State rental market reference · Data updated October 18, 2026
Washington rental market for DSCR investors: rent, taxes and insurance by county
What a rental in Washington rents for, what it costs to carry, and whether it stays rented, from official data for all 39 counties. Read it before you price a deal here.
Washington at a glance
What does a rental rent for?
$2,064 a month
HUD's FY2027 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent where most of Washington's renters live, from $1,058 (Ferry County) to $2,549 (Snohomish County). It is the government figure for a modest 2-bedroom unit, utilities included, not the rent for a house.
What will property taxes cost?
0.81% of value a year
Homeowners in Washington pay a median $4,556 a year on a median home value of $564,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024). A rental can be taxed at a different rate than an owner's home; the local tax bill is the real number.
What will insurance cost?
$1,170 a year
The median that homeowners with a mortgage in Washington report paying for homeowners insurance (Census ACS 2020–2024). It is not a landlord quote: a rental policy usually costs more, and flood cover is extra.
Will it stay rented?
4.5% rental vacancy
Share of Washington's rental homes vacant and for rent (Census ACS 2020–2024), across 1,110,043 renter households. Lower means rentals fill faster.
Are jobs growing?
Employment down 0.1% in a year
Employed residents in August 2026 against a year earlier; unemployment 4.7% (BLS, not seasonally adjusted, so compare the same month a year apart).
Is new supply coming?
34,913 homes permitted in 2025
About 11.4 new homes per 1,000 households; 51% single-family (Census Building Permits Survey). More new homes means more competition for tenants and buyers.
How often does it flood?
8,338 flood claims since 2005
National Flood Insurance Program claims on properties in Washington since 2005, $267.4 million paid (FEMA). Claims show where water has reached insured buildings; they are not a flood map, so check the FEMA flood zone for the address.
What it means for a DSCR rental in Washington
A lender's DSCR is the monthly rent divided by the full monthly payment: principal, interest, property taxes, insurance and any HOA dues. Many lenders accept 1.00x; 1.20x leaves a cushion.
Take a home at Washington's median value of $564,600, bought with 25% down on a 7.5% 30-year loan, with the state's typical tax rate and insurance:
- Principal and interest ($423,450 loan)
- $2,961
- Property taxes
- $381
- Insurance
- $98
- Full monthly payment
- $3,439
- Rent for a 1.20x DSCR
- $4,130 a month
The government 2-bedroom figure where most of Washington's renters live is $2,064 a month, below the $4,130 that home needs. A house usually rents for more than a 2-bedroom unit, so price the house you are looking at with its own rent. The last column of the table below gives the same figure for each county.
Rules and costs a landlord faces in Washington
Each line quotes the official source it comes from and the date it was last checked. These are general rules, not legal advice; local rules can add to them.
- How long before you can file to evict for unpaid rent?
14 calendar days' notice for unpaid rent before an eviction can be filed.
(3) When he or she continues in possession ... after a default in the payment of rent ... has remained uncomplied with for the period of three days after service, or for the period of 14 days after service for tenancies under chapter 59.18 RCW.
Washington State Legislature, checked October 19, 2026
- How fast must the deposit come back?
Within 30 days after the tenancy ends.
Within 30 days after the termination of the rental agreement and vacation of the premises or, if the tenant abandons the premises as defined in RCW 59.18.310, within 30 days after the landlord learns of the abandonment, the landlord shall give a full and specific statement
Washington State Legislature, checked October 19, 2026
- Can rents be capped?
State law caps rent increases statewide.
Except as authorized by an exemption under RCW 59.18.710, a landlord may not increase the rent for any type of tenancy ... in an amount greater than seven percent plus the consumer price index, or 10 percent, whichever is less.
Washington State Legislature, checked October 19, 2026
- What does the state charge to record a purchase?
State tax: 1.1 percent of the portion of the selling price that is less than or equal to five hundred thousand dollars; 1.28 percent of the portion of the selling price that is greater than five hundred thousand dollars and equal to or less than one million five hundred thousand dollars.
(i) 1.1 percent of the portion of the selling price that is less than or equal to five hundred thousand dollars; (ii) 1.28 percent of the portion of the selling price that is greater than five hundred thousand dollars and equal to or less than one million five hundred thousand dollars;
Washington State Legislature, checked October 19, 2026
- Where do you insure when private insurers decline?
Washington FAIR (Fair Access to Insurance Requirements) Plan.
If they can't find other coverage, they can get you a quote through the Washington FAIR (Fair Access to Insurance Requirements) Plan. It provides basic property insurance up to $1.5 million if you can't get coverage.
Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner, checked October 19, 2026
Market hubs in Washington
DSCRInfo does not publish a monthly market hub in Washington yet. The figures above and the table below cover every county; the market hubs cover other states.
Washington by county
All 39 counties, most renter households first. "Rent for 1.20x" is the monthly rent a home at that county's median value needs on the example loan above. A dash means the source publishes no reliable figure there.
