Home values in Seattle remain high, and the typical home value is now $833,192, continuing to stretch the budgets of local home buyers.
If you’re asking where to find more affordable housing in the Seattle metro area, the short answer is that several nearby cities come in below Seattle on Zillow’s typical home value measure. This article compares Seattle with lower-price nearby cities using that existing home-value metric, so the rankings reflect relative home values rather than a general opinion about affordability.
So, what are the most affordable vs most expensive housing markets in the Seattle metro area? Seattle is easily one of the most expensive real estate markets in Washington State, and in the country as a whole. It’s long been this way, which has made buying a home in the largest city in Washington State very difficult for many buyers who find themselves getting priced out of the market.
With home prices as high as they are in Seattle, the housing market has stretched the budgets of local home buyers. But there are pockets of relative affordability in the area.
Rather than living directly in Seattle, there are plenty of “bedroom” communities nearby Seattle that offer a quick commute but with housing prices that are far more affordable than the city center of Seattle.
Looking at Zillow home value data, several nearby cities in the Seattle metro area come in below Seattle on typical home values.
Seattle, Washington is without doubt one of the more expensive real estate markets in the country right now, as already mentioned. It has been for a while.
As of August 31, 2026, Zillow’s typical home value in Seattle was $833,192, down 1.6% year over year. Even with that decline, home values remain high relative to many nearby areas.
But there are more affordable options for people who want to buy a home in the Seattle metro area, but not necessarily within the city itself.
In the city of Seattle, affordability depends on a mix of home prices, mortgage rates, property taxes, insurance costs, and a borrower’s overall financial profile.
Some of these housing prices are just over half of what homes cost in the city of Seattle.
That goes to show how much more affordable housing becomes when you drive a little further out.
With a Zillow typical home value of around $488,463, Tacoma, for example, comes in well below Seattle. The other three cities above came in somewhere between $586,172 and $617,386.
On the other end of the spectrum, the least affordable city in the Seattle area was Bellevue, Washington. As of August 31, 2026, Zillow’s typical home value there was $1,418,231. Bellevue’s median household income was $165,576 in 2020-2024, in 2024 dollars.
Other cities that were more expensive relative to income included: Seattle (of course), Everett, Renton, and Kirkland.
“Seattle is certainly a very hot housing market right now,” said Dr. Svenja Gudell, Chief Economist for Zillow. “We’re seeing a lot of demand, a lot of newcomers to the area and as that continues, we’ll see even more of these outlying communities start to heat up a bit and get more expensive.”
A lower typical home value can be a helpful starting point, but buyers should compare the full monthly cost of ownership before choosing a suburb over Seattle. In practice, that means looking at the estimated mortgage payment, commute tradeoffs, property taxes, homeowners insurance, any HOA or condo dues, and whether the housing type actually fits your needs. A condo closer in, for example, may have a different monthly cost profile than a single-family home farther out. Using a rate quote and mortgage calculator can help you turn price differences between Seattle, Tacoma, Marysville, Federal Way, and Auburn into a more realistic payment comparison.
Sammamish Mortgage can help. We serve clients across Washington, Idaho, Colorado, Oregon, and California. Since 1992, we’ve been providing several mortgage programs and products with flexible qualification criteria to borrowers across the Pacific Northwest. Visit our website to get an instant rate quote or to use our online mortgage calculator. Or, reach out to us if you are ready to get pre-approved for a mortgage.
Seattle remains one of the more expensive housing markets in Washington and the U.S. As of August 31, 2026, Zillow’s typical home value in Seattle was $833,192, which was down 1.6% year over year but still high by local standards.
The lower-price nearby cities listed were Tacoma, Federal Way, Auburn, and Marysville. Each of those came in below Seattle on Zillow’s typical home value measure.
Tacoma was the lowest-priced city named, with a Zillow typical home value of about $488,463 as of August 31, 2026.
No. Several nearby cities were priced below Seattle, but not every suburb or nearby city was cheaper. Bellevue was listed as the least affordable city in the Seattle area, and Everett, Renton, and Kirkland were also noted as more expensive relative to income.
A lower price should be treated as a starting point, not the full answer. Buyers should compare the estimated mortgage payment along with property taxes, homeowners insurance, HOA or condo dues, commute tradeoffs, and whether the home type fits their needs.
Important costs include mortgage rates, property taxes, homeowners insurance, HOA or condo dues, and commuting costs or tradeoffs. A borrower’s overall financial profile also affects affordability.
There is no single salary figure because affordability depends on home prices, mortgage rates, property taxes, insurance costs, and the borrower’s overall financial profile. The content does not give a specific income target for Seattle.
It can be, but the tradeoff depends on the buyer. Lower home values may reduce the monthly payment, but buyers should weigh that against commute time, transportation costs, housing type, and total ownership costs.
Household income is one part of affordability, but it works alongside home prices, mortgage rates, taxes, insurance, and other monthly costs. A home that looks cheaper on price alone may still have a different monthly cost profile depending on those factors.
Yes. Bellevue was identified as the least affordable city in the Seattle area, with a Zillow typical home value of $1,418,231 as of August 31, 2026.
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