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Prototype of a planned home-buying brokerage for the 50 largest U.S. cities. Not a licensed brokerage in any state, and no brokerage services are offered. Listings, people and companies are sample data; market statistics are real public data, cited where shown.

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Trends · Washington

House prices and costs in Seattle, WA

How house prices moved across 28 Seattle ZIP codes, what buyers here borrowed and paid, what's new and how buying works in Washington. Public data, with sources and dates. Past change, not a forecast.

Seattle-Bellevue-Kent, WA house prices -2.5% in the year to 2026 Q2 (FHFA, purchases)

7.03% is Freddie Mac's average 30-year fixed rate for the week of Sep 24, 2026, for buyers with 20% down and excellent credit. It isn't an offer or an APR.

How house prices moved in Seattle, 2022–2025

Of 22 ZIPs with enough data, 8 rose 7% or more, 1 fell 7% or more and 13 moved less (no clear change). Past rankings are a weak guide: of the ZIPs in their city's top 3 for 2019–2022, 25 of 134 (about 1 in 5) were top 3 again for 2022–2025; chance alone would give about 21. Past change, not a forecast.

FHFA's experimental ZIP house price index: houses with Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac loans, from sales and refinance appraisals. Condos, co-ops and multi-unit buildings aren't in it. Tap a ZIP to see it on the map.

Largest house-price rises, 2022–2025

3-year change of the ZIP index; ZIPs with an index every year, 5,000+ residents and 1,000+ owner-occupied homes. Left out as too jumpy: a ZIP whose index rose 7% or more in one year and fell as much in another. Each year's change below.

  1. 1ZIP 98116 · includes West Seattle2023 +6.4% · 2024 +3.3% · 2025 +2.1%+12.2%
  2. 2ZIP 98136 · includes West Seattle2023 +7.6% · 2024 +5.3% · 2025 -1.1%+12.1%
  3. 3ZIP 98105 · includes U District2023 +5.7% · 2024 +0.5% · 2025 +4.2%+10.7%
  4. 4ZIP 981992023 +1.6% · 2024 +3.6% · 2025 +2.1%+7.5%
  5. 5ZIP 98125 · includes Northgate2023 -2.6% · 2024 +7.0% · 2025 +3.1%+7.4%

Largest house-price falls, 2022–2025

3-year change of the ZIP index; ZIPs with an index every year, 5,000+ residents and 1,000+ owner-occupied homes. Left out as too jumpy: a ZIP whose index rose 7% or more in one year and fell as much in another. Each year's change below.

  1. 1ZIP 98102 · includes Capitol Hill2023 -8.1% · 2024 -4.6% · 2025 +5.7%-7.3%

Lowest owner-reported values

Median value owners report (Census ACS 2020–2024). Left out: ZIPs under 1,000 residents, less reliable estimates, and ZIPs where most owners live in condos or co-ops.

  1. 1ZIP 98178± $24K · ≈ $4,204/mo housing payment (est.) on a house, 20% down$660K
  2. 2ZIP 98106± $22K · ≈ $4,489/mo housing payment (est.) on a house, 20% down$707K
  3. 3ZIP 98108 · includes Beacon Hill± $22K · ≈ $4,574/mo housing payment (est.) on a house, 20% down$720K
  4. 4ZIP 98133± $23K · ≈ $4,882/mo housing payment (est.) on a house, 20% down$770K
  5. 5ZIP 98126 · includes West Seattle± $37K · ≈ $4,964/mo housing payment (est.) on a house, 20% down$784K

Population grew most

Residents, 2015–2019 to 2020–2024 (Census ACS): only changes larger than the margin of error, in ZIPs with 1,000+ residents.

  1. 1ZIP 9810117,153 residents+27.1%
  2. 2ZIP 9810934,328 residents+13.0%
  3. 3ZIP 9810628,690 residents+10.6%
  4. 4ZIP 98122 · includes Capitol Hill43,234 residents+10.0%
  5. 5ZIP 9813353,249 residents+9.5%

Public loan records · 2025

What buyers here actually borrowed and paid (2025)

2025 home-purchase loans (first liens) on owner-occupied 1–4 unit homes in Seattle's census tracts: 5,986 loans. These are loans that closed in Seattle, not offers: a rate depends on your credit, down payment, points and the day you lock it.

