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Seattle, WA housing market

Seattle, WA metro median sale price $747K in Jul–Sep 2026, down 3.4% year over year. Also days on market, price cuts, affordability and ZIP-code figures.

The median sale price in the Seattle, WA metro is $747K over Jul–Sep 2026, down 3.4% from the same 3 months a year earlier. That is the 16th-steepest year-over-year decline of the 383 U.S. metros Pecan Street ranks on this measure. FHFA's repeat-sales index for the metro points the other way: up 0.3% through Q2 2026.

Seattle has the highest median sale price of the 11 Washington metros Pecan Street tracks ($747K), ahead of Bellingham ($620K). Seattle has the fewest median days on market of the 11 Washington metros (51 days); Bremerton (53 days) is next. On share of listings with a price cut, Seattle (38%) ranks 4th of the 11 Washington metros, between Spokane (38%) and Longview (37%).

Listings spent a median 51 days on market in Oct 2026, fewer than in most of the 385 metros. 38% of active listings carry a price cut; the 3-month average vs a year earlier is 0.2 points higher. That share is higher than in most of the 385 metros. Median asking prices are roughly level with the median sale price. Building permits authorized 750 new housing units in Sep 2026.

At the 7.12% 30-year fixed rate with 20% down, principal and interest on a median-priced home come to $4,022 a month; at 28% of gross income, that takes about $172K a year. The median sale price equals about 19 years of HUD Fair Market Rent, a ratio down 4.9% from a year earlier. That ratio is higher than in most of the 373 metros. Active listings ask a median $423 per square foot; the 3-month average vs a year earlier is down 2.5%.

In 11 of the 12 ZIP codes in the table below, median list prices are lower than a year earlier; one is higher.

Headline

Median sale price

Jul–Sep 2026

$747K

-3.4% year-over-year

How it’s calculated

Average of the last three monthly median sale prices vs. the same three months a year earlier.

Mortgage rate

Nov 4, 2026

7.12%

30-year fixed

Where it comes from

National benchmark: Optimal Blue OBMMI 30-year conforming, via FRED. An average of rates borrowers have actually locked, updated daily.

The same rate appears on every market page.

Monthly payment

Principal & interest

$4,022/mo

$172K/yr income needed

How it’s calculated

Payment — this market’s median sale price with 20% down, on a 30-year fixed loan at the rate shown. Principal and interest only — no property tax, insurance, PMI or HOA.

Income needed — that payment at 28% of gross income. A rule of thumb, not a lending decision.

How Seattle compares to other U.S. metros

Home-price growth↓368th of 383
Price-to-rent↑52nd of 373 (top 14%)
Asking-vs-sale gap↓239th of 300
Days on market↓293rd of 385
Price cuts↑145th of 385 (top 38%)

Rank across the U.S. metros Pecan Street tracks, on market data alone — a higher rank means more of that measure (more price cuts, faster price growth, a wider asking-vs-sale gap, a higher price-to-rent ratio, or more days on market). The bar shows where this metro sits within that metric’s own cohort (left is more, right is less); ↑ and ↓ mark the positions furthest from the middle, and rows are ordered the same way. Metrics without data for this metro are omitted.

Affordability

Price-to-rent ratio≈ 19 -4.9% YoY
↑52nd of 373 (top 14%)
Asking price / sq ft$423 -2.5% 3-month average vs a year earlier

Price-to-rent divides the median sale price by the annual HUD Fair Market Rent (a 3-bedroom, 40th-percentile benchmark), so it is a directional rent-vs-buy read, not a cap rate; its year-over-year change is directional in the same way. Asking price per square foot is the median across active for-sale listings (Realtor.com), as of Oct 2026. The bar under a figure places this metro among the U.S. metros we track on that measure, highest first.

Market pressure

Listings with a price cut≈ 38% +0.2 pts 3-month average vs a year earlier
↑145th of 385 (top 38%)
New housing units permitted750

The median asking price $749K is roughly level with the median sale price $747K.

Price-cut share is the portion of active for-sale listings that have taken a price reduction (Realtor.com), as of Oct 2026. New housing units authorized by residential building permits in the metro that month — new supply in the pipeline, which counts of existing listings don't capture (US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey), as of Sep 2026. Asking is the median list price of active listings (Realtor.com, Oct 2026); sale is the headline median of recent closings (Redfin, Jul–Sep 2026) — distinct sources and windows, so the gap is a directional read, not a like-for-like difference. The bar under a figure places this metro among the U.S. metros we track on that measure, highest first.

