What Income Do You Need to Buy a House in Washington?
Short version: to buy the typical home in King County you need about $189,000 a year. The typical Washington household earns $98,141. That gap is the whole story of housing in this state, and no amount of budgeting advice closes it.
This page works through what income each of Washington's 39 counties actually requires, where the median household can still buy, and what to do if your county isn't on that list. Every figure comes from current home values and that county's own property tax rate — not a national average.
The rule we're using, and why
Every number here holds total housing cost — principal, interest, property tax, homeowners insurance — at 33% of gross income, with 20% down at current rates.
That is deliberately not the number a lender will give you. Underwriting will approve you at 45% of gross income across all your debts, and on a VA loan it will go further. Those limits describe what a bank is willing to risk, not what leaves you able to replace a roof. At 33% you have room for retirement contributions, a failed water heater, and a year of daycare. At 45% you have a mortgage and a hope.
What each county needs
Sorted by the income required to buy the typical home in that county.
| County | Typical home | Monthly payment | Income needed | vs. state median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Juan County | $896,993 | $5,257 | $191,000 | 1.95× |
| King County | $853,410 | $5,203 | $189,000 | 1.93× |
| Snohomish County | $746,872 | $4,547 | $165,000 | 1.68× |
| Island County | $645,646 | $3,910 | $142,000 | 1.45× |
| Whatcom County | $621,299 | $3,775 | $137,000 | 1.40× |
| Jefferson County | $607,624 | $3,706 | $135,000 | 1.37× |
| Kitsap County | $589,268 | $3,635 | $132,000 | 1.35× |
| Skagit County | $587,735 | $3,636 | $132,000 | 1.35× |
| Pierce County | $572,113 | $3,602 | $131,000 | 1.33× |
| Skamania County | $567,253 | $3,469 | $126,000 | 1.29× |
| Clark County | $551,055 | $3,430 | $125,000 | 1.27× |
| Chelan County | $544,367 | $3,332 | $121,000 | 1.23× |
| Thurston County | $532,113 | $3,346 | $122,000 | 1.24× |
| Kittitas County | $502,405 | $3,091 | $112,000 | 1.15× |
| Douglas County | $500,547 | $3,113 | $113,000 | 1.15× |
| Clallam County | $499,135 | $3,084 | $112,000 | 1.14× |
| Klickitat County | $477,812 | $2,913 | $106,000 | 1.08× |
| Mason County | $458,604 | $2,854 | $104,000 | 1.06× |
| Benton County | $452,721 | $2,835 | $103,000 | 1.05× |
| Lewis County | $440,705 | $2,736 | $99,000 | 1.01× |
| Spokane County | $429,071 | $2,722 | $99,000 | 1.01× |
| Cowlitz County | $424,669 | $2,679 | $97,000 | within reach |
| Franklin County | $421,428 | $2,642 | $96,000 | within reach |
| Walla Walla County | $420,247 | $2,685 | $98,000 | within reach |
| Wahkiakum County | $407,666 | $2,508 | $91,000 | within reach |
| Stevens County | $379,290 | $2,363 | $86,000 | within reach |
| Pend Oreille County | $378,306 | $2,364 | $86,000 | within reach |
| Grant County | $363,094 | $2,322 | $84,000 | within reach |
| Yakima County | $358,246 | $2,294 | $83,000 | within reach |
| Asotin County | $351,788 | $2,251 | $82,000 | within reach |
| Pacific County | $342,166 | $2,200 | $80,000 | within reach |
| Whitman County | $339,135 | $2,174 | $79,000 | within reach |
| Lincoln County | $327,829 | $2,056 | $75,000 | within reach |
| Grays Harbor County | $325,970 | $2,119 | $77,000 | within reach |
| Okanogan County | $317,305 | $2,042 | $74,000 | within reach |
| Adams County | $312,234 | $2,030 | $74,000 | within reach |
| Ferry County | $295,359 | $1,885 | $69,000 | within reach |
| Columbia County | $278,631 | $1,838 | $67,000 | within reach |
| Garfield County | $253,279 | $1,636 | $59,000 | within reach |
Where the median household can actually buy
On $98,141 a year, the typical home is within reach at 33% of income in 18 of 39 Washington counties: Cowlitz County, Franklin County, Walla Walla County, Wahkiakum County, Stevens County, Pend Oreille County, Grant County, Yakima County, Asotin County, Pacific County, Whitman County, Lincoln County, Grays Harbor County, Okanogan County, Adams County, Ferry County, Columbia County, Garfield County.
Look at that list closely. It is almost entirely rural and eastern Washington. The counties where most people work — King County, Snohomish County, Kitsap County, Pierce County, Thurston County — are not on it. If you earn the state median and want to live near the state's jobs, the typical home is out of reach on a single income. That is not a personal failure. It is the market.
The spread is enormous
San Juan County needs $191,000. Garfield County needs $59,000. That is a 3.2× difference inside one state, for the same 33% rule and the same interest rate.
Most of that is the house price, but not all of it. Property tax rates range from 0.57% to 0.94% across the state, which moves the monthly payment by real money on the same purchase price.
Zero down changes the number — upward
People assume a zero-down loan lowers the income requirement because it removes the down payment. It does the opposite. You borrow more, you pay a rate premium, and a funding fee gets financed into the balance. The monthly payment goes up, so the income requirement goes up even as the cash requirement collapses.
| County | Income needed, 20% down | Income needed, zero down (VA) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Juan County | $191,000 | $231,000 | +$40,000 |
| King County | $189,000 | $227,000 | +$38,000 |
| Snohomish County | $165,000 | $199,000 | +$33,000 |
| Island County | $142,000 | $171,000 | +$29,000 |
| Whatcom County | $137,000 | $165,000 | +$28,000 |
| Jefferson County | $135,000 | $162,000 | +$27,000 |
| Kitsap County | $132,000 | $158,000 | +$26,000 |
| Skagit County | $132,000 | $158,000 | +$26,000 |
Zero down is a cash-flow tool, not an affordability tool. It gets you into a house years earlier than saving 20% would. It does not make the house cheaper — it makes it more expensive, and you pay that difference every month for thirty years. Both of those things are true at once, and which matters more depends entirely on whether you'd otherwise be renting for another five years.
The full comparison is in what zero-down mortgages actually cost in Washington.
What to do if your county isn't affordable
Four options, in descending order of how much most people like hearing them.
Buy below the typical home. These figures are for the typical home. Half of everything sells for less. Condos, townhomes and older housing stock sit well below the number in the table, and in the expensive counties that gap is wide. The typical-home figure tells you about the market; it does not tell you what you have to spend.
Move one county over. Lewis County needs $99,000. Garfield County needs $59,000. Commute sheds in Washington routinely cross county lines, and the price difference across a thirty-minute drive can be $187K.
Add a second income. Unwelcome, but arithmetically decisive. Two median Washington earners clear $196,282, which puts the typical home within reach in 39 of 39 counties.
Wait, carefully. Washington prices have been flat to falling — 11 of 39 counties are down year over year. But rates are forecast to stay above 6% through 2027, and when they eventually fall, everyone sidelined comes back at once and bids prices up. Waiting for a better market is not a plan with a reliable payoff.
Check your own numbers
The tables above assume 33% of gross, 20% down, no other debt. Change any of those and the answer moves — car payments and student loans in particular, which reduce what you can borrow far more than most people expect.
Home values are Zillow Home Value Index, current as of 2026-07-31. Property tax rates are county effective rates from Census ACS. Median household income is the Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate. Rates are survey averages and change weekly.