Interest rate, 30-year fixed (conventional)
6.25% to 6.875%Middle half of loans; median 6.625% · 4,382 loans
Loan costs at closing
$5,173 to $10,427Middle half; median $6,466. Origination charges (points included) and settlement services, Closing Disclosure section D · 5,605 loans
Borrowed, every loan on the home combined
80% of the value (median)Middle half 69.5% to 85%. 26.7% of buyers borrowed more than 80% of the value, 13.7% more than 90%, 5.5% more than 95%. HMDA's combined loan-to-value: every loan on the home (second loans, down-payment-assistance loans and financed FHA or VA fees too) ÷ the value the lender used, so it doesn't show the cash buyers put down · 5,919 loans
Loan types
Conventional 94.4% · FHA 2.4%VA 3.2% · USDA 0%
Discount points
52.4% of loans paid pointsMedian paid: $4,200. Points buy a lower rate.
Loan limits, 2026
$1,063,750 conformingAbove it, a jumbo loan with its own rates and rules; FHA limit $1,063,750 (one-unit home, King County)

For comparison: 7.03% is Freddie Mac's average 30-year fixed rate for the week of Sep 24, 2026, for buyers with 20% down and excellent credit. It isn't an offer or an APR. Source: FFIEC Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data: 2025 Snapshot National Loan-Level Dataset (data as of June 1, 2026), via the CFPB HMDA Data Browser; Homiy's calculations (2025 loans; retrieved 2026-09-27).

Research · dated and sourced

What's new in Seattle

Rail openings, zoning changes and big projects from primary sources, newest first. Stars on the map mark the ones with a location. News, not a price forecast.

  1. Rail opening

    Pinehurst station is scheduled to open September 30

    Sound Transit’s September 3 announcement gives a firm opening date. Until it opens, we don’t count it as a working station on this site.

    Sound Transit, Pinehurst opening announcement
  2. Rail opened

    2 Line Crosslake Connection opens

    Link service crosses Lake Washington, connecting Seattle with the Eastside. Pin marks the new Judkins Park station; Mercer Island also opened with this segment.

    Near ZIP 98144

    Sound Transit, Crosslake Connection opening
  3. Zoning change

    Permanent Neighborhood Residential rules take effect

    Council Bill 120993 puts Seattle’s updated Neighborhood Residential rules in force. How many homes a lot allows depends on its size, how close it is to a major transit stop and site conditions; ADUs count toward the total.

    Seattle Council Bill 120993, permanent NR rules
  4. Rail opened

    Lynnwood Link extension opens

    The regional extension adds Shoreline, Mountlake Terrace and Lynnwood stations. Pin marks Shoreline South/148th outside Seattle city limits, a regional access point.

    Near ZIP 98133

    Sound Transit, Lynnwood extension opening announcement

Metro area · public data

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA

House prices, year to 2026 Q2
-2.5%FHFA purchase-only index for Seattle-Bellevue-Kent, WA
House prices, 5 years to 2026 Q2
+13.3%FHFA purchase-only index for Seattle-Bellevue-Kent, WA
House prices, 2025
+2.3%All sales and refinances, like the ZIP figures; 2022–2025: +6.8%
New homes permitted
4.9 per 1,000 residents20,396 homes · +28.9% vs a year earlier · Sep 2025–Aug 2026
Jobs, 12 months
+0.9%Aug 2026 (preliminary)
Population, July 2020 to July 2025
+3.3%4,161,883 residents in July 2025 (Census estimates)
Mortgage rate benchmark
7.03%Freddie Mac average, week of Sep 24, 2026

7.03% is Freddie Mac's average 30-year fixed rate for the week of Sep 24, 2026, for buyers with 20% down and excellent credit. It isn't an offer or an APR. New homes permitted is a supply signal: more permits per resident usually means more homes coming to market. Jobs, permits and population cover the whole metro.

Natural hazards, compared with other U.S. counties

  • King County, WA: expected yearly losses rated very high for earthquake, inland flooding; expected yearly losses rated relatively high for heat wave, winter weather.
    Other ratings for King County, WA
    • WildfireRelatively Low
    • Coastal floodingRelatively Moderate
    • TornadoRelatively Moderate
    • HailVery Low

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025: Expected Annual Loss rating of each hazard, by county (NRI December 2025): expected annual losses to buildings, people and agriculture; FEMA's social-vulnerability adjustments aren't included. This describes each county, not this home. Check the address on FEMA's flood map; in a high-risk flood zone, a federally backed loan requires flood insurance.

Sources (7)

Research summary · not legal advice

How buying works in Washington

The usual steps, deadlines and closing costs for a purchase in Seattle, from state law, standard contract forms and local custom. Contracts can change any of it. Homiy is a prototype: it isn't a licensed brokerage in Washington and offers no services here.

