Housing forecasts for Seattle, Tacoma, Bellevue, and Everett suggest a generally softer 2026 outlook, but buyers should not expect all four cities to behave the same way. Affordability, pricing, and negotiating conditions can still vary meaningfully by market.
This article compares Bellevue, Everett, Seattle, and Tacoma from a buyer perspective, using current Zillow figures as a baseline and explaining what the outlook may mean when you weigh cost, competition, and local market differences.
A new round of real estate market forecasts points to an ongoing cooling trend for Seattle, Bellevue, Everett, and Tacoma in 2026, according to the housing research team at Zillow. The same is true for the overall market across Washington State.
Over the past 12 months, home values have declined across these four cities based on the latest Zillow figures shown below. What does this mean for buyers? Market slowdowns can create opportunities for buyers who want more negotiating room, though local conditions can still vary from one city to the next.
Related: Tacoma Gets Highest Home-Price Outlook Among Seattle-Area Cities
Below, you’ll find Zillow home value figures for each city, along with year-over-year changes. A national comparison row is also included for reference.
| Bellevue | $1,470,486 | -3.9% change |
| Everett | $654,227 | -1.5% change |
| Seattle | $856,052 | -2.2% change |
| Tacoma | $498,063 | -0.4% change |
| U.S. average | $371,774 | +1.0% change |
Table note: City figures reflect Zillow data as of 2026-06-30. The U.S. average row reflects Zillow data updated 7/31/2026.
The national market has posted modest year-over-year growth, while the four Washington cities shown above recorded declines over the same general period.
For borrowers, the biggest difference across these four cities is not just forecast direction but entry price. Bellevue remains the highest-cost market in this comparison, so even with softer conditions, affordability can still be the main hurdle for many buyers. Seattle sits below Bellevue but still above Everett and Tacoma, which means buyers may compare it against those cities when balancing commute, payment, and home size.
Everett and Tacoma come into the comparison at lower baseline home values, which can make them worth a closer look for buyers who want more room in their budget. Tacoma shows the smallest year-over-year decline in the table above, while Bellevue shows the largest decline, but that does not automatically make one city “better” than another. A buyer comparing these markets may be weighing different tradeoffs, such as monthly payment, down payment needs, and how much negotiating flexibility they may have at a given price point.
In practical terms, buyers can use this four-city comparison to narrow where they shop. If your priority is affordability, Tacoma and Everett may stand out sooner. If your priority is staying closer to major job centers or targeting a specific high-demand market, Seattle or Bellevue may still make sense even if the budget math is tighter.
Related: Buying in Washington vs. Oregon
Housing inventory remains an important factor in King County, Washington and across nearby markets. Even when forecasts point to a softer market, limited supply can still affect how much negotiating room buyers actually have in Bellevue, Everett, Seattle, and Tacoma.
That is one reason buyers should be careful not to treat all four cities as one uniform market. Conditions can vary by city, price point, and property type, so a cooler forecast does not necessarily translate into equally easier buying conditions everywhere.
King County, Washington has faced inventory constraints that can affect how much leverage buyers and sellers have in the market. Conditions can still favor sellers in some areas, but they may vary by city, price point, and property type.
Pro Tip: Use our mortgage calculator to estimate loan costs.
Disclaimer: This article includes housing market and home-price forecasts for the cities of Bellevue, Everett, Seattle, and Tacoma, Washington. These projections were provided by third parties not associated with our company. We have presented them here as an educational service to our blog readers.
Sammamish Mortgage is a local, family-owned company based in Bellevue, WA. We serve borrowers in Washington, Idaho, Colorado, Oregon, and California. We have been offering a wide variety of mortgage programs and products with flexible qualification criteria since 1992. Please contact us if you have mortgage-related questions, to get pre-approved, or to get an instant rate quote.
Housing forecasts are best used as directional guidance, not guarantees. They can help you compare markets and understand whether conditions appear to be heating up or cooling off, but your buying decision should also reflect affordability, inventory, financing, and how competitive the specific homes in your target area are.
Not always. A softer forecast can mean slower price growth or more negotiating room in some situations, but buyers can still face competition if inventory remains limited. A cooler outlook does not automatically remove affordability pressure or create the same level of leverage in every city.
These cities have different price levels, buyer demand patterns, and affordability profiles. That means they can move differently even when they are part of the same broader regional market. A city-by-city comparison is more useful than assuming one forecast applies equally across the whole area.
The comparison shows Seattle with a year-over-year decline in Zillow home values, and the broader 2026 outlook described is generally softer for the Seattle-area markets covered here. Even so, softer conditions do not guarantee major declines or easier buying conditions in every neighborhood or price range.
The Zillow figures in this comparison show Tacoma with a small year-over-year decline in home values. That suggests softer pricing than the national average, but Tacoma’s relatively modest decline does not by itself mean the market has become easy for buyers.
Bellevue is included in the same generally softer 2026 outlook as Seattle, Tacoma, and Everett. It remains the highest-cost city in this comparison, so affordability may still be the main challenge even if buyers see somewhat softer market conditions.
There is not one clear “best” outlook for every buyer. Tacoma shows the smallest year-over-year decline in the comparison, while Bellevue shows the largest decline, but buyers may value different things such as affordability, proximity to job centers, home size, or possible negotiating flexibility.
A forecast can help buyers frame expectations, compare markets, and think about negotiating conditions, but timing a purchase should also depend on budget, monthly payment comfort, available inventory, and the types of homes you want to target. Forecasts are more useful for planning than for trying to predict an exact market bottom.
Yes. Limited inventory can still reduce negotiating room even when forecasts point to softer conditions. That is especially important in and around King County, where supply constraints can continue to shape how much leverage buyers actually have.
The Zillow figures shown here indicate that Bellevue, Everett, Seattle, and Tacoma all posted year-over-year home-value declines, while the U.S. average posted modest growth. That difference suggests the local markets covered here have been softer than the national market over the same general period.
Our loan officers are ready and waiting to help you apply for your home loan.
Learn more about the people behind Sammamish Mortgage
Whether you’re buying a home or ready to refinance, our professionals can help.
Mortgage Support — 24/7
No Obligation and transparency 24/7. Instantly compare live rates and costs from our network of lenders across the country. Real-time accurate rates and closing costs for a variety of loan programs custom to your specific situation.
Adjust the parameters based on what you want to track
