Home Affordability in Wahkiakum County, WA
A typical home in Wahkiakum County is worth $407,666, up 3.4% year over year. The effective property tax rate is 0.6% 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 Wahkiakum County costs $407,666. 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 | $329,000 | $270,000 | $247,000 | $264,000 |
| $100,000 | $450,000 | $370,000 | $339,000 | $362,000 |
| $125,000 | $572,000 | $470,000 | $430,000 | $459,000 |
| $150,000 | $693,000 | $570,000 | $521,000 | $557,000 |
| $200,000 | $936,000 | $769,000 | $704,000 | $752,000 |
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 Wahkiakum County
| Town | Typical home | Year over year | Income needed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cathlamet | $428,344 | +1.8% | $95,000 | Details |
| Skamokawa | $357,572 | +7.8% | $81,000 | Details |
The cheapest places in the county are Skamokawa ($358K), Cathlamet ($428K).
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 Wahkiakum County that difference is worth roughly $172K 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.