| County | 2-bed FMR | Property tax | Insurance / yr | Rental vacancy | Jobs, 1 yr | Permits | Flood claims | Rent for 1.20x |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| King County | $2,549 | 0.83% | $1,250 | 5.3% | -0.5% | 8,505 | 1,971 | $6,250 |
| Pierce County | $2,064 | 0.91% | $1,180 | 4.1% | -0.3% | 3,782 | 617 | $3,910 |
| Snohomish County | $2,549 | 0.77% | $1,150 | 4.0% | +0.3% | 3,372 | 1,050 | $5,030 |
| Spokane County | $1,494 | 0.84% | $1,120 | 3.9% | +0.4% | 2,976 | 35 | $3,040 |
| Clark County | $1,878 | 0.82% | $1,080 | 3.6% | -0.4% | 3,250 | 52 | $3,830 |
| Thurston County | $1,946 | 0.88% | $1,130 | 4.0% | +1.5% | 1,669 | 187 | $3,560 |
| Whatcom County | $1,872 | 0.70% | $1,020 | 2.6% | +1.0% | 1,214 | 831 | $4,200 |
| Yakima County | $1,313 | 0.79% | $1,160 | 2.4% | +1.9% | 713 | 89 | $2,310 |
| Kitsap County | $1,967 | 0.77% | $1,180 | 4.3% | -1.4% | 1,780 | 167 | $4,040 |
| Benton County | $1,487 | 0.78% | $1,100 | 5.0% | +0.3% | 1,663 | 45 | $2,990 |
| Skagit County | $1,668 | 0.79% | $1,180 | 1.4% | +1.3% | 373 | 398 | $3,980 |
| Cowlitz County | $1,398 | 0.82% | $1,120 | 3.4% | +0.6% | 308 | 187 | $2,940 |
| Grant County | $1,361 | 0.78% | $1,180 | 3.2% | +1.9% | 431 | 10 | $2,240 |
| Chelan County | $1,467 | 0.71% | $1,240 | 3.1% | -2.8% | 783 | 86 | $3,560 |
| Whitman County | $1,269 | 0.75% | $1,160 | 16.6% | -13.7% | 26 | 8 | $2,650 |
| Clallam County | $1,429 | 0.72% | $1,080 | 2.0% | +2.0% | 293 | 30 | $3,070 |
| Island County | $1,824 | 0.67% | $1,220 | 7.8% | +1.8% | 209 | 200 | $4,250 |
| Franklin County | $1,487 | 0.73% | $1,000 | 4.1% | +0.9% | 768 | 1 | $2,760 |
| Walla Walla County | $1,561 | 0.85% | $1,110 | 8.1% | +2.2% | 163 | 41 | $3,030 |
| Grays Harbor County | $1,345 | 0.80% | $1,140 | 3.3% | +0.6% | 224 | 580 | $2,340 |
| Lewis County | $1,435 | 0.67% | $1,170 | 3.9% | +0.6% | 431 | 1,112 | $2,800 |
| Kittitas County | $1,655 | 0.71% | $1,250 | 4.1% | -0.6% | 288 | 149 | $3,610 |
| Douglas County | $1,467 | 0.77% | $1,220 | 3.0% | -1.0% | 303 | 0 | $3,180 |
| Okanogan County | $1,202 | 0.76% | $1,280 | 3.6% | +0.1% | 229 | 37 | $2,240 |
| Mason County | $1,572 | 0.73% | $1,160 | 3.2% | +0.4% | 204 | 160 | $3,010 |
Show the other 14 counties
| County | 2-bed FMR | Property tax | Insurance / yr | Rental vacancy | Jobs, 1 yr | Permits | Flood claims | Rent for 1.20x |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stevens County | $1,121 | 0.59% | $1,240 | 0.8% | +0.4% | 196 | 8 | $2,540 |
| Jefferson County | $1,588 | 0.71% | $1,100 | 4.0% | +4.0% | 218 | 27 | $3,860 |
| Asotin County | $1,234 | 0.72% | $1,110 | 1.8% | +1.9% | 37 | 2 | $2,390 |
| Klickitat County | $1,447 | 0.62% | $1,230 | 4.8% | +2.5% | 102 | 2 | $3,060 |
| Pacific County | $1,282 | 0.72% | $1,170 | 4.0% | -0.6% | 64 | 114 | $2,460 |
| San Juan County | $2,022 | 0.53% | $1,330 | 2.9% | -2.8% | 81 | 8 | $5,590 |
| Adams County | $1,262 | 0.79% | $1,070 | 4.1% | +4.5% | 33 | 6 | $2,040 |
| Pend Oreille County | $1,298 | 0.58% | $1,200 | 5.5% | +0.9% | 58 | 27 | $2,650 |
| Skamania County | $1,878 | 0.67% | $1,350 | 5.4% | -0.4% | 55 | 12 | $3,820 |
| Lincoln County | $1,091 | 0.60% | $1,270 | 2.5% | +2.3% | 67 | 3 | $2,150 |
| Ferry County | $1,058 | 0.64% | $1,220 | 10.2% | +1.9% | 19 | 3 | $2,090 |
| Columbia County | $1,190 | 0.85% | $1,220 | 3.5% | -7.8% | 5 | 16 | $2,060 |
| Wahkiakum County | $1,183 | 0.60% | $1,220 | 1.7% | -2.3% | 21 | 57 | $2,860 |
| Garfield County | $1,143 | 0.66% | $1,380 | 13.1% | +0.1% | 0 | 0 | $1,800 |
Where these numbers come from
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent
- HUD's FY2027 Fair Market Rents, in effect from October 1, 2026: the rent and utilities of a modest 2-bedroom unit, set for housing vouchers. It is not a house rent. Where HUD publishes by town (New England), the county shows the range. HUD Fair Market Rents
- Property tax, insurance, vacancy and home value
- Census American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. Property tax is the median tax paid divided by the median home value of owner-occupied homes. Insurance is the median that owners with a mortgage report paying, not a landlord quote. Rental vacancy is homes vacant for rent divided by all rental homes. Figures from too few homes are left blank. American Community Survey
- Jobs
- BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics: employed residents in August 2026 against the same month a year earlier, not seasonally adjusted. BLS LAUS
- Permits
- Census Building Permits Survey: new housing units authorized in 2025, all building sizes. Building Permits Survey
- Flood claims
- FEMA National Flood Insurance Program claims with a loss in 2005 or later, and the net amount paid. Only insured buildings appear. Check a flood zone
These are screening figures for comparing places, not a quote, an appraisal or a loan offer. Washington total flood payments since 2005: $267.4 million.