Housing Market Overview
The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Mason County | Washington Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $358,045 | $471,160 | $242,182 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 20.0% | 12.1% | 8.2% |
| Median Gross Rent | $1,205 | $1,681 | $1,342 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 4.4% | 6.9% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Mason County is about 24% lower than in Washington. Rent is about 28% lower than the Washington average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2023
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2023
Both home prices and rent are rising in Mason County, up about 20.0% and 4.4% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in Mason County rose about 36.3% between 2015 and 2023, from $883 to $1,205. Over the same span, rent in Washington rose about 65.7%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 4.6 yearly household incomes in Mason County.
Buying the median-priced home in Mason County costs roughly 24.8 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 Mason County. The price-to-rent ratio in Washington is about 23.4.
| Metric | Mason County | Washington Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $358,045 | $471,160 | $242,182 |
| Median Household Income | $78,454 | $95,177 | $78,145 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 4.6 | 5.0 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2023, the median home price in Mason County rose about 101.4%, while median household income rose about 60.4% between 2009 and 2023 — 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 | Mason County | Washington Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 61.0% | 59.1% | 58.2% |
| Rental Rate | 14.2% | 33.4% | 31.3% |
| Vacancy Rate | 24.8% | 7.4% | 10.6% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 15.0 | 14.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2011 | 2012 | 2011 |
Mason County has a homeownership rate of 61.0%, higher than the Washington average of 59.1%. Its housing vacancy rate is 24.8%, compared with 7.4% in Washington.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Mason County | Washington Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.58 people | 2.51 people | 2.54 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1986 | 1982 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 5.4 | 5.5 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Mason County was built around 1986. On average, 2.6 people live in a home with about 5.4 rooms, staying for about 15.0 years on average.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Mason County, Washington.
What is the median home price in Mason County, Washington?
The median home price in Mason County, Washington is $358,045, lower than the Washington average of $471,160.
What is the average home price in Mason County, Washington?
The typical home price in %s, reported as the median sale price, is %s. 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 Mason County, Washington?
The median gross rent in Mason County, Washington is $1,205 per month, lower than the Washington average of $1,681.
What was the median gross rent in Mason County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Mason County, Washington was $1,025 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Mason County, Washington?
The price-to-rent ratio in Mason County, Washington is about 24.8, meaning it would take roughly 24.8 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 Mason County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Mason County, Washington?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Mason County, up about 20.0% and 4.4% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Mason County, Washington?
61.0% of households in Mason County, Washington own their home, higher than the Washington average of 59.1%.
What is the vacancy rate in Mason County, Washington?
The housing vacancy rate in Mason County, Washington is 24.8%, higher than the Washington average of 7.4%.