Market rankings · Washington
Real estate businesses in Washington
Every metro area, small-town market and county in Washington, ranked by the Groundwork market score for real estate businesses, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 12,898
- 721 chain locations (6%)
- Official establishments
- 9,656
- +13.5% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $60.6B
- On rent and homeowner costs
- Listings per 10k households
- 42.1
- 9% above the U.S.
- Housing spending per listing (U.S. = 100)
- 108
- 8% above the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #17 of 51
- Market score 56 · Upper middle
A site report maps the real estate businesses on map listings around any address in Washington by name and distance, and the spending within reach.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardSurvey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure
What this means
Washington has 12,898 real estate businesses on map listings as of September 2026. Chain locations make up 6% of them, against 6% across the U.S. That is 42.1 per 10,000 households, 9% above the U.S. rate of 38.5.
Household spending on rent and homeowner costs in Washington comes to about $60.6B a year: $19,779 per household, 19% above the U.S. average. Housing spending per office is 8% above the U.S. figure. The spending figure is all rent and homeowner costs, a measure of housing demand, not money real estate businesses take in.
In 2023, official counts showed 9,656 businesses with payroll in Washington classed as real estate agents, property managers, mortgage lenders and inspectors, up 13.5% from 2019. That is one for every 317 households, against one for every 414 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count rose 15.8% over the same years. Since fiscal 2022, 102 SBA-backed loans worth $26.1M have gone to businesses classed as real estate agents, property managers, mortgage lenders and inspectors in Washington.
Among the 50 states and DC, Washington ranks #17 for real estate businesses, with a Groundwork market score of 56 (upper middle). Of the 13 scored metro areas in or partly in Washington, the Yakima metro area scores highest (69). Of the 10 scored small-town markets in or partly in Washington, the Othello area scores highest (67).
Every market in Washington for real estate businesses
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in Washington, highest first; the U.S. rank compares each market with every other of its kind. A metro area that crosses a state line is listed in each state it reaches, and numbered only in the state its page is under. How the score works.
Metro areas
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Housing spending per listing (U.S. = 100) | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Yakima, WA | 69 | 201 | 22.9 | 169 | +1.0% | #40 of 387 |
| 2Longview-Kelso, WA | 67 | 121 | 27.5 | 145 | +3.5% | #53 of 387 |
| Lewiston, ID-WA | 60 | 80 | 29.9 | 132 | +1.5% | #94 of 387 |
| 3Kennewick-Richland, WA | 58 | 403 | 37.3 | 115 | +6.5% | #111 of 387 |
| 4Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | 57 | 397 | 36.6 | 126 | +2.7% | #117 of 387 |
| 5Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | 57 | 179 | 34.2 | 125 | +2.4% | #118 of 387 |
| 6Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | 55 | 455 | 38.3 | 114 | +2.8% | #135 of 387 |
| 7Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | 53 | 186 | 39.2 | 108 | +5.0% | #156 of 387 |
| 8Walla Walla, WA | 50 | 81 | 34.5 | 116 | −0.4% | #181 of 387 |
| 9Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 49 | 7,662 | 47.6 | 103 | +3.3% | #192 of 387 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 44 | 4,284 | 42.4 | 107 | +1.0% | #241 of 387 |
| 10Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | 44 | 1,008 | 42.4 | 96 | +3.5% | #245 of 387 |
| 11Bellingham, WA | 39 | 462 | 49.1 | 85 | +3.9% | #293 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Housing spending per listing (U.S. = 100) | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Othello, WA | 67 | 15 | 23.9 | 161 | +4.3% | #68 of 536 |
| 2Moses Lake, WA | 63 | 77 | 21.8 | 181 | +6.3% | #106 of 536 |
| 3Centralia, WA | 62 | 77 | 23.4 | 170 | +6.7% | #115 of 536 |
| 4Shelton, WA | 62 | 67 | 25.7 | 162 | +7.8% | #118 of 536 |
| 5Aberdeen, WA | 58 | 70 | 22.9 | 165 | +3.0% | #153 of 536 |
| 6Port Angeles, WA | 49 | 91 | 26.0 | 152 | +1.1% | #281 of 536 |
| 7Port Townsend, WA | 46 | 54 | 33.0 | 123 | +2.7% | #316 of 536 |
| 8Pullman, WA | 41 | 56 | 29.9 | 125 | +1.5% | #378 of 536 |
| 9Ellensburg, WA | 41 | 93 | 46.5 | 88 | +4.2% | #382 of 536 |
| 10Oak Harbor, WA | 33 | 133 | 37.0 | 116 | −1.5% | #475 of 536 |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Housing spending per listing (U.S. = 100) | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Lincoln County, WA | 87 | 6 | 12.4 | 314 | +9.7% | #2 of 2,229 |
| 2Douglas County, WA | 78 | 15 | 9.4 | 451 | +8.0% | #46 of 2,229 |
