By MBAKS Senior Policy Analyst Allison Butcher

The median price of single-family homes and condos rose to $679,075 in King County and $576,050 in Snohomish County in February, data from the Northwest Multiple Listing Service show. Home prices are rising amid continued strong demand and low supply of homes for sale. King County had less than a months’ supply of homes for sale in February, while Snohomish County had less than two weeks’ supply.

The Builder's Bulletin is intended to provide a convenient way to track housing in our market and includes information from the Northwest Multiple Listing Service, State of the Cities Data Systems, Office of Financial Management, and the Washington State Employment Security Department.

Download this month's report:

Homing in on Our Region's Housing Statistics

Severe shortages of housing inventory for sale continued in December, with only 0.27 months’ supply (about one week) in King County and 0.20 months’ supply (less than a week) in Snohomish County. This represents a decline from the previous month and year-over-year. The snow and cold temperatures also impacted home sales in December, according to the Northwest Multiple Listing Service.

Please contact data@mbaks.com with questions or feedback. We want to know what data would be useful to you!

Months' Supply of Housing Inventory

As of December 2021

	King County had 0.27 months' supply of inventory (down from 0.63 months' of inventory a year ago).
	Snohomish County had 0.20 months' supply of inventory (down from 0.26 a year ago).

Many industry analysts consider a four-to-six-month level as an indicator of a healthy market.

Source: Northwest Multiple Listing Service

Median Home Price

December 2021

	The median price of single-family homes and condos was $749,000 in King County and $679,950 in Snohomish County.
	For single-family homes only, the median price in King County rose 9.46%, from $740,000 a year ago to $810,000. The median price in Snohomish County rose 22.06%, from $573,495 to $700,000.
	In Seattle, the median price of single-family homes and condos was $762,475. The median price for single-family homes only was $839,000, a 4.88% increase from $799,950 in December 2020.

Source: Northwest Multiple Listing Service

Building Permit Activity

Jobs

	The seasonally adjusted Washington unemployment rate for December 2021 is 4.5%; for Seattle/Bellevue/Everett, it is 4.1%.
	Construction employment in Washington increased by 1,300 between November 2021 and December 2021. Total construction employment is 231,400 statewide and 109,200 for Seattle/Bellevue/Everett specifically.

Source: Employment Security Department: WA Employment Estimates (Seasonally Adjusted), December 2021 and Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Population

The Puget Sound region's population as of April 1, 2021 was 4,330,400. Over the past year, the region added 66,200 people, as follows:

Source: Office of Financial Management

Icons made by Freepik from flaticon.com

Primary ballots are being mailed out this week so please look for them in your mailbox and make sure to vote! Tuesday, August 6 is the last day to return your ballot either by mail or at a drop box. The election is crucial for housing policy as it will determine which candidates advance to the General Election, potentially shifting the balance of power and philosophical approach to housing initiatives. This election serves as a barometer for public sentiment on key issues and sets the stage for future legislative actions. Counties will certify the Primary Election on August 20 and the General Election is Tuesday, November 5.
 
You can find drop box locations, ballot questions, candidate statements, and more information related to the election at King County Elections or Snohomish County Elections.  

You can review candidate endorsements by the Affordable Housing Council (AHC) below and see the full AHC list HERE.