Market facts

ZIPs with listing data12 shown of 158
MLS board of recordNorthwest MLS (NWMLS)
Price methodologyRedfin vs FHFA HPI
Sale-price windowJul–Sep 2026

Recent signals

Strength 4 / 5

$1.22M

Kirkland median price -9.7% YoY

Price-per-sqft also -5.8% YoY, on about 122 closed sales a month.

Source: Redfin, city figures, Jul–Sep 2026

Strength 4 / 5

$1000K

Bothell median price -9.1% YoY

Price-per-sqft also -10.2% YoY, on about 45 closed sales a month.

Source: Redfin, city figures, Jul–Sep 2026

Housing Economy

Seattle · ConstructionCOPIED

Seattle builders pulled 1.4% more single-family permits than a year earlier

Single-family building permits in the Seattle metro area, by month, one line per year, units

AprJulOct37545052560067520252026
AprJulOct37545052560067520252026
2024
Chart data
Month202420252026
Dec396547—
Nov387413—
Oct556443—
Sep503399471
Aug599494415
Jul529587468
Jun471441586
May535508542
Apr601660627
Mar551533592
Feb522509438
Jan584528538

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey · data through September 2026

Builders in the Seattle metro area pulled 6,080 single-family permits in the twelve months through September 2026, 1.4% more than in the twelve months before. So far in 2026, permits are running 0.4% above the same months of 2025.

Why it matters. Permits come before starts, and starts come before new homes for sale, so this is the earliest read on how much new building is planned in the Seattle area. When the permit pipeline shrinks, buyers see fewer new-build options later; when it grows, sellers of existing homes face more competition from builders.

Seattle · Home pricesCOPIED

Seattle home prices are 0.3% higher than a year ago, the weakest gain since the third quarter of 2023

Home prices in the Seattle metro area, change from a year earlier, FHFA all-transactions index, quarterly, percent; shaded bars mark recessions

19801990200020102020-20%0%20%40%60%Seattle
19801990200020102020-20%0%20%40%60%Seattle
No changeRecession
Chart data
DateSeattle
Jun 20260.3%
Mar 20260.6%
Dec 20252.3%
Sep 20251.3%
Jun 20252.4%
Mar 20253.3%
Dec 20245.1%
Sep 20244.7%
Jun 20244.4%
Mar 20245.5%
Dec 20232.1%
Sep 2023-0.3%
Jun 2023-4.6%
Mar 20230.9%
Dec 20225.1%
Sep 202212.2%
Jun 202221.9%
Mar 202220.6%
Dec 202117.7%
Sep 202116.3%
Jun 202113.3%
Mar 20217.1%
Dec 20206.6%
Sep 20205%
Jun 20203.8%
Mar 20203.9%
Dec 20193.2%
Sep 20191.4%
Jun 20190.8%
Mar 20193.2%
Dec 20184.9%
Sep 20188.1%
Jun 201811.2%
Mar 201813.2%
Dec 201713.4%
Sep 201712.8%
Jun 201713.4%
Mar 201712%
Dec 201612%
Sep 201612.7%
Jun 201612.8%
Mar 201612.7%
Dec 201511.2%
Sep 201510%
Jun 20158.9%
Mar 20157.9%
Dec 20148.3%
Sep 20149%
Jun 20149.8%
Mar 20149.8%
Dec 20139.2%
Sep 20139.3%
Jun 20138.5%
Mar 20135%
Dec 20122.6%
Sep 20121%
Jun 2012-0.7%
Mar 2012-2.6%
Dec 2011-4.7%
Sep 2011-6.5%
Jun 2011-7%
Mar 2011-6.1%
Dec 2010-4.4%
Sep 2010-3.8%
Jun 2010-7%
Mar 2010-10.4%
Dec 2009-10%
Sep 2009-10.5%
Jun 2009-10.5%
Mar 2009-8.1%
Dec 2008-7.6%
Sep 2008-5.7%
Jun 2008-2.5%
Mar 20081.4%
Dec 20074.3%
Sep 20076%
Jun 20079%
Mar 200711.7%
Dec 200613.5%
Sep 200615.9%
Jun 200616.9%
Mar 200617.7%
Dec 200517.2%
Sep 200515%
Jun 200515.5%
Mar 200513.5%
Dec 200411%
Sep 200411.8%
Jun 20048.5%
Mar 20046%
Dec 20035.8%
Sep 20033.6%
Jun 20033.6%
Mar 20034.5%
Dec 20024.8%
Sep 20024.8%
Jun 20025%
Mar 20025.1%
Dec 20016%
Sep 20017%
Jun 20017.3%
Mar 20017.3%
Dec 20008.2%
Sep 20007.6%
Jun 20009.1%
Mar 200010.7%
Dec 19999.3%
Sep 19999.5%
Jun 19999.3%
Mar 19999%
Dec 19989.7%
Sep 199810.5%
Jun 199810.1%
Mar 19989.5%
Dec 19978.9%
Sep 19977.7%
Jun 19975.8%
Mar 19974.5%
Dec 19963.4%
Sep 19963.5%
Jun 19963.9%
Mar 19963.8%
Dec 19954.2%
Sep 19953%
Jun 19951.7%
Mar 19952%
Dec 19941.6%
Sep 19942.8%
Jun 19943.6%
Mar 19943%
Dec 19932%
Sep 19931.6%
Jun 19931.7%
Mar 19931.5%
Dec 19921.8%
Sep 19922.7%
Jun 19921.9%
Mar 19921.8%
Dec 19911.9%
Sep 1991-0.9%
Jun 19911.1%
Mar 19918.7%
Dec 199018.2%
Sep 199028.6%
Jun 199032.6%
Mar 199029.8%
Dec 198923.7%
Sep 198917.8%
Jun 198914.6%
Mar 198910.3%
Dec 19888.5%
Sep 19887.6%
Jun 19887.3%
Mar 19886.7%
Dec 19876%
Sep 19876%
Jun 19875.2%
Mar 19874.7%
Dec 19864.1%
Sep 19863.4%
Jun 19863.1%
Mar 19863.5%
Dec 19852.7%
Sep 19853.2%
Jun 19854%
Mar 19853.7%
Dec 19844.5%
Sep 19844.7%
Jun 19843.6%
Mar 19842.7%
Dec 19832.7%
Sep 198312.6%
Jun 19838.5%
Mar 198329.4%
Dec 1982-1.6%
Sep 1982-11.7%
Jun 1982-7.8%
Mar 1982-17.1%
Dec 19812.8%
Sep 19812.7%
Jun 19814.9%
Mar 1981-3.4%
Dec 19804.5%
Sep 198010.2%
Jun 19809.2%
Mar 198016.9%
Dec 197915.1%
Sep 197913.7%
Jun 197918.2%
Mar 197923.1%
Dec 197826.5%
Sep 197832.4%
Jun 197831.8%
Mar 197828.1%
Dec 197729%
Sep 197721.5%
Jun 197721%
Mar 197716.9%
Dec 197620.5%

