The story of this market
The typical home in Cowlitz County, Washington sells for about $431,283, or $262 per square foot.
Prices are roughly flat from a year ago (+0.3%), a market in balance. Homes take about 25 days to sell, which is fast. Over the long run, values in this county have grown 196% since 2000. Last year 21 of 27 neighborhoods saw prices rise, so the story isn't the same street to street. HUD's fair market rent for a two-bedroom is $1,398 a month.
HUD sets the fair market rent for a 2-bedroom at $1,398 a month. FEMA's National Risk Index rates overall hazard risk here as Relatively High.
Price climate
Every year of price change, 2000–2025
+2.3%
2025
Each stripe is one year's median price change across the area's census tracts (FHFA repeat-sales index). Deep blue is a strong gain year, red a falling year. Best: 2006 (+18.4%). Worst: 2009 (-8.3%). Hover to read a year.
Monthly price momentum
Home values since 2015
-0.2%
WA · past 12 months
Freddie Mac House Price Index, single-family homes, monthly through 2026-08. Each line starts at 100 in January 2015, so a reading of 180 means prices are up 80% since then.
Rent benchmark
Fair market rent by size
$1,936
3-bed / month
HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal 2027, for this county. A typical rent for a modest unit, used to set housing-voucher payments.
Neighborhood price trend
Long-run price trend, 2000–2025
+2.3%
2025 change
FHFA repeat-sales index, median of 27 census tracts in this county (2000 = 100). Bars are each year's median change.
Natural hazard exposure
The area's risk shape
79
Relatively High
FEMA National Risk Index. Each spoke is a hazard ranked nationally, where 100 is the most exposed. Expected annual loss: $88,250,097.
Mortgage activity
Home lending in this county
83.2%
2018 approval rate
| Year | Applications | Loans made | Approval | Investor share | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 7092 | 3826 | 83.2% | 3.5% | $255,000 |
CFPB Home Mortgage Disclosure Act records: every mortgage application reported by lenders for homes in this county. Approval rate is approved ÷ decided (withdrawn and incomplete files excluded). Investor share and home value are the median census tract.
Cowlitz County, Washington
Cowlitz County's housing market is currently characterized by a seller's market with limited inventory and steady demand. While median prices have seen slight year-over-year fluctuations, the market remains active with homes selling relatively quickly. Low supply continues to be the primary driver of competition among buyers.
No ARED distress-ledger coverage for this county yet — the foreclosure ingest rotates the national county directory, and filings appear here once the county's posted notices are read. Key-figure check: no independent anchor retained yet — first-researched cycles establish the anchor baseline this pass.
Select a city to expand its ZIP intel reports beneath · 4 cities · 4 ZIP reports
Median prices moved down 2.4% year over year.
Homes spend a median of 56 days on market with 0.1 months of supply — a fast-moving market.
1% of listings have cut prices · homes sell at 2.79% of asking — demand is holding steady.
no recorded foreclosure-ledger notices (0.0 per 10,000 residents) · unemployment 5.5% · poverty 11.5% — a stable, low-distress profile.
ACS 2024 5-year estimates. Aggregate published statistics for this county — never individual records, and never an attribute of any individual property or resident.
Deterministic aggregate of 4 researched ZIP reports — sales_count-weighted (population fallback); per point, children lacking the value or its weight are excluded. Tax rates, sentiment and context notes are tier-native and never roll.
Cowlitz County, Washington — researched county-level history with a deterministic 1 / 3 / 5-year projection
Solid: researched ten-year history · dotted: 1 / 3 / 5-year projection extended from the historical 9.0%/yr trend — a deterministic estimate, not a published forecast or guarantee.
