Washington Down-Payment Wait Tops a Decade

In Washington, a household earning the median $104.8K income needs 11.5 yr of saving to reach a 20% down payment target statewide.
Typical Washington home values reached $604.1K, ↑>96% over the decade, while median income ↑56%, stretching the time needed for a down payment.
For a minimum-wage worker in Washington, saving alone for that same 20% down payment would take 33.9 yr, underscoring the affordability gap.
Seattle drove much of Washington’s pressure as well-paid tech workers competed for limited homes, while no state income tax drew additional high earners.
Buyers priced out of Seattle increasingly look to Snohomish and Pierce counties, but longer commutes come with prices that keep pace outward.