Ranked from ACS 2023 5-Year
Highest Salary Needed to Buy a Home in Washington
What a household has to earn to buy the county's own median home under the standard 28% rule, meaning housing costs at no more than 28% of gross income, counting the full monthly bill rather than just the mortgage. These are the counties where the entry ticket is steepest.
Washington ranked
| # | County | Income needed | Monthly to own | Median home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | King County | $253,000 | $5,901 | $811,200 |
| 2 | San Juan County | $220,500 | $5,145 | $726,500 |
| 3 | Snohomish County | $202,000 | $4,709 | $644,600 |
| 4 | Whatcom County | $168,000 | $3,915 | $536,100 |
| 5 | Island County | $167,500 | $3,905 | $535,300 |
| 6 | Kitsap County | $160,500 | $3,740 | $505,700 |
| 7 | Pierce County | $156,500 | $3,649 | $484,400 |
| 8 | Jefferson County | $156,000 | $3,637 | $495,100 |
| 9 | Clark County | $155,500 | $3,632 | $487,900 |
| 10 | Skagit County | $155,000 | $3,615 | $486,200 |
| 11 | Skamania County | $149,000 | $3,477 | $472,600 |
| 12 | Thurston County | $145,500 | $3,399 | $451,500 |
| 13 | Kittitas County | $145,000 | $3,386 | $459,900 |
| 14 | Chelan County | $143,500 | $3,353 | $454,900 |
| 15 | Douglas County | $129,500 | $3,019 | $402,900 |
| 16 | Clallam County | $123,500 | $2,884 | $385,600 |
| 17 | Klickitat County | $123,000 | $2,865 | $388,700 |
| 18 | Walla Walla County | $123,000 | $2,864 | $375,600 |
| 19 | Mason County | $121,500 | $2,830 | $377,400 |
| 20 | Spokane County | $120,500 | $2,817 | $370,500 |
| 21 | Benton County | $119,500 | $2,786 | $369,400 |
| 22 | Cowlitz County | $119,000 | $2,779 | $367,400 |
| 23 | Franklin County | $112,000 | $2,613 | $345,700 |
| 24 | Lewis County | $110,000 | $2,569 | $341,500 |
| 25 | Wahkiakum County | $109,500 | $2,559 | $344,500 |
| 26 | Whitman County | $105,500 | $2,466 | $323,300 |
| 27 | Pend Oreille County | $99,500 | $2,324 | $307,800 |
| 28 | Stevens County | $99,500 | $2,323 | $308,000 |
| 29 | Asotin County | $94,500 | $2,208 | $286,200 |
| 30 | Okanogan County | $94,000 | $2,188 | $284,200 |
| 31 | Grays Harbor County | $93,500 | $2,178 | $279,500 |
| 32 | Yakima County | $93,500 | $2,177 | $281,100 |
| 33 | Grant County | $91,500 | $2,140 | $275,700 |
| 34 | Pacific County | $91,000 | $2,128 | $274,000 |
| 35 | Ferry County | $89,500 | $2,093 | $274,500 |
| 36 | Lincoln County | $88,500 | $2,064 | $272,300 |
| 37 | Columbia County | $86,000 | $2,012 | $256,100 |
| 38 | Adams County | $84,500 | $1,972 | $251,300 |
| 39 | Garfield County | $71,500 | $1,671 | $214,200 |
Every figure is modelled on the county's own median home with 20% down at 7.03%. Property tax and electricity are county and state specific; homeowners insurance uses the NAIC average premium for that state, which ranges from 0.16% of home value in Hawaii to 1.16% in Oklahoma. Maintenance and water are national estimates. Full methodology.
Nationwide
Highest Salary Needed to Buy a Home across all 3,133 US counties · Every county in Washington