Home Affordability in Jefferson County, WA
A typical home in Jefferson County is worth $597,128, down 0.1% year over year. The effective property tax rate is 0.73% 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 Jefferson County costs $597,128. 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 | $241,000 | $257,000 |
| $100,000 | $438,000 | $362,000 | $331,000 | $353,000 |
| $125,000 | $558,000 | $460,000 | $421,000 | $449,000 |
| $150,000 | $677,000 | $558,000 | $511,000 | $545,000 |
| $200,000 | $915,000 | $755,000 | $692,000 | $737,000 |
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 Jefferson County
| Town | Typical home | Year over year | Income needed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Port Townsend | $632,545 | -0.1% | $141,000 | Details |
| Forks | $334,506 | +0.2% | $78,000 | Details |
| Port Ludlow | $651,167 | -0.6% | $145,000 | Details |
| Quilcene | $459,500 | +0.6% | $104,000 | Details |
| Port Hadlock | $465,220 | +0.3% | $106,000 | Details |
| Nordland | $785,567 | -0.2% | $173,000 | Details |
| Chimacum | $552,250 | -0.2% | $124,000 | Details |
| Brinnon | $367,426 | +0.3% | $85,000 | Details |
The cheapest places in the county are Forks ($335K), Brinnon ($367K), Quilcene ($460K).
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 Jefferson 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.