Best Places to Buy Rental Property in Washington (2026)

We ranked all 28 Washington counties that have both a median home price and a median rent, ordered by the cap rate a median-priced rental would produce. Grays Harbor County leads at 3.7%, with a median price of $314,086.

Washington counties ranked by cap rate

#MarketCap rateMedian priceMedian rentCash flowAnalyze
1Grays Harbor County, WA3.7%$314,086$1,487-$773Run numbers
2Pacific County, WA3.5%$341,658$1,543-$889Run numbers
3Clallam County, WA3.5%$488,467$2,179-$1,289Run numbers
4Whitman County, WA3.4%$324,366$1,406-$883Run numbers
5Douglas County, WA3.4%$494,746$2,133-$1,354Run numbers
6Mason County, WA3.2%$447,199$1,856-$1,271Run numbers
7Jefferson County, WA3.2%$597,128$2,477-$1,697Run numbers
8Grant County, WA3.2%$355,493$1,458-$1,021Run numbers
9Franklin County, WA3.2%$416,391$1,705-$1,198Run numbers
10Thurston County, WA3.1%$521,378$2,043-$1,560Run numbers
11Yakima County, WA3.0%$348,119$1,362-$1,043Run numbers
12Asotin County, WA3.0%$351,378$1,350-$1,069Run numbers
13Benton County, WA3.0%$446,007$1,691-$1,372Run numbers
14Skagit County, WA3.0%$576,374$2,185-$1,772Run numbers
15Spokane County, WA2.8%$419,205$1,510-$1,341Run numbers
16Walla Walla County, WA2.8%$413,682$1,474-$1,333Run numbers
17Kitsap County, WA2.8%$579,133$2,052-$1,874Run numbers
18Pierce County, WA2.7%$559,277$1,955-$1,827Run numbers
19Clark County, WA2.7%$541,704$1,865-$1,788Run numbers
20Cowlitz County, WA2.6%$417,827$1,417-$1,393Run numbers
21Lewis County, WA2.6%$428,499$1,456-$1,427Run numbers
22Klickitat County, WA2.6%$477,103$1,619-$1,590Run numbers
23Island County, WA2.6%$634,229$2,100-$2,148Run numbers
24Kittitas County, WA2.5%$494,987$1,596-$1,705Run numbers
25Whatcom County, WA2.5%$607,644$1,951-$2,097Run numbers
26Chelan County, WA2.5%$531,212$1,704-$1,835Run numbers
27Snohomish County, WA2.4%$728,217$2,198-$2,605Run numbers
28King County, WA2.2%$824,870$2,323-$3,059Run numbers

Looking for every county in the state, including those without rent data? Browse the full Washington market directory.

How this ranking is calculated

We scored 28 counties in Washington and ranked them by capitalization rate, calculated as annual net operating income divided by median home price. Markets without both a median home price and a median rent are excluded, because cash flow cannot be estimated without both.

Every figure assumes a median-priced home rented at the local median rent, financed with 20 percent down on a 30-year loan at 7.40%, with closing costs at 3 percent of price and operating costs at 35 percent of rent. Operating costs cover taxes, insurance, maintenance, vacancy, and management.

These are modeled estimates for comparing markets, not quotes on a specific property. A real deal turns on the individual property, its condition, and the actual rent it can command. Run any market that interests you through the calculator with real numbers before you make an offer.

National rankings

Compare Washington against the rest of the country.

Other states

States with fewer than 5 counties reporting both price and rent are omitted, because a ranking that short would not be meaningful.

Run the numbers on a Washington property

Start from Grays Harbor County median values and replace them with a real listing price and rent to see whether the deal actually works.