Cowlitz County, Washington Housing Market Prices
Cowlitz 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 19% below the Washington median$394,545
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Median rent 31% below the Washington median$1,206
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Cowlitz County | Washington Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $394,545 | $485,016 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 11.1% | 10.9% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $1,206 | $1,759 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 5.6% | 6.6% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Cowlitz County is about 19% lower than in Washington. Rent is about 31% 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 Cowlitz County, up about 11.1% and 5.6% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in Cowlitz County rose about 57.7% between 2015 and 2024, from $765 to $1,206. Over the same span, rent in Washington rose about 73.4%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 5.2 yearly household incomes in Cowlitz County.
Buying the median-priced home in Cowlitz County costs roughly 27.3 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a relatively high price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor renting over buying in Cowlitz County. The price-to-rent ratio in Washington is about 23.0.
| Metric | Cowlitz County | Washington Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $394,545 | $485,016 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $76,590 | $98,224 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 5.2 | 4.9 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in Cowlitz County rose about 171.8%, while median household income rose about 52.7% 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 | Cowlitz County | Washington Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 64.4% | 59.1% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 30.3% | 33.6% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 5.3% | 7.3% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 14.0 | 14.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2012 | 2012 | 2011 |
Cowlitz County has a homeownership rate of 64.4%, higher than the Washington average of 59.1%. Its housing vacancy rate is 5.3%, compared with 7.3% in Washington.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Cowlitz County | Washington Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.53 people | 2.50 people | 2.53 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1976 | 1983 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 5.6 | 5.5 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Cowlitz County was built around 1976. On average, 2.5 people live in a home with about 5.6 rooms, staying for about 14.0 years on average.
Cowlitz County, WA Housing Compared With Nearby Counties
Cowlitz County, WA is the 4th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 112,357 residents against a local median of 299,046. Cowlitz County, WA's median rent, at $1,206, runs 27% below the $1,646 typical of the counties around it.
The counties themselves spread $650 on median rent, so Cowlitz County, WA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Cowlitz County, WA has the 5th highest median rent of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median home price | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cowlitz County, WA | 112,357 | $394,545 #5/6 | $1,206 #5/6 | 68.0% #3/6 |
| Clark County, WA | 516,710 | $477,323 | $1,747 | 66.4% |
| Columbia County, OR | 53,499 | $238,667 | $1,372 | 76.1% |
| Lewis County, WA | 85,146 | $399,467 | $1,097 | 75.8% |
| Multnomah County, OR | 801,042 | $474,481 | $1,646 | 53.4% |
| Thurston County, WA | 299,046 | $427,911 | $1,736 | 67.7% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Cowlitz County, Washington.
What is the median home price in Cowlitz County, Washington?
The median home price in Cowlitz County, Washington is $394,545, lower than the Washington average of $485,016.
What is the average home price in Cowlitz County, Washington?
The typical home price in Cowlitz County, Washington, reported as the median sale price, is $394,545. 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 Cowlitz County, Washington?
The median gross rent in Cowlitz County, Washington is $1,206 per month, lower than the Washington average of $1,759.
What was the median gross rent in Cowlitz County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Cowlitz County, Washington was $894 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Cowlitz County, Washington?
The price-to-rent ratio in Cowlitz County, Washington is about 27.3, meaning it would take roughly 27.3 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a relatively high price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor renting over buying in Cowlitz County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Cowlitz County, Washington?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Cowlitz County, up about 11.1% and 5.6% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Cowlitz County, Washington?
64.4% of households in Cowlitz County, Washington own their home, higher than the Washington average of 59.1%.
What is the vacancy rate in Cowlitz County, Washington?
The housing vacancy rate in Cowlitz County, Washington is 5.3%, lower than the Washington average of 7.3%.
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