Seattle is expensive, but it’s not automatically the most expensive place to buy a home in Washington. Home prices vary widely across the state, and even within the Seattle metro area, so buyers should compare cities based on both budget and lifestyle tradeoffs rather than Seattle’s reputation alone.
To answer this question, we used median home price data provided by Zillow. The results show that there’s a pretty broad spectrum of house values across the state of Washington. Let’s take a closer look at Seattle vs other cities in Washington to see how they compare.
Let’s start with the state as a whole. Zillow data shows that home values in Washington vary considerably from one market to another.
But when we drill down to the individual cities, we find a much broader pricing spectrum.
As you can see, Bellevue home prices are some of the highest among the major cities, and by a fairly wide margin.
At the other end of the spectrum, the eastern Washington city of Spokane has some of the lowest home prices in the state. The neighboring city of Spokane Valley also has fairly low house values by Washington standards.
(Note: These numbers will likely change by the time you read this guide. But they’ll still help you understand how the different cities compare to one another in terms of affordability.)
Next, we zoom in on the Seattle-Tacoma metropolitan area to analyze the home-price spectrum among major cities in the region.
Home prices across the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metro area vary considerably from one city to the next. But here again, we can find a lot of diversity if we look at individual cities.
Key insights and conclusions we can draw from the above data:
There’s a considerable spread in median home values across cities located in the Seattle metro area. They range from $498,063 in Tacoma to $1,591,920 in Sammamish. Home buyers have diverse housing options and price points to choose from.
Many people who are exploring this area assume that Seattle is the most expensive city in terms of home prices. After all, it’s called the “Seattle metro area.” So it’s natural to think that the most prominent city would have the highest home prices.
But that’s not the case. The median home value in Seattle is $856,052, placing it on the higher end but not the most expensive in the metro area.
For those who aren’t familiar with the term, the “Eastside” refers to the cluster of cities located east of Lake Washington, across the lake from the city of Seattle. The Eastside Seattle housing market includes the cities of Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, Issaquah, Sammamish, and Bothell, among others.
Several Eastside cities have median home values that exceed the $1 million mark. These include Bellevue ($1,470,486), Bothell ($1,032,938), Issaquah ($1,129,015), Kirkland ($1,227,283), Redmond ($1,364,438), and Sammamish ($1,591,920). For buyers, the practical takeaway is that many Eastside cities fall into a higher price tier than Seattle itself, so expanding a search east of Lake Washington may increase access to certain neighborhoods or commute patterns while also raising the budget needed to compete.
Some of the cities located south of Seattle offer more affordable options for home buyers who want to stay within the metro area. They include Auburn ($612,290), Federal Way ($600,995), Kent ($651,566), and Tacoma ($498,063).
Those price gaps can be useful when deciding where to search, but they should be treated as a starting point rather than a final answer. A lower city median might create a more manageable monthly payment range, while a higher-priced city might offer tradeoffs a buyer still values, such as a shorter commute, a different housing mix, or a preferred location. The main goal is to use these city-level comparisons to narrow your search into realistic budget bands and then evaluate neighborhoods, taxes, insurance, HOA dues, and commute-related costs before making a decision.
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 can lean toward sellers when inventory is limited and buyer demand stays strong, though conditions can vary by neighborhood and price point.
Most forecasts predict modest price growth in 2026, driven by limited supply and resilient demand, especially for single-family homes in desirable school districts and near major employers like Amazon and Microsoft.
King County property taxes often run around 1.0% to 1.1% of assessed value, though the exact amount depends on the property location and assessment.
More budget-friendly areas include South Seattle, Renton, Federal Way, and parts of Tacoma. These areas can offer lower price points while still providing access to transit corridors or major freeways.
Key drivers include high-paying tech jobs, in-migration of skilled workers, lifestyle appeal, and limited land for new construction in many close-in areas.
Buying can make more sense for borrowers who expect to stay for several years and have a budget that works at current rates. The right timing still depends on personal finances, monthly payment comfort, and how Seattle compares with nearby cities that may offer lower entry prices.
No. Zillow data in this comparison shows Seattle with a median home value of $856,052, while Bellevue is higher at $1,470,486. Several Eastside cities in the Seattle metro area also rank above Seattle.
Zillow reported a median home value of $856,052 for Seattle in this comparison. That puts Seattle above cities like Tacoma, Spokane, Spokane Valley, and Vancouver, but below Bellevue.
In this comparison, cities such as Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, Issaquah, Bothell, and Sammamish have higher median home values than Seattle. For buyers, that means searching east of Lake Washington may offer different neighborhood or commute options, but often requires a higher budget.
Home price is only the starting point. Buyers should also compare taxes, insurance, HOA dues, commuting costs, and the kind of housing available in each city, because those factors can change the true monthly cost and overall fit.
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
