The typical owner-occupied home in Bay Center is worth about $542,900, 4% below the Washington median of $564,600 and 63% above the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $3,727 a year in property taxes, about 0.69% of their home's value, lower than the Washington rate of 0.81%. The median household earns $72,206 a year, so the median home costs 7.5 times the median income (5.8 times for Washington). 100% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 71% of those owners still have a mortgage.
Bay Center at a glance
| Bay Center | Washington | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $542,900 | $564,600 | $332,700 |
| Median property tax paid per year | $3,727 | $4,556 | $3,119 |
| Property tax as a share of value | 0.69% | 0.81% | 0.94% |
| Median household income | $72,206 | $98,141 | $80,734 |
| Homes lived in by their owners | 100% | 64% | 65% |
| Owner homes with a mortgage | 71% | 66% | 61% |
| Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage | $1,830 | $2,445 | $1,963 |
| Those costs as a share of the owners' income | 22.6% | 22.2% | 21.0% |
| Median rent | – | $1,760 | $1,413 |
| Median year homes were built | 1995 | 1985 | 1980 |
| Vacant homes | 43.5% | 7.3% | 10.1% |
| Population | 206 | 7,816,116 | 334,922,499 |
What a typical home costs per month in Bay Center
At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Bay Center home of $542,900 with 20% down costs about $3,460 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $4,364, 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 $148,289 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 58% of the median Bay Center household income of $72,206; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $264,000.
| Down payment | $108,580 |
|---|---|
| Loan amount | $434,320 |
| Principal and interest | $2,922 |
| Property taxes (0.69% a year) | $312 |
| Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year) | $226 |
| PMI | $0 |
| Total per month | $3,460 |
Change the numbers in the calculator
| Down payment | $19,002 |
|---|---|
| Loan amount | $533,067 |
| Principal and interest | $3,586 |
| Property taxes (0.69% a year) | $312 |
| Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year) | $226 |
| FHA mortgage insurance | $240 |
| Total per month | $4,364 |
Change the numbers in the calculator
Questions about home buying in Bay Center
What is the median home value in Bay Center?
About $542,900 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.
How much are property taxes in Bay Center?
Homeowners pay a median $3,727 a year, which is about 0.69% 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 Bay Center?
For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $3,460 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $148,289 a year.
More about Bay Center
- Mortgage Refinance in Bay Center
- Debt Relief in Bay Center
- Home Equity Loans in Bay Center
- 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