Home Affordability in Cowlitz County, WA
A typical home in Cowlitz County is worth $418,072, up 0.2% year over year. The effective property tax rate is 0.81% 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 Cowlitz County costs $418,072. 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 | $327,000 | $270,000 | $248,000 | $264,000 |
| $100,000 | $445,000 | $367,000 | $337,000 | $359,000 |
| $125,000 | $563,000 | $465,000 | $426,000 | $454,000 |
| $150,000 | $680,000 | $562,000 | $516,000 | $549,000 |
| $200,000 | $916,000 | $757,000 | $694,000 | $740,000 |
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 | $385,699 | -0.1% | $87,000 | Details |
| Kelso | $386,611 | -0.2% | $88,000 | Details |
| Woodland | $592,098 | +1.8% | $131,000 | Details |
| Castle Rock | $479,417 | +1.1% | $107,000 | Details |
| Kalama | $540,207 | -0.1% | $120,000 | Details |
| Ariel | $565,710 | +3.7% | $126,000 | Details |
| Cougar | $291,710 | +2.6% | $68,000 | Details |
| Toutle | $504,724 | +2.9% | $113,000 | Details |
| Silverlake | $485,961 | +0.2% | $109,000 | Details |
| Ryderwood | $265,015 | -1.8% | $62,000 | Details |
The cheapest places in the county are Ryderwood ($265K), Cougar ($292K), Longview ($386K).
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 $165K 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.