Photo: Orange Suede Sofa · CC BY-SA 3.0Even on the area’s higher pay, Belfair costs more to live in than 57% of U.S. towns
It ranks #23 of 285 in Washington for affordability. About the same as a year ago, 19% below the Washington typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of the Shelton, WA micro area ($83K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
The grade measures what housing costs against what households in the area earn. Belfair’s area earns well above the typical U.S. town ($83K against $74K), but homes, rent and taxes here run higher still. Owners keep up better than renters: 22% of owners pay 30% or more of income for housing (typical U.S. town: 20%), against 36% of renters.
In dollars
- $478Ktypical home, 19% below the Washington typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $1,860a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 4.6 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$83K, Shelton-area income
- 17%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 36%of renters pay 30%+ of income for housing; across Washington: 50%Census 2020–24
- 22%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
Housing in Belfair, in brief
Rent is easier on renters here
36% of renter households spend 30% or more of their income on rent, against 50% across Washington. A standard two-bedroom is 25% of the median household income. Renting ↓
New renters pay more than renters already here
HUD puts a standard two-bedroom at about $1,860 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already in Belfair pay a median of $1,195. Renting ↓
Written from the data on this page. Home values are the Zillow Home Value Index, through September 2026; sales and supply are Redfin’s for May 2026; incomes, rents paid, taxes and ownership come from the Census American Community Survey.
What’s behind Belfair’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Belfair is more affordable than 43% of U.S. towns, #23 of 285 in Washington. Home prices pull the grade down most; property tax holds it up.
Prices here have kept pace with Washington: up 7.9% in five years, against 10.5% statewide (Zillow).
Up 7.9% in five years
About the same pace as Washington (10.5%).
Show as a table
| January | Belfair | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $237,000 | $324,000 |
| 2018 | $266,000 | $359,000 |
| 2019 | $296,000 | $387,000 |
| 2020 | $317,000 | $410,000 |
| 2021 | $382,000 | $467,000 |
| 2022 | $456,000 | $549,000 |
| 2023 | $463,000 | $568,000 |
| 2024 | $465,000 | $577,000 |
| 2025 | $484,000 | $600,000 |
| 2026 | $485,000 | $597,000 |
| September 2026 | $478,000 | $588,000 |
A typical Belfair home worth $230K in October 2016 is worth about $478K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
Too few sales to read the market
Only 6 homes sold in May 2026, the latest month in Redfin’s figures: too few to describe the market or quote a median sale price.
A typical home costs 4.6 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Belfair’s own median, or type yours.
That’s $144K short of a typical Belfair home.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,860 a month here, $910 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Belfair’s typical property tax (0.65% of value a year, from the Census) and insurance of about 0.35%. Mortgage insurance, HOA fees and other debts aren’t included.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,860
Renters already here pay a median of $1,195, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA MSA): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Property tax runs below the Washington norm
The median bill is $2,474 (Washington: $4,556), 0.65% of a home’s value a year, against 0.81% statewide.
Census American Community Survey 2020–24: the median real-estate tax bill homeowners report, and that bill ÷ the median home value. Bills include town, school and county taxes. The Census reports bills over $10,000 only as “$10,000+”.
Belfair and its neighbors
One source per column.
Cost next door · one source per column
| Town | Cost | Typical home Zillow, September 2026 | Median value Census 2020–24 | Tax rate bill ÷ value | 2-bed rent HUD 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belfair | C+ | $478K | $380K | 0.65% | $1,860 |
Questions about the cost of living in Belfair
Is Belfair expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Belfair costs more than 57% of U.S. towns: a C+ for cost of living, #23 of 285 in Washington. The typical home costs 4.6 years of the median household income of the Shelton, WA micro area ($83K).
How much does a house cost in Belfair?
About $478K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 0.1% in a year. The Washington typical home is $588K.
What salary do you need to live in Belfair?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $119,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $2,770 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $74,000.
How much is rent in Belfair?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,860 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $1,195 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Belfair?
The median bill is $2,474 a year, 0.65% of the median home value (Washington: $4,556, 0.81%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Belfair going up?
Barely: up 0.1% in the past year and 7.9% in five years, against 10.5% across Washington (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Belfair buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, September 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, May 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The calculator is an estimate, not a loan offer. Regional price levels: BEA; electricity: EIA. How TownRatings grades cost of living.