Home Affordability in Skamania County, WA
A typical home in Skamania County is worth $567,253, down 1.3% year over year. The effective property tax rate is 0.67% 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 Skamania County costs $567,253. 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 | $326,000 | $268,000 | $246,000 | $262,000 |
| $100,000 | $446,000 | $367,000 | $336,000 | $359,000 |
| $125,000 | $566,000 | $466,000 | $427,000 | $455,000 |
| $150,000 | $686,000 | $565,000 | $517,000 | $552,000 |
| $200,000 | $926,000 | $763,000 | $699,000 | $745,000 |
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 Skamania County
| Town | Typical home | Year over year | Income needed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washougal | $645,057 | +0.6% | $141,000 | Details |
| Carson | $460,953 | -2.3% | $103,000 | Details |
| North Bonneville | $480,858 | -0.2% | $107,000 | Details |
| Bingen | $441,016 | -0.8% | $99,000 | Details |
| Underwood | $796,892 | -2% | $173,000 | Details |
| Stevenson | $557,466 | -1.7% | $123,000 | Details |
The cheapest places in the county are Bingen ($441K), Carson ($461K), North Bonneville ($481K).
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 Skamania County that difference is worth roughly $169K 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 $48K more house than a credit-union 100% loan here.