Home Affordability in Cowlitz County, WA
A typical home in Cowlitz County is worth $424,669, up 0.3% year over year. The effective property tax rate is 0.82% 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 Cowlitz County costs $424,669. 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 | $319,000 | $263,000 | $242,000 | $257,000 |
| $100,000 | $436,000 | $361,000 | $331,000 | $352,000 |
| $125,000 | $554,000 | $458,000 | $420,000 | $447,000 |
| $150,000 | $671,000 | $555,000 | $509,000 | $542,000 |
| $200,000 | $907,000 | $749,000 | $687,000 | $733,000 |
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 Cowlitz County
| Town | Typical home | Year over year | Income needed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Longview | $392,665 | 0% | $91,000 | Details |
| Kelso | $392,154 | 0% | $91,000 | Details |
| Woodland | $595,519 | +2% | $134,000 | Details |
| Castle Rock | $487,751 | +1.1% | $111,000 | Details |
| Kalama | $546,345 | -0.2% | $123,000 | Details |
| Ariel | $573,924 | +4.6% | $129,000 | Details |
| Cougar | $306,594 | +4.6% | $72,000 | Details |
| Toutle | $516,880 | +2.8% | $117,000 | Details |
| Silverlake | $492,082 | +0.3% | $112,000 | Details |
| Ryderwood | $266,391 | -1.4% | $64,000 | Details |
The cheapest places in the county are Ryderwood ($266K), Cougar ($307K), Kelso ($392K).
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 Cowlitz County that difference is worth roughly $162K 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.