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Buying a home in Kalama, Washington

The typical owner-occupied home in Kalama is worth about $471,500, 16% below the Washington median of $564,600 and 42% above the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $3,083 a year in property taxes, about 0.65% of their home's value, lower than the Washington rate of 0.81%. The median household earns $102,026 a year, so the median home costs 4.6 times the median income (5.8 times for Washington). 65% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 57% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Kalama at a glance

Kalama Washington U.S.
Median home value $471,500 $564,600 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $3,083 $4,556 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 0.65% 0.81% 0.94%
Median household income $102,026 $98,141 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 65% 64% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 57% 66% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $2,317 $2,445 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 27.5% 22.2% 21.0%
Median rent – $1,760 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 23.2% 30.0% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 2002 1985 1980
Vacant homes 1.9% 7.3% 10.1%
Population 3,050 7,816,116 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Kalama

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Kalama home of $471,500 with 20% down costs about $2,989 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $3,775, because the loan is bigger and FHA adds mortgage insurance.

Lenders usually want housing costs under about 28% of gross income, which means an income of roughly $128,113 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 35% of the median Kalama household income of $102,026; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $375,000.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$94,300
Loan amount$377,200
Principal and interest$2,537
Property taxes (0.65% a year)$255
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$196
PMI$0
Total per month$2,989

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$16,502
Loan amount$462,960
Principal and interest$3,114
Property taxes (0.65% a year)$255
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$196
FHA mortgage insurance$209
Total per month$3,775

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Questions about home buying in Kalama

What is the median home value in Kalama?

About $471,500 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Kalama?

Homeowners pay a median $3,083 a year, which is about 0.65% of the median home value. Your bill depends on your home's assessed value and local rates.

What income do you need to buy a home in Kalama?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $2,989 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $128,113 a year.

More about Kalama

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates; Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, week of November 12, 2026. Estimates for small places have wide margins of error. About our data