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Buying a home in Centralia, Washington

The typical owner-occupied home in Centralia is worth about $318,200, 44% below the Washington median of $564,600 and 4% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $2,146 a year in property taxes, about 0.67% of their home's value, lower than the Washington rate of 0.81%. The median household earns $56,219 a year, so the median home costs 5.7 times the median income (5.8 times for Washington). 60% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 61% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Centralia at a glance

Centralia Washington U.S.
Median home value $318,200 $564,600 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $2,146 $4,556 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 0.67% 0.81% 0.94%
Median household income $56,219 $98,141 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 60% 64% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 61% 66% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $1,663 $2,445 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 22.1% 22.2% 21.0%
Median rent $1,084 $1,760 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 32.3% 30.0% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1977 1985 1980
Vacant homes 2.8% 7.3% 10.1%
Population 18,830 7,816,116 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Centralia

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Centralia home of $318,200 with 20% down costs about $2,023 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $2,553, 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 $86,687 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 43% of the median Centralia household income of $56,219; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $206,000.

The median rent here is $1,084 a month, so owning the median home costs about $939 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$63,640
Loan amount$254,560
Principal and interest$1,712
Property taxes (0.67% a year)$178
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$133
PMI$0
Total per month$2,023

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$11,137
Loan amount$312,437
Principal and interest$2,102
Property taxes (0.67% a year)$178
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$133
FHA mortgage insurance$141
Total per month$2,553

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Questions about home buying in Centralia

What is the median home value in Centralia?

About $318,200 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Centralia?

Homeowners pay a median $2,146 a year, which is about 0.67% 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 Centralia?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $2,023 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $86,687 a year.

More about Centralia

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