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Buying a home in Ferndale, Washington

The typical owner-occupied home in Ferndale is worth about $549,300, 3% below the Washington median of $564,600 and 65% above the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $3,712 a year in property taxes, about 0.68% of their home's value, lower than the Washington rate of 0.81%. The median household earns $87,579 a year, so the median home costs 6.3 times the median income (5.8 times for Washington). 68% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 74% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Ferndale at a glance

Ferndale Washington U.S.
Median home value $549,300 $564,600 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $3,712 $4,556 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 0.68% 0.81% 0.94%
Median household income $87,579 $98,141 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 68% 64% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 74% 66% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $2,393 $2,445 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 24.4% 22.2% 21.0%
Median rent $1,477 $1,760 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 32.7% 30.0% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1998 1985 1980
Vacant homes 5.7% 7.3% 10.1%
Population 15,999 7,816,116 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Ferndale

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Ferndale home of $549,300 with 20% down costs about $3,496 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $4,411, 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 $149,841 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 48% of the median Ferndale household income of $87,579; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $321,000.

The median rent here is $1,477 a month, so owning the median home costs about $2,019 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$109,860
Loan amount$439,440
Principal and interest$2,956
Property taxes (0.68% a year)$311
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$229
PMI$0
Total per month$3,496

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$19,226
Loan amount$539,351
Principal and interest$3,628
Property taxes (0.68% a year)$311
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$229
FHA mortgage insurance$243
Total per month$4,411

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Questions about home buying in Ferndale

What is the median home value in Ferndale?

About $549,300 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Ferndale?

Homeowners pay a median $3,712 a year, which is about 0.68% 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 Ferndale?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $3,496 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $149,841 a year.

More about Ferndale

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