McCleary Hotel, Old · Photo: Jon Roanhaus · CC BY-SA 3.0Measured against area pay, McCleary costs more to live in than 88% of U.S. towns
Up 0.8% in a year, 34% below the Washington typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of the Aberdeen, WA micro area ($64K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
Only 4 sales in May 2026: in a market this size, monthly medians swing a lot, so the typical value is the steadier guide.
The grade compares costs with what households across the Aberdeen-area micro earn ($64K, Census 2020–24). Even so, the typical home costs 5.5 years of area income, and 42% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $390Ktypical home, 34% below the Washington typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $1,140a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 5.5 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$64K, Aberdeen-area income
- 20%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 33%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
What kind of housing town is McCleary?
Read from the numbers below. The page puts what stands out first.
What’s behind McCleary’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, McCleary is more affordable than 12% of U.S. towns. Home prices pull the grade down most; rent holds it up.
Values have lagged Washington: the typical McCleary home is up 5.4% in five years, against 10.5% statewide (Zillow).
Up 5.4% in five years
Slower than Washington (10.5%).
Show as a table
| January | McCleary | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $179,000 | $324,000 |
| 2018 | $210,000 | $359,000 |
| 2019 | $236,000 | $387,000 |
| 2020 | $270,000 | $410,000 |
| 2021 | $320,000 | $467,000 |
| 2022 | $380,000 | $549,000 |
| 2023 | $379,000 | $568,000 |
| 2024 | $386,000 | $577,000 |
| 2025 | $390,000 | $600,000 |
| 2026 | $392,000 | $597,000 |
| September 2026 | $390,000 | $588,000 |
A typical McCleary home worth $174K in October 2016 is worth about $390K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A typical home costs 5.5 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to McCleary’s own median, or type yours.
That’s $142K short of a typical McCleary home.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,140 a month here, $1,200 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, McCleary’s typical property tax (0.91% 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 $1,140
Renters already here pay a median of $1,077.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (Grays Harbor County, WA): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
1 new home permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 1 new home in McCleary in 2025. That's 0.5 per 1,000 residents, slower than across Washington (4.6). Over the past 10 years, McCleary has permitted 86 homes in all.
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, McCleary gained 344 residents while 89 new homes were permitted: about 3.9 new residents per new home. Population grew faster than building, so existing homes filled up: a sign of tight supply. Across Washington: 2.7 new residents per new home.
Every year as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 1 | 1 | 0 | $231,000 |
| 2025 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $199,000 |
| 2024 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $199,000 |
| 2023 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $200,000 |
| 2022 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $447,000 |
| 2021 | 8 | 8 | 0 | $2.4 million |
| 2020 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2019 | 27 | 27 | 0 | $6.2 million |
| 2018 | 11 | 11 | 0 | $2.4 million |
| 2017 | 11 | 11 | 0 | $2.4 million |
| 2016 | 23 | 23 | 0 | $4.1 million |
| 2015 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $370,000 |
| 2014 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $508,000 |
| 2013 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $552,000 |
| 2012 | 6 | 6 | 0 | $1.2 million |
| 2011 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $175,000 |
| 2010 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $128,000 |
| 2009 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $341,000 |
| 2008 | 13 | 13 | 0 | $2.7 million |
| 2007 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $1.4 million |
| 2006 | 13 | 13 | 0 | $2 million |
| 2005 | 43 | 43 | 0 | $435,000 |
| 2004 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2003 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2002 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2001 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $125,000 |
| 2000 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $144,000 |
McCleary's permit office didn't report to the Census in 2025, so the 2025 figures are Census estimates.
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey.
Low tax bills, but a high tax rate
The median bill is $3,217, under the Washington median of $4,556, because homes cost less. As a share of value it’s 0.91% 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+”.
McCleary 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McCleary | D | $390K | $352K | 0.91% | $1,140 |
Questions about the cost of living in McCleary
Is McCleary expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, McCleary costs more than 88% of U.S. towns: a D for cost of living. The typical home costs 5.5 years of the median household income of the Aberdeen, WA micro area ($64K).
How much does a house cost in McCleary?
About $390K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 0.8% in a year. The Washington typical home is $588K.
What salary do you need to live in McCleary?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $100,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $2,340 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $46,000.
How much is rent in McCleary?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,140 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $1,077 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in McCleary?
The median bill is $3,217 a year, 0.91% of the median home value (Washington: $4,556, 0.81%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in McCleary going up?
Barely: up 0.8% in the past year and 5.4% in five years, against 10.5% across Washington (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What McCleary 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. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits 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.