Who runs the closing
An escrow company runs the closing and holds the money. Typical time from contract to keys: about 30 days.
The contract
Your signed offer becomes a binding contract once the seller accepts it.
Details

NWMLS Form 21 Residential Purchase and Sale Agreement

Buyer agreement
Buyer services agreement (RCW 18.86.020), signed before touring.
Details

Washington requires a written services agreement before, or as soon as reasonably practical after, a broker starts working for a buyer; MLS rules since the August 2024 NAR settlement require one before touring. It names the appointed broker, defaults to a 60-day term and offers an exclusive or non-exclusive choice.

Source: RCW 18.86.020, buyer services agreements (retrieved 2026-09-26)

Inspection
About 10 days for inspections.
Details

NWMLS Form 35 inspection contingency: 10 days after mutual acceptance unless the parties write in another period.

Earnest money
2% of the price, due within 2 business days, held by: The escrow company (closing agent).
Details

Form 21 sets the amount the parties agree on and delivery within 2 days of mutual acceptance; the prototype defaults to 2% of the price.

Seller's disclosure
Seller disclosure statement (NWMLS Form 17) You may cancel within 3 business days in some cases: after the buyer receives the Form 17 disclosure.
Details

The seller delivers Form 17 within 5 business days of mutual acceptance unless the contract says otherwise; the buyer may then approve it or rescind within 3 business days, and doing nothing counts as approval.

Source: RCW 64.06, seller disclosure (Form 17) and the buyer's rescission right (retrieved 2026-09-26)

Loan and appraisal
Loan contingency: 21 days (set in the contract).
Details

The lender lends on the lower of price and appraisal. Form 22A's default (¶2(a), Seller's Notice to Perform) keeps the financing contingency in place until the buyer waives it: from 21 days after mutual acceptance (unless another period is written in) the seller may ask the buyer to waive it, and may terminate 3 days later if the buyer hasn't, with the earnest money refunded. Automatic waiver after 21 days (¶2(b)) applies only if that box is checked. A low appraisal has its own notices (¶5): the buyer within 3 days of the appraisal, the seller up to 10 days, then the buyer's reply, normally within 3 days.

Title insurance
The seller customarily pays for the owner's policy.
Details

Washington sellers pay the excise tax and the owner's title policy.

Property tax for a new owner
Your property tax follows the county's assessed market value. About 0.99% of the price a year is our planning figure for Seattle; your bill can differ.
Details

Washington assesses property at market value every year, so a sale doesn't reset the tax: the seller's current bill is a fair guide.

Used only when a listing has no tax bill: King County's 2026 levy rate for Seattle (levy code 0010, $9.90845 per $1,000 of assessed value), applied to the price because Washington assesses at market value every year, so a purchase doesn't reset the tax.

Agent credits to the buyer
Washington allows an agent to credit part of their pay to the buyer, with the lender's approval.
Details

Washington is not on published lists of states that ban buyer rebates; any credit must be disclosed to the lender and fit its limits. Not yet confirmed against a primary source.

Closing taxes

Closing taxes in Seattle, who customarily pays and the rate
TaxCustomarily paid byRate
Washington real estate excise tax (state)Seller$5 + 1.1–3% of the price, by sliceWashington Department of Revenue, real estate excise tax
Seattle local real estate excise taxSeller0.5% of the priceWashington Department of Revenue, local REET rates (Seattle, code 1726)

Programs and after you buy

Down-payment help
Home Advantage DPA (Washington State Housing Finance Commission)3%, 4% or 5% of the first-mortgage amount at 0% interest, with payments deferred, paired with the Commission's Home Advantage first mortgage.Official page, checked 2026-09-28.Washington's housing finance agency runs it; the program decides who qualifies and for how much.
Down-payment help in Seattle
Buy A Home (Seattle Office of Housing)Downpayment assistance for homebuyers at or below 80% of area median income, through partner nonprofits and lenders.Official page, checked 2026-09-28.
Homestead exemption
Property tax exemptions and deferrals (Washington State Department of Revenue)Every program on this page is for seniors, people with disabilities, veterans' surviving spouses or homeowners with limited incomes; none is for every owner-occupant.Official page, checked 2026-09-28.
If you disagree with your assessment
How to appeal a property tax assessment (King County Board of Appeals and Equalization)You can appeal your assessment within 60 days of receiving your valuation notice; the due date for your parcel can be looked up.When: postmarked by July 1 of the assessment year or within 60 days after the value noticeOfficial page, checked 2026-09-28.
After you buy: alerts on your deed
Recording Activity Notification System (RANS) (King County Recorder's Office)Register a name or tax parcel number and get an email when a matching document is recorded.Official page, checked 2026-09-28.
Sources (10)

Methodology

How we measure, and what it isn't

Past change, not a forecast. These figures describe the past from public data; they don't tell you where prices go next.

