Home Affordability in Adams County, WA
A typical home in Adams County is worth $312,234, down 1.9% year over year. The effective property tax rate is 0.79% of value, and the 2026 conforming loan limit here is $832,750 — borrow more than that and you need a jumbo loan.
Assumes housing costs stay at 33% of gross income — the sustainable middle, not the maximum a lender would approve. A typical home in Adams County costs $312,234. Rates as of 5 September 2026; they move weekly and your quote will differ.
What each income buys here
| Household income | Conventional | VA | Zero-down CU | FHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $75,000 | $320,000 | $264,000 | $242,000 | $258,000 |
| $100,000 | $438,000 | $362,000 | $332,000 | $354,000 |
| $125,000 | $556,000 | $459,000 | $421,000 | $449,000 |
| $150,000 | $674,000 | $557,000 | $511,000 | $544,000 |
| $200,000 | $911,000 | $752,000 | $690,000 | $735,000 |
Conventional assumes 20% down. VA and credit-union 100% financing assume zero down with the funding fee financed into the loan; FHA assumes 3.5% down with mortgage insurance for the life of the loan. All hold housing at 33% of gross income and cap total debt at the program’s underwriting limit.
Towns in Adams County
| Town | Typical home | Year over year | Income needed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Othello | $339,816 | -1.3% | $79,000 | Details |
| Ritzville | $241,670 | -3.5% | $58,000 | Details |
| Lind | $206,159 | +0.4% | $51,000 | Details |
The cheapest places in the county are Lind ($206K), Ritzville ($242K), Othello ($340K).
How the zero-down math actually works
Putting nothing down does not simply move the down payment to zero — it costs you twice. Zero-down programs price above conventional, and they finance a funding fee into the balance, so you start out owing more than the house cost. In Adams County that difference is worth roughly $164K of purchasing power at a $150,000 income.
The exception is the VA loan. If anyone on the loan is Active Duty, Reserve, or a Veteran, it prices below conventional and charges no mortgage insurance — and the funding fee is waived entirely with any VA disability rating. It is almost always the cheapest zero-down option, and it is worth about $46K more house than a credit-union 100% loan here.