Photo: Jeffery Hayes · CC BY-SA 3.08,524 homes sold in Seattle in the last year, at a typical $874K
Houses and condos split the market almost evenly. 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 Seattle homes are listed.
Every place Seattle 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 Seattle.
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.
A quarter of Seattle’s sales are condos, at $566K less than a house
4906 houses and 1976 condos sold in the year to May 2026. Houses sell faster and draw more bidding wars.
typical sale · 4906 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $564WA $348
- Days to sell
- 12
- Sold over asking
- 34%
- Listings with a price cut
- 33%
typical sale · 1976 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $583WA $433
- Days to sell
- 42
- Sold over asking
- 10%
- Listings with a price cut
- 27%
Multi-family (2–4 units): 140 sold, typical $1M
Townhouses: 1502 sold, typical $779K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
Fewer homes sell than before 2022, at 1.5 times the 2016 price
8,524 sales in the last year, against 14,314 in 2021 and a low of 7,921 in 2023. The typical sale went from $580K in 2016 to $874K.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales.
What $850K buys in Seattle
Check a listing against what Seattle 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 Seattle are rarer than before the pandemic, and more homes are for sale
We read every month of Seattle’s home sales since 2012 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, 8,524 sales.
If you’re buying in Seattle
- Shop in September. It brings about 1256 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (35% over asking).
- Less room to haggle. Only 27% of listings cut their price, against 32% before the pandemic.
- Bid near asking. Buyers paid 100% of the list price on average; 24% paid over.
- Move fast on good ones. Half of homes are under contract within two weeks.
Spring brings both the most homes and the most bidding wars
May has the most new listings (about 1369 a month), but April is the most competitive: 51% of April sales close over asking. September offers nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (35%). December has the least competition (27%) but only about 346 new listings.
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Calmer than the 2021 frenzy, and about like Washington as a whole
| Seattle now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | WA now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 24% | 42% | 44% | 27% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 49% | 62% | 65% | 39% |
| Listings with a price cutShare of homes for sale that cut their price | 27% | 32% | 27% | 30% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 100% | 102.6% | 103.4% | 99.2% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 21 | 14 | 9 | 33 |
1853 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 2.6 times the 2017 low (701) and 60% more than in 2017–19.
1 in 4 listings has cut its price
27% in the last year, against 32% in 2017–19 and 30% across Washington.
Since 2019, houses are up 37%, condos 11%
A house typically sold for $1.1M in the last year (4906 sales), a condo for $517K (1976).
Median sale price, weighted by sales each month. Years with fewer than 4 sales of a type are left out.
Seattle ranks 125th of 189 busy Washington markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Seattle is in the middle of the pack.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city market tracker, January 2012 to May 2026 (MLS sales, not seasonally adjusted). Ratios are weighted by homes sold; price cuts by homes for sale.
Owning the typical Seattle home costs about $5,129 a month
Price: Seattle’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Seattle’s 0.8% (median bill ÷ median value, Census ACS); insurance at 0.35% of price a year. Before PMI, HOA dues, upkeep and the tax deduction. Whether Seattle is affordable on local pay is on Cost of living.
Six things worth knowing
New listings in May
The month with the most choice. December has the fewest, about 346.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $874K home, about $6,830 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for Seattle, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in SeattleCheck 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.
Bainbridge Island, Boulevard Park and White Center sell for less a square foot; Medina, Clyde Hill and Mercer Island for far more
The busier markets within 25 miles of Seattle, 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle | 8,524 | $874K | $563 | 24% | 21 |
| Bainbridge Island | 418 | $1.2M | $528 | 42% | 29 |
| Mercer Island | 252 | $2.4M | $763 | 18% | 27 |
| White Center | 126 | $653K | $405 | 29% | 29 |
| Medina | 44 | $5M | $1,266 | 18% | 54 |
| Clyde Hill | 31 | $4.7M | $1,083 | 19% | 47 |
| Boulevard Park | 29 | $475K | $274 | 24% | 63 |
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 Seattle, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Seattle. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Seattle with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Seattle
What do homes sell for in Seattle, WA?
8,524 homes sold in the year to May 2026 at a typical $874K, $563 a square foot. Houses sold for about $1.1M, condos for about $517K.
Is Seattle a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A seller’s market: 2111 homes were for sale in May 2026 and 799 sold, about 2.6 months of supply. Buyers paid 100% of asking on average, and 27% of listings cut their price.
When is the best time to buy in Seattle?
May brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Seattle?
About 0.8% of a home’s value a year. On a $874K home that’s near $6,830.
Where can I see homes for sale in Seattle?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Seattle’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Seattle.
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).