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Washington Housing Affordability Index | MonitorBankRates (MBR-HAI)

Washington Housing Affordability Index

Washington’s MBR Housing Affordability Index score is 81.9 (Moderately Less Affordable) as of October 13, 2026, ranking 44th most affordable of 51 states, compared with a national score of 97.1. On a median-priced $564,600 home in Washington with 20% down, the current 7.48% 30-year fixed rate means a monthly principal and interest payment of about $3,153, or 39% of the state’s $98,141 median household income.

Daily MBR Housing Affordability Index (MBR-HAI) score for Washington compared to the national average. Updated every night using live mortgage rates and U.S. Census Bureau income and home value data. A score of 100 equals the national average; higher scores mean homeownership is more affordable.

Current Score
Washington
81.9
Moderately Less Affordable
MBR-HAI • October 13, 2026
0 vs. prior day
National Average
97.1
Near National Average
MBR-HAI • October 13, 2026
0 vs. prior day
National Rank #44 of 51 states
vs. National Average -15.2 points
30-yr Rate Used 7.484%
Median Home Value $564,600
Median Household Income $98,141

Housing Affordability Across U.S. States

MBR-HAI score for every state as of October 13, 2026, with Washington outlined. Green states are more affordable than the national baseline of 100; red states are less affordable. Hover for the rank; click through to any state.

Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming District of Columbia District of Columbia
Highly Affordable (120+) More Affordable (110-119) Near Average (90-109) Moderately Less (70-89) Significantly Less (50-69) Least Affordable (under 50)

National baseline = 100 (computed at the 6.5% reference rate). Scores update every morning. Hover any state for its rank; click to open that state's page.

Free to reuse with the citation shown on the image.

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Citation required: include Source: MBR Housing Affordability Index, MonitorBankRates.com wherever the score appears (already in the snippet).

Washington Affordability Ranking

#44 of 51 states · October 13, 2026 Bottom 20% least affordable
Most Affordable Least Affordable
More affordable than: 7 of 51 states (14%)
Less affordable than: 43 of 51 states (84%)
MBR-HAI Score: 81.9 vs. national 97.1 (-15.2 points)
Nearby States
↑ 41 more affordable states above
#42 NJ 83.4
#43 CO 83.0
#44 Washington ◀ 81.9
#45 RI 80.7
#46 NY 79.8
↓ 5 less affordable states below
Top 5 Most Affordable
#1 WV 144.4
#2 AR 134.9
#3 AL 133.6
#4 MS 130.7
#5 IA 125.0
Bottom 5 Least Affordable
#47 OR 77.8
#48 DC 77.2
#49 MA 76.0
#50 HI 69.0
#51 CA 67.4

View full 51-state rankings →

Washington MBR-HAI · 90-Day Trend

Washington
National Average

Dashed line = national average. Amber dashed line = 100 baseline. Score updates each morning after the nightly rate aggregation run.

Key Affordability Factors · Washington

$564,600
Median Home Value
U.S. median: varies by state
$98,141
Median Household Income
U.S. median: $80,734
5.8x
Price-to-Income Ratio
Home value ÷ income
$1,842/mo
Median Owner Costs
22.5% of income annually
$4,627/yr
Median Property Tax
0.82% effective rate
63.6%
Homeownership Rate
U.S. average: 65.7%
29.5%
Owner Cost Burden
% spending 30%+ of income on housing
7.484%
30-yr Mortgage Rate
State average • October 13, 2026

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey and Current Population Survey. Mortgage rate from MBR live rate database.

How Washington Ranks Among All States

#44
of 51 states
Least Affordable Most Affordable
Washington is more affordable than 14% of U.S. states, Moderately Less Affordable
81.9
MBR-HAI Score
Rank State MBR-HAI Score Affordability
▲ See top 40 states →
41 New Hampshire 85.9 Moderately Less Affordable
42 New Jersey 83.4 Moderately Less Affordable
43 Colorado 83.0 Moderately Less Affordable
44 Washington You are here 81.9 Moderately Less Affordable
45 Rhode Island 80.7 Moderately Less Affordable
46 New York 79.8 Moderately Less Affordable
47 Oregon 77.8 Moderately Less Affordable
▼ See all 51 state rankings →

Showing states ranked near Washington · October 13, 2026 • View complete national rankings →

Download Washington HAI Data

Washington History (CSV)
Daily score vs. national • all dates
date,state,hai_score,national_score,rate_used
2026-10-13,WA,81.9,97.1,7.484
Download WA History (CSV)
All 51 States (CSV)
Compare Washington to every state

Daily scores for all 51 states, filter by state or date in Excel or Google Sheets.

