Homing in on Our Region's Housing Statistics

Though not quite a record low, housing supply is still far from healthy in the Puget Sound region. Year over year, months of supply dropped 42% to 0.57 and 27% to 0.36 in King and Snohomish counties, respectively.

The East of Lake Sammamish MLS map area had the lowest months of inventory for King County, at 0.16; Belltown/Downtown had the highest, at 2.41. King County condo supply was higher, at 0.94 months of supply, than single-family housing supply, at 0.47.

The Southwest Snohomish County MLS map area had the lowest months of inventory for Snohomish County, at 0.25, and Northeast Snohomish County had the highest, at 0.49. Snohomish County condo supply was lower, at 0.24 months of supply, than single-family housing supply, at 0.39. 

Please contact data@mbaks.com with questions or feedback. We want to know what data would be useful to you!

Months' Supply of Housing Inventory

As of October 2021

	King County had 0.57 months' supply of inventory (down from 0.99 months' of inventory a year ago).
	Snohomish County had 0.36 months' supply of inventory (down from 0.49 a year ago).

Many industry analysts consider a four-to-six-month level as an indicator of a healthy market.

Source: Northwest Multiple Listing Service

Median Home Price

October 2021

	The median price of single-family homes and condos was $750,000 in King County and $664,950 in Snohomish County.
	For single-family homes only, the median price in King County rose 10.64%, from $745,000 a year ago to $824,270. The median price in Snohomish County rose 19.83%, from $579,972 to $695,000.
	In Seattle, the median price of single-family homes and condos was $790,000. The median price for single-family homes only was $850,000, a 6.25% increase from $800,000 in October 2020.

Source: Northwest Multiple Listing Service

Building Permit Activity

Jobs

	The seasonally adjusted Washington unemployment rate for October 2021 is 5.0%; for Seattle/Bellevue/Everett, it is 4.9%.
	Construction employment in Washington decreased by 800 between September 2021 and October 2021. Total construction employment is 228,100 statewide and 109,600 for Seattle/Bellevue/Everett specifically.

Source: Employment Security Department: WA Employment Estimates (Seasonally Adjusted), October 2021 and Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Population

The Puget Sound region's population as of April 1, 2021 was 4,330,400. Over the past year, the region added 66,200 people, as follows:

Source: Office of Financial Management

Icons made by Freepik from flaticon.com

Contact: data@mbaks.com

In November 2023, real estate trends in the Pacific Northwest revealed shifts in median home prices. According to the latest data, King County experienced a substantial 7% surge in the median price of single-family homes, rising from $827,000 in the previous year to a current value of $885,500. Meanwhile, Snohomish County witnessed a 4% increase in single-family home prices, elevating the median from $700,000 to $725,000. The overall median price, with both single-family homes and condos, stood at $799,925 in King County and $703,635 in Snohomish County. This upward price trajectory can be attributed to the dwindling housing inventory, underscoring the increased demand for homes in the area.

Read the full December Builders Bulletin:

By MBAKS Senior Policy Analyst Allison Butcher

The January jobs report was just released on March 16 and showed improvement from the prior month. Washington’s unemployment rate fell from 7.1% in December 2020 to 6.0% in January 2021. The January unemployment rate in the Seattle metropolitan area was 5.8%. The March Builders Bulletin also includes year-end permit totals for 2020, which were relatively flat for single-family. In contrast, multifamily permits fell 17% in King, Snohomish, and Pierce counties in 2020 compared to 2019.

The Builder's Bulletin is intended to provide a convenient way to track housing in our market and includes information from the Northwest Multiple Listing Service, State of the Cities Data Systems, Office of Financial Management, and the Washington State Employment Security Department.

Download this month's report: