What is the homeownership rate in Washington?
Data updated July 26, 2024
About 66.3% in 2023. This means about 2 in 3 households owned their home while the remainder rented.
Showing data for
In 2023,
66.3%
of Washington state households owned their home
In 2023,
2 in 3
Washington state households owned their home
According to the Census Bureau, understanding homeownership rates can help determine if people’s needs are met by available housing and can inform policy and funding decisions. The Washington homeownership rate in 2023 was 0.4 percentage points higher than the US homeownership rate overall.
Washington state's homeownership rate in 2023 was similar to the US.
During the housing bubble of the mid-2000s, homeownership rates rose to a peak of 69% in 2004. When the housing bubble popped in 2007 and the Great Recession started, foreclosures increased and there was a shift from owning to renting: the homeownership rate declined through 2016, when it bottomed out at 63.4%. It then began to increase.
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Homeownership rates don’t just shift over time — they also vary across places for many reasons, including economic conditions and demographic characteristics.
Across metro areas, the average homeownership rate was 67.2% in 2022.
In 2022, the average homeownership rate across metro areas was 67.2%. The metro areas with the highest and lowest homeownership rates were The Villages, Florida, at 89% (highest) and Los Angeles at 47.9% (lowest). In Washington, the rate was highest in Mount Vernon, Washington, (72.6%) and lowest in Seattle, Washington (59.8%).
Homeownership rate, Washington state metro areas (2022)
| 1. | Mount Vernon, WA Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA Metro Area | 72.6% |
| 2. | Longview, WA Longview, WA Metro Area | 71.3% |
| 3. | Kennewick, WA Kennewick-Richland, WA Metro Area | 70.3% |
| 4. | Bremerton, WA Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA Metro Area | 70.1% |
| 5. | Wenatchee, WA Wenatchee, WA Metro Area | 68.9% |
| 6. | Olympia, WA Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA Metro Area | 66.6% |
| 7. | Spokane, WA Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA Metro Area | 65.9% |
| 8. | Bellingham, WA Bellingham, WA Metro Area | 65.3% |
| 9. | Walla Walla, WA Walla Walla, WA Metro Area | 64.0% |
| 10. | Yakima, WA Yakima, WA Metro Area | 63.0% |