Source: FHFA house price index; recession dates from NBER · data through Q2 2026

FHFA's all-transactions index for the Seattle metro area in the second quarter of 2026 was 0.3% above its level a year earlier. Since 1976, prices have risen an average of 7.1% a year. That is the weakest reading since the third quarter of 2023. Nationally, prices were 3.0% higher than a year earlier.

Why it matters. Long-run context shows how the latest change in Seattle home prices compares with the market's own history, including the recessions shaded on the chart. When appreciation slows, sellers have less room for a list price to run ahead of recent sales, and buyers feel less pressure to stretch to keep up; when it speeds up, the reverse holds: list prices can run ahead of recent sales and buyers compete harder.

Price reconciliation

amber · 3.7pp

Redfin (metro)

-3.4%

FHFA HPI · Q2 2026

+0.3%

Year-over-year home-price change from two independent methods — Redfin (sale prices over the last 3 months) and FHFA (quarterly repeat-sales index). When they diverge, the market is mid-shift; cite the figure with that in mind.

Market dispatches

Citable market dispatches for Seattle → Latest dispatch: Oct 30, 2026.

More markets in WA

BellinghamBremertonKennewickLongviewMount VernonOlympiaSpokaneWalla WallaWenatcheeYakima

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ZIP-level data

ZIPMedian list priceActive listingsNew listingsPrice reductionsDays on marketHome value
98004$2.04M↓238↑60↑24↑52↑$1.91M↓
98012$875K↓219↑52↓104↑52↑$929K↓
98033$1.57M↓231↑68↓64↓46↑$1.51M↓
98034$974K↑214↑36↑80↑43↓$986K↓
98052$1.23M↓185↑48↑80↑43↓$1.26M↓
98103$759K↓205↑8060↑37↑$875K↓
98133$675K↓171↑68↑56↑39↓$723K↓
98258$729K↓200↑60↑92↑51↓$694K↓
98270$644K↓187↑40↑112↑71↑$631K↓
98374$620K↓192↑52↑92↑64↓$577K↓
98387$513K↓177↑48↑88↑65↑$502K↑
98391$740K↓263↑56↓112↑67↑$668K↓

ZIP figures from Realtor.com listing data; home value from Zillow ZHVI. ZIP codes shown have the most complete listing-data history and active for-sale inventory in this metro; the latest available month is shown per ZIP. Arrows show the direction of each figure against the same three months a year earlier; no arrow means the change rounds to zero or the comparison isn't available.