Washington
Ranked #46 of 51 for housing affordability
Median Home Price
🏠$576K
6.09x income
Median Rent
🔑$1,731
35.0% rent-burdened
Median Income
💰$95K
Population: 7,812,880
Homeownership
🏡64.0%
28,036 experiencing homelessness
Housing Shortage
📉225,000
units needed
Building Permits (2024)
🔨37,778
Price-to-Income
📊6.09x
Severe Rent Burden
⚠️17.0%
paying >50% of income
Rent Burden Breakdown
vs. National Average
House Price Index (2000–2025)
FHFA All-Transactions HPI · Base = 100 (1980s)
HUD Fair Market Rents (FY2026)
Maximum rent HUD considers fair for Section 8 voucher holders
FMR ($2011) is above the state median rent ($1731) — vouchers cover typical rents.
Metros in Washington
| Metro | Score | Home Price | Rent | Income | Rent Burden |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle | 25 | $712K | $1,965 | $111K | 33.5% |
| Spokane | 42 | $417K | $1,279 | $73K | 33.5% |
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater | 67 | $493K | $1,776 | $93K | 23.3% |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard | 63 | $565K | $1,808 | $100K | 27.3% |
| Kennewick-Richland | 70 | $417K | $1,298 | $83K | 23.9% |
| Bellingham | 38 | $611K | $1,497 | $75K | 29.7% |
| Yakima | 74 | $319K | $1,119 | $70K | 19.9% |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes | 59 | $558K | $1,667 | $91K | 22.7% |
| Wenatchee-East Wenatchee | 54 | $489K | $1,133 | $74K | 18.6% |
| Walla Walla | 61 | $430K | $1,049 | $73K | 23.4% |
Market Trends
Homeownership Rate
64.0%
Rent-to-Income Ratio
22.0%
of gross income spent on rent
Total Households
3,101,265
Owner-Occupied
1,975,569
Renter-Occupied
1,125,696
Homelessness
Latest Count (2024)
31,554
1-Year Change
+12.6%
10-Year Trend (2015–2024)
+62.5%
19,419 → 31,554
Housing Policies
Construction Activity
Total Permits (2024)
37,778
2.7% of national total
Single-Family
19,136
51% of state permits
Multi-Family
18,642
49% of state permits
Mortgage Access
National HMDA data — mortgage denial rates by race/ethnicity
Denial Rates by Race
Top Denial Reasons
Housing Shortage
State Shortage
225,000
units needed
National Shortage
7,300,000
3.1% of national total
Affordable Units per 100 ELI Renters
35
nationally (NLIHC)
National Shortage by Unit Type
45%
Single-Family
18%
Small Multi (2-4)
22%
Medium Multi (5-49)
15%
Large Multi (50+)
Rent Burden Detail
Washington burden rates with national demographic breakdown
Cost-Burdened Renters
35.0%
paying >30% of income
Severely Burdened
17.0%
paying >50% of income
Households >30% Burden
262,663
Households >35% Burden
49,520