Photo: Joe Mabel · CC BY-SA 3.0341 homes sold in Tumwater in the last year, at a typical $563K
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 Tumwater homes are listed.
Every place Tumwater 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 Tumwater.
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.
4% of Tumwater’s sales are condos, at $231K less than a house
328 houses and 15 condos sold in the year to May 2026. Houses sell faster.
typical sale · 328 sold in the year to May 2026
- Per square foot
- $274WA $348
- Days to sell
- 35
- Sold over asking
- 33%
- Listings with a price cut
- 31%
typical sale · 15 sold in the year to May 2026
- Per square foot
- $274WA $433
- Days to sell
- 64
- Sold over asking
- 33%
- Listings with a price cut
- 42%
Multi-family (2–4 units): 7 sold, typical $577K
Townhouses: 3 sold, typical $394K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
Fewer homes sell than before 2022, at twice the 2016 price
341 sales in the last year, against 652 in 2021 and a low of 328 in 2025. The typical sale went from $263K in 2016 to $563K.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales; from June 2026 each month is a 3-month rolling window, its counts divided by 3. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales. Redfin stopped publishing towns’ figures by property type after May 2026, so houses and condos are shown for the year to then.
What $550K buys in Tumwater
Check a listing against what Tumwater 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 Tumwater are rarer than before the pandemic, and more homes are for sale
We read every month of Tumwater’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 September 2026, 341 sales.
If you’re buying in Tumwater
- Shop in March. It brings about 49 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (40% over asking).
- Bid near asking. Buyers paid 99.7% of the list price on average; 24% paid over.
- You’ll usually have time. Only 39% of homes go under contract within two weeks; the typical one takes 36 days.
Spring brings the homes; summer brings the bidding wars
May has the most new listings (about 55 a month), but June is the most competitive: 50% of June sales close over asking. March and April offer nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (40%). January has the least competition (36%) but only about 31 new listings.
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Calmer than the 2021 frenzy, and about like Washington as a whole
| Tumwater now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | WA now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 24% | 35% | 57% | 25% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 39% | 51% | 81% | 38% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 99.7% | 100% | 103.1% | 99.1% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 36 | 20 | 5 | 35 |
81 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 3.4 times the 2021 low (24), 41% more than in 2017–19 and well under 2012’s 140.
Since 2019, houses are up 63%, condos 94%
A house typically sold for $565K in the year to May 2026 (328 sales), a condo for $334K (15).
Median sale price, weighted by sales each month. Years with fewer than 4 sales of a type are left out.
Tumwater ranks 116th of 191 busy Washington markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Tumwater is in the middle of the pack.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city figures, January 2012 to September 2026 (MLS sales, not seasonally adjusted; from June 2026 each month is a 3-month rolling window, its counts divided by 3). Ratios are weighted by homes sold; price cuts by homes for sale.
Owning the typical Tumwater home costs about $3,364 a month
Price: Tumwater’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Tumwater’s 0.9% (median bill ÷ median value, Census ACS); insurance at 0.35% of price a year. Before PMI, HOA dues, upkeep and the tax deduction. Whether Tumwater 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 20.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $563K home, about $5,120 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for Tumwater, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in TumwaterTypical commute
The average one-way trip to work for people who live in Tumwater.
Work & commuteCheck 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.
Yelm sells for less a square foot
The busier markets within 25 miles of Tumwater, 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lacey | 681 | $509K | $291 | 30% | 23 |
| Olympia | 569 | $538K | $295 | 31% | 26 |
| Tumwater | 341 | $563K | $275 | 24% | 36 |
| Yelm | 244 | $518K | $253 | 47% | 34 |
| Tanglewilde | 57 | $482K | $298 | 32% | 22 |
| Rainier | 32 | $483K | $279 | 36% | 61 |
| Tenino | 22 | $394K | $273 | 9% | 44 |
Redfin Data Center, October 2025 to September 2026. Towns with fewer than 20 sales are left out, and Redfin doesn’t report every town separately.
Post your home to Tumwater, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Tumwater. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Tumwater with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Tumwater
What do homes sell for in Tumwater, WA?
341 homes sold in the year to September 2026 at a typical $563K, $275 a square foot. Houses sold for about $565K, condos for about $334K in the year to May 2026.
Is Tumwater a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A seller’s market: 112 homes were for sale in September 2026 and 33 sold, about 3.4 months of supply. Buyers paid 99.7% of asking on average.
When is the best time to buy in Tumwater?
May brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Tumwater?
About 0.9% of a home’s value a year. On a $563K home that’s near $5,120.
Where can I see homes for sale in Tumwater?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Tumwater’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Tumwater.
Sales, prices, days on market and listings: Redfin Data Center (MLS, monthly, not seasonally adjusted; from June 2026 each month is a 3-month rolling window, its counts divided by 3). 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).