House prices by ZIP, and the rankings

FHFA's experimental ZIP house price index: houses with Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac loans, from sales and refinance appraisals. Condos, co-ops and multi-unit buildings aren't in it. It's built from repeat sales and refinance appraisals of the same homes, not average sale prices, and FHFA publishes no margin of error for it. We rank ZIPs by the change over the last 3 years, only where FHFA published the index in every one of them, and only ZIPs with 5,000+ residents and 1,000+ owner-occupied homes. A change smaller than 7% either way is “no clear change”: in our 50 cities, the index's own year-to-year swings suggest sampling alone can move a three-year change about that much. A ZIP whose index rose 7% or more in one year and fell as much in another is left out as too jumpy. We show rises and falls, each year's change, and the city's and metro's figures for the same years. Past rankings are a weak guide: of the ZIPs in their city's top 3 for 2019–2022, 25 of 134 (about 1 in 5) were top 3 again for 2022–2025; chance alone would give about 21. Many ZIPs, especially dense ones, have no index.

City and metro price figures

City: the resident-weighted average of its ZIPs that have an index (the ZIP card says when that's only part of the city). Metro: FHFA's all-transactions index over the same calendar years, the ZIPs' method; the metro card also shows FHFA's purchase-only index for the latest quarter against a year and five years earlier. Where FHFA splits a metro into divisions (New York, Miami, Detroit and others), the division's index, named where it's shown. Jobs, permits and population always cover the whole metro.

Payment ÷ income

Monthly housing payment (est.) on a house at the ZIP's median value: 20% down · 30-year fixed at 7.03% (Freddie Mac average) · 360 monthly loan payments · APR not calculated (it depends on the lender's fees) · includes principal and interest, property tax, home insurance and any HOA dues, plus mortgage insurance below 20% down. Property tax uses Seattle's rule for a new buyer (about 0.99% of the price a year, our planning figure); insurance is a typical premium. Not included: upkeep, utilities, flood insurance, special assessments. Divided by a month of the ZIP's median household income. The Census reports values over $2 million and incomes over $250,000 only as “or more”, so those shares are bounds (“at least”, “at most”). Left out where 50% or more of owner-occupied homes are in buildings with 5+ units: their HOA dues or co-op charges aren't in the payment. It combines two estimates, so no margin is computed. 7.03% is Freddie Mac's average 30-year fixed rate for the week of Sep 24, 2026, for buyers with 20% down and excellent credit. It isn't an offer or an APR.

Census figures and margins of error

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024: the median value owners report for their homes (it lags sale prices; co-op owners report the value of their shares), median rent with utilities, median household income, residents, and the property tax and monthly costs owners report. Each comes with its 90% margin of error (±). Figures whose margin is 20–49% of the estimate are marked “less reliable” and left out of rankings and tags; figures with wider margins aren't shown. A population change (from 2015–2019) is shown only when it passes the Census Bureau's 90% significance test; otherwise it says “no clear change”. Seattle's own figures come from the Census's estimates for the city itself where published; otherwise they blend its ZIPs (no margin computed). Lists leave out ZIPs with fewer than 1,000 residents.

Tags

Lower home values:
The median value owners report is in the lowest quarter of the city's ZIPs (Census ACS). Less reliable estimates and ZIPs where most owners live in condos or co-ops aren't compared.
Population grew:
Residents rose 5% or more between the two latest five-year Census surveys, by more than the margin of error.
Mostly condos or co-ops:
Half or more of owner-occupied homes are in buildings with 5 or more units. Values there leave out HOA dues and co-op charges, so they aren't ranked.
New rail nearby:
A rail station opened within about a mile in 2023–2026.

“New rail nearby” uses our dated news pins: a ZIP whose center is within 1,600 m of a station that opened, plus the ZIP the station sits in. No tag describes price momentum.

Hazards and flood insurance

FEMA's National Risk Index rates each county's expected yearly losses from each hazard against all U.S. counties; we show those Expected Annual Loss ratings for every county the city lies in, without FEMA's social-vulnerability adjustments. They describe counties, not homes. Flood insurance counts are policies and claims in the federal program (NFIP) only. Check an address's flood zone on FEMA's flood map.

What buyers borrowed and paid

Public HMDA loan records: home-purchase first liens on owner-occupied 1–4 unit homes in the city (the card names the area covered), with the number of loans behind each figure. Loans that closed, not offers or quotes.

Neutral by design

We describe prices, payments, population counts, construction and rail lines. We don't describe places by who lives there, schools or crime, and we don't call areas “up-and-coming”, “transitional” or “safe”. Choose where to live for your own reasons.

Sources and dates