Home Affordability in Chelan County, WA
A typical home in Chelan County is worth $534,896, down 0.5% year over year. The effective property tax rate is 0.71% of value, and the 2026 conforming loan limit here is $832,750 — borrow more than that and you need a jumbo loan.
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Assumes housing costs stay at 33% of gross income — the sustainable middle, not the maximum a lender would approve. A typical home in Chelan County costs $534,896. 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 | $324,000 | $267,000 | $245,000 | $261,000 |
| $100,000 | $444,000 | $366,000 | $335,000 | $357,000 |
| $125,000 | $563,000 | $464,000 | $425,000 | $454,000 |
| $150,000 | $683,000 | $563,000 | $516,000 | $550,000 |
| $200,000 | $922,000 | $760,000 | $696,000 | $742,000 |
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 Chelan County
| Town | Typical home | Year over year | Income needed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wenatchee | $494,357 | +0.2% | $111,000 | Details |
| Leavenworth | $663,724 | -1.3% | $146,000 | Details |
| Cashmere | $540,266 | +3.4% | $120,000 | Details |
| Chelan | $496,176 | -8.2% | $111,000 | Details |
| Manson | $729,894 | -2.3% | $160,000 | Details |
| Peshastin | $509,332 | 0% | $114,000 | Details |
| Malaga | $519,921 | +1.3% | $116,000 | Details |
| Entiat | $466,065 | -0.5% | $105,000 | Details |
The cheapest places in the county are Entiat ($466K), Wenatchee ($494K), Chelan ($496K).
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 Chelan County that difference is worth roughly $167K 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 $47K more house than a credit-union 100% loan here.