U.S. Post Office-Pullman · Photo: Joe Mabel · CC BY-SA 3.0Measured against area pay, Pullman costs more to live in than 96% of U.S. towns
It ranks #269 of 285 in Washington for affordability. Down 1.2% in a year, 27% below the Washington typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of the Pullman, WA micro area ($55K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
The grade compares costs with what households across the Pullman-area micro earn ($55K, Census 2020–24). Even so, the typical home costs 7.7 years of area income, and 65% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $428Ktypical home, 27% below the Washington typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $1,200a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 7.7 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$55K, Pullman-area income
- 23%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 65%of renters pay 30%+ of income for housing; across Washington: 50%Census 2020–24
- 20%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
Housing in Pullman, in brief
Most Pullman households rent
68% of households rent their home, 7,849 in all, against 36% across Washington. Renting ↓
About two in three renters are stretched
65% of renter households spend 30% or more of their income on rent, against 50% across Washington. A standard two-bedroom would take 31% of the median household income. Renting ↓
Most new homes are apartments and condos
Of the 1,913 homes permitted in Pullman’s past 10 years, 75% were in buildings with two or more homes, not single-family houses. New homes ↓
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 September 2026; permits are Census figures through 2025; incomes, rents paid, taxes and ownership come from the Census American Community Survey.
What’s behind Pullman’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Pullman is more affordable than 4% of U.S. towns, #269 of 285 in Washington. The four inputs sit close together, so no single cost explains the grade.
45% of residents are college students, whose low reported incomes push up the share paying 30%+ for housing, so the grade leaves that input out.
Prices here have kept pace with Washington: up 9.2% in five years, against 10.5% statewide (Zillow).
Up 9.2% in five years
About the same pace as Washington (10.5%).
Show as a table
| January | Pullman | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $276,000 | $324,000 |
| 2018 | $289,000 | $359,000 |
| 2019 | $307,000 | $387,000 |
| 2020 | $326,000 | $410,000 |
| 2021 | $352,000 | $467,000 |
| 2022 | $410,000 | $549,000 |
| 2023 | $428,000 | $568,000 |
| 2024 | $441,000 | $577,000 |
| 2025 | $444,000 | $600,000 |
| 2026 | $430,000 | $597,000 |
| September 2026 | $428,000 | $588,000 |
A typical Pullman home worth $272K in October 2016 is worth about $428K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A seller's market
Supply is tight — about 3.5 months of homes for sale at the current pace. Buyers should expect competition on well-priced homes.
Under ~4 months of supply favors sellers; over ~6 favors buyers.
Redfin Data Center, all residential sales, September 2026.
A typical home costs 7.7 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Pullman’s own median, or type yours.
That’s $210K short of a typical Pullman home.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,200 a month here, $1,320 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Pullman’s typical property tax (0.79% 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 $1,200
Renters already here pay a median of $1,062, 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 (Whitman County, WA): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
11 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 11 new homes in Pullman in 2025: 7 single-family houses and 4 in buildings with two or more homes, worth about $3.7 million to build. That's 0.3 per 1,000 residents, slower than across Washington (4.6). Over the past 10 years, Pullman has permitted 1,913 homes in all.
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Pullman gained 3,102 residents while 2,137 new homes were permitted: about 1.5 new residents per new home. Building outpaced population growth, which usually means smaller households or homes used part of the year. 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) | 9 | 9 | 0 | $3.4 million |
| 2025 | 11 | 7 | 4 | $3.7 million |
| 2024 | 17 | 13 | 4 | $6 million |
| 2023 | 218 | 20 | 198 | $29.8 million |
| 2022 | 246 | 46 | 200 | $38.9 million |
| 2021 | 358 | 47 | 311 | $65 million |
| 2020 | 49 | 41 | 8 | $11.6 million |
| 2019 | 388 | 101 | 287 | $72.5 million |
| 2018 | 234 | 96 | 138 | $38.5 million |
| 2017 | 216 | 54 | 162 | $32.3 million |
| 2016 | 176 | 60 | 116 | $31.2 million |
| 2015 | 174 | 50 | 124 | $27.9 million |
| 2014 | 190 | 49 | 141 | $24.3 million |
| 2013 | 349 | 69 | 280 | $51.8 million |
| 2012 | 262 | 49 | 213 | $28.9 million |
| 2011 | 83 | 25 | 58 | $13 million |
| 2010 | 65 | 37 | 28 | $11.8 million |
| 2009 | 58 | 46 | 12 | $10.4 million |
| 2008 | 81 | 57 | 24 | $14 million |
| 2007 | 269 | 96 | 173 | $31.9 million |
| 2006 | 319 | 78 | 241 | $34.5 million |
| 2005 | 403 | 103 | 300 | $40.1 million |
| 2004 | 261 | 87 | 174 | $21.8 million |
| 2003 | 208 | 81 | 127 | $20.6 million |
| 2002 | 240 | 63 | 177 | $17.7 million |
| 2001 | 90 | 55 | 35 | $8.6 million |
| 2000 | 233 | 49 | 184 | $13.5 million |
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey.
Property tax runs below the Washington norm
The median bill is $3,350 (Washington: $4,556), 0.79% 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+”.
Pullman 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pullman | D− | $428K | $425K | 0.79% | $1,200 |
Questions about the cost of living in Pullman
Is Pullman expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Pullman costs more than 96% of U.S. towns: a D− for cost of living, #269 of 285 in Washington. The typical home costs 7.7 years of the median household income of the Pullman, WA micro area ($55K).
How much does a house cost in Pullman?
About $428K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, down 1.2% in a year. The Washington typical home is $588K.
What salary do you need to live in Pullman?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $108,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $2,520 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $48,000.
How much is rent in Pullman?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,200 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $1,062 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Pullman?
The median bill is $3,350 a year, 0.79% of the median home value (Washington: $4,556, 0.81%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Pullman going up?
No: down 1.2% in the past year and 9.2% in five years, against 10.5% across Washington (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Pullman 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, September 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.