was available in the current dataset.
Poor Fit For
- 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 San Juan 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. | $726,500 | $370,500 | $281,900 | 96% pressure96% above Washington county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $1,413 | $1,119 | $1,163 | 26% pressure26% above Washington county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $1,499 | $1,221 | $1,672 | 23% pressure23% above Washington county median |
Median household income | $83,682 | $71,528 | $74,755 | 17% favorable17% above Washington county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 0.57% | 0.79% | 1.02% | 28% favorable28% below Washington county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 27.00% | 29.00% | N/A | 7% favorable27.00% 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
+$27,162
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$19,439
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Housing in San Juan County is affordable. The median rent is $1,413/month against a median household income of $83,682, putting rent at 20.3% of income.
Rent vs own
Renters in San Juan County pay $1,413/month on average, compared to $1,499/month for homeowners. This market favors renters by about 6%.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $56,520/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $64,243/year. With a median household income of $83,682, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 27.0% of renter households in San Juan County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Within Washington, San Juan County is less affordable than Whatcom County by roughly 4% ($1,413/mo vs $1,465/mo).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whatcom County, WA | $536,100 | $1,465/mo | Same-state comparison near $536,100 home value and $1,465/mo rent. |
| Skagit County, WA | $486,200 | $1,439/mo | Same-state comparison near $486,200 home value and $1,439/mo rent. |
| Ouray County, CO | $670,100 | $1,398/mo | Out-of-state peer near $670,100 home value and $1,398/mo rent. |
| Island County, WA | $535,300 | $1,631/mo | Same-state comparison near $535,300 home value and $1,631/mo rent. |
| Blaine County, ID | $663,800 | $1,217/mo | Out-of-state peer near $663,800 home value and $1,217/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for San Juan County
Is San Juan County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in San Juan County?
How much income do you need for housing in San Juan County?
What should I double-check before moving to San Juan County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.