Photo: Joe Mabel · CC BY-SA 3.038 homes sold in Elma in the last year, at a typical $406K
Almost every sale is a house. Below: what each kind of home sells for, what your budget buys, the best months to buy, how hard you’ll have to bid, and a shortcut to every site where Elma homes are listed.
Every place Elma homes are listed, in one stop
We don’t copy listings: the agents’ sites have the photos and the latest price changes. Set what you want once and we open each site already filtered to Elma.
For sale
Rent
New, land & open houses
Links open the listing sites; TownRatings isn’t paid for them and doesn’t rank one above another. Rentals and government-owned homes come from sources outside the MLS.
Houses are 97% of Elma’s sales, at a typical $403K
38 homes sold in the year to May 2026.
typical sale · 37 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $273WA $348
- Days to sell
- 78
- Sold over asking
- 43%
- Listings with a price cut
- 23%
Multi-family (2–4 units): 1 sold, typical $417K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
Fewer homes sell than before 2021, at 2.8 times the 2016 price
38 sales in the last year, against 69 in 2020 and a low of 31 in 2013. The typical sale went from $146K in 2016 to $406K.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales.
What $400K buys in Elma
Check a listing against what Elma homes sold for
Against the town’s median price per square foot over the last 12 months. A rough check: condition, lot and location within town move a price more than this can see.
Bidding wars in Elma are back to pre-pandemic levels, and more homes are for sale
We read every month of Elma’s home sales since 2013 so you don’t have to. Each figure covers 12 months, because a single month in a town is too few sales to mean much. Latest: the year to May 2026, 38 sales.
If you’re buying in Elma
- Shop in September. It brings about 5 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (32% over asking).
- Less room to haggle. Only 26% of listings cut their price, against 37% before the pandemic.
- Bid near asking. Buyers paid 98.6% of the list price on average; 42% paid over.
- You’ll usually have time. Only 24% of homes go under contract within two weeks; the typical one takes 77 days.
Summer brings the homes; spring brings the bidding wars
June has the most new listings (about 6 a month), but May is the most competitive: 50% of May sales close over asking. September offers nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (32%). October has the least competition (29%).
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Calmer than the 2021 frenzy, and hotter than Washington
| Elma now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | WA now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 42% | 44% | 61% | 27% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 24% | 54% | 67% | 39% |
| Listings with a price cutShare of homes for sale that cut their price | 26% | 37% | 36% | 30% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 98.6% | 100.4% | 103.9% | 99.2% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 77 | 20 | 10 | 33 |
16 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 3.1 times the 2018 low (5), 169% more than in 2017–19 and well under 2013’s 21.
1 in 4 listings has cut its price
26% in the last year, against 37% in 2017–19 and 30% across Washington.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city market tracker, January 2013 to May 2026 (MLS sales, not seasonally adjusted). Ratios are weighted by homes sold; price cuts by homes for sale.
Owning the typical Elma home costs about $2,345 a month
Price: Elma’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Elma’s 0.7% (median bill ÷ median value, Census ACS); insurance at 0.35% of price a year. Before PMI, HOA dues, upkeep and the tax deduction. Whether Elma is affordable on local pay is on Cost of living.
Six things worth knowing
New listings in June
The month with the most choice. January has the fewest, about 3.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $406K home, about $2,720 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for Elma, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in ElmaCheck the flood map
Flood insurance isn’t in a standard policy, and lenders require it in FEMA flood zones. Check the address before you make an offer.
Natural hazardsLook up any property
Assessed value, lot size and every past sale of a home you’re eyeing are public, at the town or county assessor and the registry of deeds.
Montesano, Central Park, Aberdeen and Shelton sell for less a square foot
The busier markets within 25 miles of Elma, by what sold. Prices, taxes and how far a paycheck goes next door are on Cost of living.
| Sold | Typical sale | $/sq ft | Over asking | Days to sell | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen | 179 | $271K | $175 | 45% | 50 |
| Shelton | 116 | $368K | $253 | 27% | 34 |
| Montesano | 47 | $366K | $232 | 36% | 49 |
| Rochester | 39 | $551K | $300 | 26% | 34 |
| Elma | 38 | $406K | $273 | 42% | 77 |
| McCleary | 34 | $382K | $283 | 62% | 56 |
| Central Park | 34 | $392K | $225 | 32% | 60 |
Redfin Data Center, June 2025 to May 2026. Towns with fewer than 20 sales are left out, and Redfin doesn’t report every town separately.
Post your home to Elma, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Elma. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Elma with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Elma
What do homes sell for in Elma, WA?
38 homes sold in the year to May 2026 at a typical $406K, $273 a square foot.
Is Elma a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A balanced market: 17 homes were for sale in May 2026 and 3 sold, about 5.7 months of supply. Buyers paid 98.6% of asking on average, and 26% of listings cut their price.
When is the best time to buy in Elma?
June brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Elma?
About 0.7% of a home’s value a year. On a $406K home that’s near $2,720.
Where can I see homes for sale in Elma?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Elma’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Elma.
Sales, prices, days on market and listings: Redfin Data Center (MLS, monthly, not seasonally adjusted). Property tax rate: Census American Community Survey. Two-bedroom rent: HUD Fair Market Rent. Typical home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Schools grade: TownRatings (how grades work).