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Buying a home in Ellensburg, Washington

The typical owner-occupied home in Ellensburg is worth about $404,100, 28% below the Washington median of $564,600 and 21% above the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $3,323 a year in property taxes, about 0.82% of their home's value, close to the Washington rate of 0.81%. The median household earns $55,438 a year, so the median home costs 7.3 times the median income (5.8 times for Washington). 33% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 68% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Ellensburg at a glance

Ellensburg Washington U.S.
Median home value $404,100 $564,600 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $3,323 $4,556 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 0.82% 0.81% 0.94%
Median household income $55,438 $98,141 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 33% 64% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 68% 66% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $1,854 $2,445 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 20.2% 22.2% 21.0%
Median rent $1,340 $1,760 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 36.1% 30.0% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1991 1985 1980
Vacant homes 5.6% 7.3% 10.1%
Population 20,874 7,816,116 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Ellensburg

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Ellensburg home of $404,100 with 20% down costs about $2,619 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $3,292, 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 $112,253 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 57% of the median Ellensburg household income of $55,438; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $200,000.

The median rent here is $1,340 a month, so owning the median home costs about $1,279 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$80,820
Loan amount$323,280
Principal and interest$2,175
Property taxes (0.82% a year)$276
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$168
PMI$0
Total per month$2,619

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$14,144
Loan amount$396,781
Principal and interest$2,669
Property taxes (0.82% a year)$276
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$168
FHA mortgage insurance$179
Total per month$3,292

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Questions about home buying in Ellensburg

What is the median home value in Ellensburg?

About $404,100 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Ellensburg?

Homeowners pay a median $3,323 a year, which is about 0.82% 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 Ellensburg?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $2,619 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $112,253 a year.

More about Ellensburg

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