Columbia County, Washington Housing Market Prices
Columbia County Home Prices and Rent at a Glance
The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.
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Median home price 65% below the Washington median Cheaper than 84% of counties in Washington$170,416
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Median rent 44% below the Washington median Cheaper than 79% of counties in Washington$984
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Columbia County | Washington Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $170,416 | $485,016 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 61.7% | 10.9% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $984 | $1,759 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 3.6% | 6.6% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Columbia County is about 65% lower than in Washington. Rent is about 44% lower than the Washington average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2024
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2024
Both home prices and rent are rising in Columbia County, up about 61.7% and 3.6% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in Columbia County rose about 36.5% between 2015 and 2024, from $721 to $984. Over the same span, rent in Washington rose about 73.4%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 2.4 yearly household incomes in Columbia County.
Buying the median-priced home in Columbia County costs roughly 14.4 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a relatively low price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor buying over renting in Columbia County. The price-to-rent ratio in Washington is about 23.0.
| Metric | Columbia County | Washington Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $170,416 | $485,016 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $69,757 | $98,224 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 2.4 | 4.9 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in Columbia County rose about 604.2%, while median household income rose about 60.7% between 2009 and 2025 — the home price grew faster than income.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | Columbia County | Washington Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 65.3% | 59.1% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 18.7% | 33.6% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 16.0% | 7.3% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 17.0 | 14.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2009 | 2012 | 2011 |
Columbia County has a homeownership rate of 65.3%, higher than the Washington average of 59.1%. Its housing vacancy rate is 16.0%, compared with 7.3% in Washington.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Columbia County | Washington Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.12 people | 2.50 people | 2.53 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1960 | 1983 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 5.8 | 5.5 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Columbia County was built around 1960. On average, 2.1 people live in a home with about 5.8 rooms, staying for about 17.0 years on average.
Columbia County, WA Housing Compared With Nearby Counties
How Columbia County, WA compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median home price | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia County, WA | 4,012 | $170,416 #2/2 | $984 #2/2 | 77.7% #1/2 |
| Whitman County, WA | 47,000 | $274,039 | $1,049 | 46.8% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Columbia County, Washington.
What is the median home price in Columbia County, Washington?
The median home price in Columbia County, Washington is $170,416, lower than the Washington average of $485,016.
What is the average home price in Columbia County, Washington?
The typical home price in Columbia County, Washington, reported as the median sale price, is $170,416. The median is used instead of a mathematical average because it is not skewed by a small number of very expensive or very cheap homes, so it better reflects what a typical buyer pays.
What is the median rent in Columbia County, Washington?
The median gross rent in Columbia County, Washington is $984 per month, lower than the Washington average of $1,759.
What was the median gross rent in Columbia County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Columbia County, Washington was $760 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Columbia County, Washington?
The price-to-rent ratio in Columbia County, Washington is about 14.4, meaning it would take roughly 14.4 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a relatively low price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor buying over renting in Columbia County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Columbia County, Washington?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Columbia County, up about 61.7% and 3.6% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Columbia County, Washington?
65.3% of households in Columbia County, Washington own their home, higher than the Washington average of 59.1%.
What is the vacancy rate in Columbia County, Washington?
The housing vacancy rate in Columbia County, Washington is 16.0%, higher than the Washington average of 7.3%.
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