Home Affordability in Pierce County, WA
A typical home in Pierce County is worth $564,102, up 0.3% year over year. The effective property tax rate is 0.94% of value, and the 2026 conforming loan limit here is $1,063,750 — 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 Pierce County costs $564,102. 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 | $312,000 | $259,000 | $237,000 | $253,000 |
| $100,000 | $428,000 | $354,000 | $325,000 | $347,000 |
| $125,000 | $543,000 | $450,000 | $414,000 | $440,000 |
| $150,000 | $659,000 | $546,000 | $502,000 | $534,000 |
| $200,000 | $890,000 | $738,000 | $678,000 | $722,000 |
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 Pierce County
| Town | Typical home | Year over year | Income needed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tacoma | $488,463 | +0.1% | $113,000 | Details |
| Puyallup | $565,156 | +0.2% | $130,000 | Details |
| Lakewood | $515,727 | +0.3% | $119,000 | Details |
| Spanaway | $505,720 | +0.6% | $117,000 | Details |
| Bonney Lake | $667,317 | -0.3% | $152,000 | Details |
| Gig Harbor | $818,706 | +0.6% | $185,000 | Details |
| University Place | $653,880 | -0.3% | $149,000 | Details |
| Graham | $596,750 | +0.1% | $137,000 | Details |
| Parkland | $464,187 | +0.2% | $108,000 | Details |
| Buckley | $651,431 | -0.1% | $148,000 | Details |
| Orting | $551,375 | -0.9% | $127,000 | Details |
| Sumner | $589,722 | +0.7% | $135,000 | Details |
| Edgewood | $730,619 | +0.1% | $166,000 | Details |
| Roy | $617,876 | +0.3% | $141,000 | Details |
| Fife | $550,477 | -0.2% | $127,000 | Details |
| Dupont | $555,067 | +0.9% | $128,000 | Details |
| Eatonville | $591,211 | +0.6% | $135,000 | Details |
| Frederickson | $534,892 | +1.2% | $123,000 | Details |
| Midland | $482,719 | +0.2% | $112,000 | Details |
| Waller | $589,057 | +0.8% | $135,000 | Details |
| Summit | $583,446 | -0.1% | $134,000 | Details |
| Clover Creek | $529,068 | +0.9% | $122,000 | Details |
| Milton | $564,515 | +0.1% | $130,000 | Details |
| Fircrest | $618,214 | +0.8% | $141,000 | Details |
| Steilacoom | $636,520 | +0.5% | $145,000 | Details |
| Lakebay | $526,319 | -0.6% | $121,000 | Details |
| Fox Island | $1,069,601 | +1.6% | $239,000 | Details |
| Ruston | $763,290 | +4.7% | $173,000 | Details |
| Ashford | $373,232 | +1.3% | $88,000 | Details |
| Vaughn | $712,757 | +0.3% | $162,000 | Details |
| Carbonado | $522,992 | +0.7% | $121,000 | Details |
| Longbranch | $621,094 | +1.1% | $142,000 | Details |
| Wilkeson | $440,363 | +0.4% | $103,000 | Details |
The cheapest places in the county are Ashford ($373K), Wilkeson ($440K), Parkland ($464K).
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 Pierce County that difference is worth roughly $157K 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 $45K more house than a credit-union 100% loan here.