Why does down payment vary across Washington?

Home prices vary widely; a 12% down payment scales with the local median. Owner financing often accepts less.

Yes, owner-finance deals commonly land in the 10-20% range. Conventional underwriting usually wants 20% to avoid PMI.

Can I find lower-down options?

Browse low-down-payment homes by city, many owner-finance and lease-option deals sit under 10%.

Buyer authority WA

Estimated owner-finance down payment by city in Washington.

Down payments scale with home prices but flex by financing type. This ranks Washington cities by an estimated typical down payment on an owner-financed or low-down deal (12% of estimated median home value). This is a modeled directional comparison, not a survey of actual closings.

Last updated September 2026

Washington ranking

50 cities ranked. Click any row for the matching local page.

#	City	Est. typical down payment	Score
1	Seattle	$97,900	0	View →
2	Bellevue	$107,500	0	View →
3	Bothell	$100,300	0	View →
4	Redmond	$106,300	0	View →
5	Kirkland	$99,700	0	View →
6	Issaquah	$101,000	0	View →
7	Sammamish	$120,000	0	View →
8	Woodinville	$115,600	0	View →
9	Mercer Island	$113,800	0	View →
10	Bainbridge Island	$97,900	0	View →
11	Snoqualmie	$100,800	0	View →
12	Snohomish	$95,900	2	View →
13	Maple Valley	$95,600	3	View →
14	Camas	$95,400	3	View →
15	Gig Harbor	$94,200	4	View →
16	Edmonds	$93,500	5	View →
17	Renton	$92,400	6	View →
18	Bonney Lake	$92,000	7	View →
19	Mukilteo	$90,800	8	View →
20	Duvall	$90,700	8	View →
21	North Bend	$89,500	9	View →
22	Richland	$88,900	10	View →
23	Lake Stevens	$89,300	10	View →
24	Colbert	$89,400	10	View →
25	Monroe	$88,100	11	View →
26	Kenmore	$87,000	12	View →
27	Poulsbo	$86,000	13	View →
28	Liberty Lake	$85,900	13	View →
29	Olympia	$85,300	14	View →
30	Puyallup	$85,000	14	View →
31	Kennewick	$83,300	16	View →
32	Ridgefield	$83,600	16	View →
33	Vashon	$83,900	16	View →
34	Brush Prairie	$83,600	16	View →
35	Dupont	$83,800	16	View →
36	Everson	$82,700	17	View →
37	Kent	$81,600	18	View →
38	West Richland	$82,200	18	View →
39	La Center	$82,200	18	View →
40	Auburn	$79,900	20	View →
41	Battle Ground	$79,700	20	View →
42	Arlington	$77,800	22	View →
43	Enumclaw	$78,400	22	View →
44	Washougal	$77,500	23	View →
45	Vancouver	$76,000	24	View →
46	Lynnwood	$76,400	24	View →
47	Port Orchard	$76,100	24	View →
48	Stanwood	$76,000	24	View →
49	Orting	$76,700	24	View →
50	Friday Harbor	$75,500	25	View →

Methodology

Estimated down = 12% of estimated median home value (representative of owner-financed and low-down deals). Conventional loans typically require 20%; FHA can be 3.5%. Use as a directional comparison.

FAQ

Why does down payment vary across Washington?: Home prices vary widely; a 12% down payment scales with the local median. Owner financing often accepts less.
Is 12% realistic?: Yes, owner-finance deals commonly land in the 10-20% range. Conventional underwriting usually wants 20% to avoid PMI.
Can I find lower-down options?: Browse low-down-payment homes by city, many owner-finance and lease-option deals sit under 10%.