Washington

Home prices in Washington and Seattle: median value and trend

Median owner-occupied home value: $602,200 in Washington and $950,800 in Seattle (Census ACS 2024). FHFA: Washington prices down 0.9% in a year.

Checked on against the official sources listed at the bottom of the page.

In short

The median value of owner-occupied homes is $602,200 in Washington and $950,800 in the city of Seattle, against $360,600 nationwide (Census ACS 2024). On the FHFA index, Washington prices down 0.9% and Seattle–Bellevue–Kent prices down 2.4% from Q2 2025 to Q2 2026.

What it costs: median value in 2024

AreaMedian value, 2024Margin of error (90%)
United States$360,600±$618
Washington$602,200±$3,897
Seattle–Tacoma–Bellevue metro area$743,000±$6,997
King County$885,200±$12,452
City of Seattle$950,800±$18,888

Source: Census ACS 2024, table B25077; owners’ own estimates, not sale prices.

Three points stand out:

  • The Washington median is $241,600 above the national median.
  • The city of Seattle sits $348,600 above the state median and $65,600 above King County. It is also $207,800 above the metro-area median: the Census metro area is larger than the city, and the city median is the higher one.
  • The margin of error for the city (±$18,888) is wider than for the state, because the sample is smaller. The true city median is very likely between about $931,900 and $969,700.

How prices have moved: the FHFA index

Seattle’s series is the Seattle–Bellevue–Kent metro division (code 42644).

Area1-year change (Q2 2025 to Q2 2026)5-year change (Q2 2021 to Q2 2026)
United States+2.1%+33.4%
Washington−0.9%+20.0%
Seattle–Bellevue–Kent metro division−2.4%+13.7%

Source: FHFA HPI, purchase-only, Q2 2026 (release of August 25, 2026); changes by Payotte.

Washington prices slipped slightly over the past year while the national index rose 2.1%. Over five years, the Seattle area gained about 14%, well below the nation’s 33.4%. The ACS level and the FHFA trend measure different things: Seattle remains one of the most expensive places to own, but prices there have been drifting down.

A worked example

Take a Seattle-area home worth $700,000 in the second quarter of 2021. Tracking the Seattle–Bellevue–Kent index exactly, it would have been worth about $795,600 in the second quarter of 2026 (+13.7%). A year earlier it would have been worth about $815,500, so it would have lost about $19,900 over the last year (−2.4%). A single home can differ widely from the index.

How to use these figures when buying

Closing costs come on top: our Washington closing costs guide covers who pays what, and buying a home in Seattle applies these numbers to the city. Also see the Washington first-time buyer programs, which have price caps that matter at Seattle prices.

Method and dataset

ACS median value. ACS 1-Year 2024, table B25077. Geographies: United States (0100000US), Washington (0400000US53), Seattle–Tacoma–Bellevue metro area (310M700US42660), King County (0500000US53033), Seattle city (1600000US5363000). Read through the data.census.gov API on October 13, 2026.

FHFA index. FHFA HPI (purchase-only, seasonally adjusted), state series (Washington), metro series (Seattle-Bellevue-Kent, WA metro division, code 42644) and U.S. series. Index values used: Washington 587.91 (Q2 2025), 485.48 (Q2 2021) and 582.36 (Q2 2026); Seattle–Bellevue–Kent 637.92, 547.57 and 622.37; United States 426.58, 326.58 and 435.69.

Frequently asked questions

What is the median home value in Washington?

Washington’s 2024 ACS median home value is $602,200 (±$3,897), against $360,600 for the nation: owners’ own estimates, not sale prices.

What is the median home value in Seattle?

For the city of Seattle, the 2024 ACS median value is $950,800 (±$18,888). King County is at $885,200 and the Seattle–Tacoma–Bellevue metro area at $743,000.

Are Washington home prices going up or down?

FHFA’s purchase-only index shows Washington prices fell 0.9% over the year to Q2 2026, and the Seattle–Bellevue–Kent area fell 2.4%. Over five years, they rose 20.0% and 13.7%.

How Washington compares with the other States

At $602,200, Washington ranks 4th of the 50 States for median home value, in the top ten and 67% above the national $360,600.

The States closest in median value are Massachusetts ($607,400) and Colorado ($574,600). The range runs from $170,800 in West Virginia to $875,900 in Hawaii; Washington is $262,700 above the middle of that ranking (Wyoming).

On the FHFA index, Washington prices fell 0.9% over the year to the second quarter of 2026, which places the State 49th of 50, 3 points behind the national +2.1%. Over five years the gain is +20% (46th of 50; nation +33.4%).

The two measures diverge: Washington is among the dearest States, yet its prices rose less than most over the past year.

Over five years, Washington's +20% annualises to +3.7% a year (nation +5.9%). The latest year (-0.9%) is 4.6 points under that average, a slower pace than the five-year average.

Seattle, the main city, has a median of $950,800, 1st of the 49 main cities Payotte covers. That is 58% above the Washington median, a premium that ranks 6th of 49.

The one-year FHFA change runs from -1.2% in New Mexico to +8.3% in Alaska. Washington (-0.9%) is 9.2 points below the top and 0.3 above the bottom; New Mexico (-1.2%) and Colorado (-0.5%) are the nearest to it.

For scale, 20% of the Washington median is $120,440, against $72,120 at the national median.

Compare with the other states: Median home price by state.

More Washington guides

Sources

Washington · All states · Federal guides