All States (CSV)
Cite the Washington MBR-HAI
Editorial / press citation
“MonitorBankRates (MBR) Housing Affordability Index, MonitorBankRates.com, October 13, 2026. Washington score: 81.9 (Moderately Less Affordable), ranked #44 of 51 states. Methodology: monitorbankrates.com/housing-affordability-index-methodology”
APA 7th edition (academic)
Monitor Bank Rates LLC. (2026, October 13). MonitorBankRates (MBR) Housing Affordability Index: Washington [Data set]. https://www.monitorbankrates.com/housing-affordability-index/washington/

Press & Citation Resources · Washington

Ready-to-publish sentences using today's Washington data, an email template you can send to clients, and direct contact for press inquiries or custom data requests.

Ready-to-Publish Sentences

Each sentence updates daily with the live Washington score. Free for editorial use with attribution to MonitorBankRates.

News Lead · AP-style, factual

In Washington, the MonitorBankRates (MBR) Housing Affordability Index stood at 81.9 on October 13, 2026, ranking #44 of 51 U.S. states for homeownership affordability and indicating moderately less affordable conditions relative to the national baseline. The state-level reading combines Washington's 30-year mortgage rate average of 7.484% with U.S. Census Bureau housing values, household income, property taxes, and cost burden data.

Analyst Quote · with voice, attributable

“Washington's MonitorBankRates (MBR) Housing Affordability Index score of 81.9 places it #44 of 51 nationwide. Below the 100 baseline, that means buyer purchasing power in Washington is weaker than the long-run national average computed at a 6.5% mortgage rate. The state's 30-year average is currently 7.484%, and the index lags the national average.”

Brian McKay, MonitorBankRates

Social Media · concise, share-friendly

🏠 MonitorBankRates (MBR) Housing Affordability Index. Washington: 81.9 (Moderately Less Affordable), rank #44 of 51 states. 30-yr mortgage avg: 7.48%. National baseline = 100. Updated daily · via @MonitorBankRates → https://www.monitorbankrates.com/housing-affordability-index/washington/

Casual / Blog · conversational

Housing affordability in Washington is currently sitting at 81.9 on the MonitorBankRates (MBR) Housing Affordability Index, ranking it #44 of 51 U.S. states. With 100 representing the long-term national baseline at a 6.5% reference rate, Washington's 30-year mortgage rate of 7.48% reflects moderately less affordable conditions for local buyers. The state lags the national average as a whole.

Mortgage Broker Email Template

Pre-written client update for Washington homebuyers. Personalize the bracketed fields and send.

SubjectHousing affordability snapshot for Washington: what it means for your search
Hi [Client Name], Wanted to share a quick affordability snapshot for Washington from the MonitorBankRates (MBR) Housing Affordability Index, a daily-updated composite that tracks how affordable U.S. homeownership is right now. Washington's current reading: 81.9 (Moderately Less Affordable), rank #44 of 51 states National reading: 97.130-year mortgage rate average in Washington: 7.484% The index baseline of 100 represents long-run typical conditions at a 6.5% reference rate. Washington currently lags the national average. For full state context (including the 90-day trend, key affordability factors, and how Washington compares to neighboring states) see: https://www.monitorbankrates.com/housing-affordability-index/washington/ Always happy to discuss what this means for your specific situation. Best, [Your Name]

For Press & Researchers

The Washington MBR-HAI is free to cite for editorial, academic, and policy use with attribution. We're happy to provide additional support:

  • Custom data cuts: Washington metros, MSAs, or historical slices on request
  • Embargo-friendly releases: give us 24 hours notice for scheduled coverage
  • Background interviews: methodology, market context, or commentary on rate moves
  • Direct contact: contact form or reply to any address listed there

For our published citation history and recent media mentions, see MBR in the Press.