The typical owner-occupied home in Cle Elum is worth about $451,000, 20% below the Washington median of $564,600 and 36% above the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $2,405 a year in property taxes, about 0.53% of their home's value, lower than the Washington rate of 0.81%. The median household earns $63,973 a year, so the median home costs 7.0 times the median income (5.8 times for Washington). 63% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 53% of those owners still have a mortgage.
Cle Elum at a glance
| Cle Elum | Washington | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $451,000 | $564,600 | $332,700 |
| Median property tax paid per year | $2,405 | $4,556 | $3,119 |
| Property tax as a share of value | 0.53% | 0.81% | 0.94% |
| Median household income | $63,973 | $98,141 | $80,734 |
| Homes lived in by their owners | 63% | 64% | 65% |
| Owner homes with a mortgage | 53% | 66% | 61% |
| Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage | $1,782 | $2,445 | $1,963 |
| Those costs as a share of the owners' income | 32.5% | 22.2% | 21.0% |
| Median rent | $1,295 | $1,760 | $1,413 |
| Rent as a share of renters' income | 23.9% | 30.0% | 30.6% |
| Median year homes were built | 1976 | 1985 | 1980 |
| Vacant homes | 14.5% | 7.3% | 10.1% |
| Population | 1,905 | 7,816,116 | 334,922,499 |
What a typical home costs per month in Cle Elum
At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Cle Elum home of $451,000 with 20% down costs about $2,814 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $3,566, 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 $120,610 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 53% of the median Cle Elum household income of $63,973; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $239,000.
The median rent here is $1,295 a month, so owning the median home costs about $1,519 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.
| Down payment | $90,200 |
|---|---|
| Loan amount | $360,800 |
| Principal and interest | $2,427 |
| Property taxes (0.53% a year) | $199 |
| Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year) | $188 |
| PMI | $0 |
| Total per month | $2,814 |
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| Down payment | $15,785 |
|---|---|
| Loan amount | $442,831 |
| Principal and interest | $2,979 |
| Property taxes (0.53% a year) | $199 |
| Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year) | $188 |
| FHA mortgage insurance | $199 |
| Total per month | $3,566 |
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Questions about home buying in Cle Elum
What is the median home value in Cle Elum?
About $451,000 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.
How much are property taxes in Cle Elum?
Homeowners pay a median $2,405 a year, which is about 0.53% 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 Cle Elum?
For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $2,814 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $120,610 a year.
More about Cle Elum
- Mortgage Refinance in Cle Elum
- Debt Relief in Cle Elum
- Home Equity Loans in Cle Elum
- Guides and quotes for mortgage refinance on our sister site, MortgageRefinance.com
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