Washington’s Five Most Affordable Cities

The website Livability.com has come up with a list of the five most affordable cities in Washington. They’re quick to point out these aren’t just “cheap” cities, but represent a  mix of affordability and quality of life.

Topping the list is Olympia, where the median household income is $52,834 with the median home price coming in at $240,800, which is lower than the state average .

Number 2  takes us to the Eastside of the state and just an hour and 20 minutes down the road from Yakima.  A part of the Tri-Cities area, which includes Pasco and Kennewick, Richland’s history is wrapped up in the Manhattan Project facility at the Hanford site.   The median household income is an impressive $69,372, while the median home price is $200,800.

Coming in at Number 3 is Bothell where people can live close to Seattle but without Seattle prices.  The median home price is $344,600 – not too bad for this area. The median household income is $75,643.

Auburn is Number  4 and sits as the gateway to the major metropolitan areas of Tacoma and Seattle. Those who live here can expect a median home price of $231,200, with a median household income of $57,635.

At Number 5 and perhaps not fitting your mental picture of affordable is high-tech Redmond, Washington.  It’s the home headquarters to computer software king Microsoft and video gaming systems company Nintendo of America where the median household price is a robust $462,200 and the median household income of $99,586.