No researched properties in this county yet — the property base layer populates as property research runs, and each property feeds its ZIP's roll-up.
researched Sep 26
researched Sep 26
researched Sep 26
researched Sep 26
| 98611 | Castle Rock | $425,000 | $235 | +3.2% | 48 | 97.5% | 18% | 5.2 | 101 | $1,450 | researched Sep 26 |
| 98625 | Kalama | $442,000 | $226 | -2.4% | 57 | — | — | — | — | $1,673 | researched Sep 26 |
| 98626 | Kelso | $394,000 | $254 | +2.1% | 44 | 98.5% | 12% | 3.2 | 356 | $1,650 | researched Sep 26 |
| 98632 | Longview | $365,000 | $235 | -4.3% | 35 | 98.5% | 22% | 3.2 | 283 | $1,650 | researched Sep 26 |
Figures are each ZIP report's own latest research — the county roll-up aggregates them sales_count-weighted (population fallback); ZIPs cycle quarterly.
The county economy is anchored by manufacturing, healthcare, and retail sectors, with ongoing development efforts focused on regional infrastructure and industrial expansion.
Property taxes are assessed by the county based on local levies and state-mandated school funding requirements; specific rates vary by taxing district and municipality.
Cowlitz County offers extensive outdoor recreation including access to the Cowlitz and Columbia Rivers, Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, and numerous regional parks and trail systems.
The rental market shows steady demand with a median rent of $1,572 and a low vacancy pressure, reflecting limited housing supply.
The county economy is supported by a mix of manufacturing, healthcare, and public sector employment, with recent growth in small business establishments.
The county is served by major corridors including Interstate 5, providing critical north-south connectivity between Portland and Seattle.
The Cowlitz County Assessor's office conducts annual property valuations based on market data to determine tax assessments.
The county is served by various special purpose districts including public utility districts, fire districts, and hospital districts that manage local infrastructure and services.
Property insurance premiums in the region are influenced by wildfire and flood risk assessments, with market conditions remaining stable but sensitive to regional hazard trends.
- Cinema of Horrors Haunted House4.56.6 mi
- Spirit Of Halloweentown3.721.5 mi
- Lewis River Golf Course4.217.3 mi
- Tri-Mountain Golf Course4.123.7 mi
- Columbia County Fair4.322.9 mi
- 14 Acres Vineyard and Winery4.826.8 mi
- WA Parks Mt Saint Helens Interpretive Center4.68.6 mi
- Seaquest State Park4.68.8 mi
- Three Rivers Crossing3.46.5 mi
- Cedar Creek Grist Mill4.818.7 mi
- Lake Sacajawea Park4.78.8 mi
- HalloweenTown Every October4.221.6 mi
- Cedar Creek Grist Mill4.818.7 mi
- Pomeroy Farm4.827.6 mi
- Chelatchie Prairie Railroad4.727.6 mi
- Historic Yale Suspension Bridge4.624.3 mi
- Seaquest State Park4.68.8 mi
- Horseshoe Lake Park4.518.9 mi
- Merwin Park4.718.2 mi
- Toutle Motorsports Park4.813 mi
- Lake Sacajawea Park4.78.8 mi
- Scappoose Bay Marine Park, Port of Columbia County4.524.1 mi
- Mayfield Lake Resort and Marina3.924.6 mi
- Elochoman Slough Marina4.529.4 mi
- St. Helens Marina4.421.3 mi
- Lewis River Golf Course4.217.3 mi
- Three Rivers Golf Course4.47.6 mi
- Mint Valley Golf Course4.49.9 mi
- Longview Country Club4.58.6 mi
- The North Fork Grill4.217.3 mi
- WinCo Foods4.37.9 mi
- Fred Meyer4.29.3 mi
- Safeway4.218.2 mi
- Safeway46.5 mi
- Three Rivers Crossing3.46.5 mi
Theme parks, venues, golf, airports, museums, water and shopping across the area ranked by popularity within the radius shown.
The amenity base that shapes daily life and property demand in this county — what residents actually live with, and what the pipeline is adding.
A world-renowned geological site offering hiking, education, and scenic vistas that draw significant tourism.
A major river system providing premier fishing, boating, and water-based recreation opportunities for residents.
Data retrieved from U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts and ACS 2024 estimates.