| 3Franklin County, WA | 77 | 26 | 8.7 | 491 | +5.6% | #64 of 2,229 |
| 4Skamania County, WA | 77 | 7 | 13.9 | 312 | +5.2% | #69 of 2,229 |
| 5Asotin County, WA | 75 | 12 | 12.6 | 317 | +1.0% | #100 of 2,229 |
| 6Klickitat County, WA | 73 | 14 | 14.2 | 285 | +6.6% | #140 of 2,229 |
| 7Pacific County, WA | 69 | 17 | 15.5 | 249 | +3.6% | #230 of 2,229 |
| 8Stevens County, WA | 66 | 40 | 20.6 | 190 | +6.6% | #348 of 2,229 |
| 9Adams County, WA | 66 | 15 | 23.9 | 161 | +4.3% | #355 of 2,229 |
| 10Grant County, WA | 62 | 77 | 21.8 | 181 | +6.3% | #505 of 2,229 |
| 11Mason County, WA | 62 | 67 | 25.7 | 162 | +7.8% | #510 of 2,229 |
| 12Lewis County, WA | 61 | 77 | 23.4 | 170 | +6.7% | #548 of 2,229 |
| 13Grays Harbor County, WA | 58 | 70 | 22.9 | 165 | +3.0% | #671 of 2,229 |
| 14Pend Oreille County, WA | 57 | 15 | 25.2 | 154 | +7.1% | #728 of 2,229 |
| 15Okanogan County, WA | 57 | 44 | 25.1 | 150 | +7.3% | #730 of 2,229 |
| 16Yakima County, WA | 56 | 201 | 22.9 | 169 | +1.0% | #774 of 2,229 |
| 17Cowlitz County, WA | 54 | 121 | 27.5 | 145 | +3.5% | #873 of 2,229 |
| 18Snohomish County, WA | 50 | 1,198 | 37.9 | 127 | +4.9% | #1,094 of 2,229 |
| 19Clallam County, WA | 48 | 91 | 26.0 | 152 | +1.1% | #1,175 of 2,229 |
| 20Skagit County, WA | 47 | 179 | 34.2 | 125 | +2.4% | #1,235 of 2,229 |
| 21Kitsap County, WA | 46 | 397 | 36.6 | 126 | +2.7% | #1,297 of 2,229 |
| 22Jefferson County, WA | 46 | 54 | 33.0 | 123 | +2.7% | #1,298 of 2,229 |
| 23Thurston County, WA | 46 | 455 | 38.3 | 114 | +2.8% | #1,307 of 2,229 |
| 24Clark County, WA | 45 | 845 | 43.1 | 104 | +5.3% | #1,360 of 2,229 |
| 25Whitman County, WA | 43 | 56 | 29.9 | 125 | +1.5% | #1,461 of 2,229 |
Show all 39 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Housing spending per listing (U.S. = 100) | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26Benton County, WA | 43 | 377 | 48.3 | 89 | +6.9% | #1,484 of 2,229 |
| 27Pierce County, WA | 42 | 1,516 | 43.2 | 105 | +2.5% | #1,528 of 2,229 |
| 28San Juan County, WA | 42 | 38 | 42.2 | 102 | +4.2% | #1,531 of 2,229 |
| 29Walla Walla County, WA | 40 | 81 | 34.5 | 116 | −0.4% | #1,614 of 2,229 |
| 30King County, WA | 40 | 4,948 | 52.6 | 97 | +3.1% | #1,630 of 2,229 |
| 31Kittitas County, WA | 40 | 93 | 46.5 | 88 | +4.2% | #1,637 of 2,229 |
| 32Spokane County, WA | 39 | 968 | 44.3 | 93 | +3.2% | #1,691 of 2,229 |
| 33Whatcom County, WA | 38 | 462 | 49.1 | 85 | +3.9% | #1,747 of 2,229 |
| 34Chelan County, WA | 37 | 171 | 54.3 | 78 | +3.3% | #1,809 of 2,229 |
| 35Island County, WA | 35 | 133 | 37.0 | 116 | −1.5% | #1,864 of 2,229 |
| Ferry County, WA | Not scored | 4 | 12.6 | 280 | +4.4% | |
| Wahkiakum County, WA | Not scored | 4 | 19.0 | 195 | +9.6% | |
| Columbia County, WA | Not scored | 4 | 21.5 | 178 | +4.7% | |
| Garfield County, WA | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +5.2% |
Markets with fewer than 5 real estate businesses on map listings, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored; they’re listed last in each table.
Questions
How many real estate businesses are in Washington?
Map listings as of September 2026 show 12,898 real estate businesses in Washington. 721 of them (6%) are chain locations. The listings count real estate agents and brokers, property managers, mortgage brokers and lenders, and home inspectors. Official counts show 9,656 businesses with payroll classed as real estate agents, property managers, mortgage lenders and inspectors in 2023, up 13.5% from 2019. Another 33,025 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
How much do households in Washington spend on rent and homeowner costs?
About $60.6B a year, or $19,779 per household. That is 19% above the U.S. average (an index of 119, where 100 is the U.S. average). For the 12,898 real estate businesses on map listings, housing spending per office is 8% above the U.S. figure. That figure is all rent and homeowner costs, used as a measure of housing demand; it is not money real estate businesses take in. It is estimated from the incomes of the 3,064,820 households in Washington and national spending patterns by income.
How does Washington compare with the U.S. for real estate businesses?
Washington has 42.1 real estate businesses per 10,000 households, 9% above the U.S. rate of 38.5. The index of housing spending per office is 108, where 100 is the U.S. At the U.S. ratio of real estate businesses to household spending, Washington would have about 13,994, against 12,898 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 317 households, against one for every 414 across the U.S. The official count rose 13.5% from 2019 to 2023, against +15.8% for the U.S.
Which market in Washington has the highest market score for real estate businesses?
Among 13 scored metro areas in or partly in Washington, the Yakima metro area scores highest, at 69 (upper middle). Among 10 scored small-town markets in or partly in Washington, the Othello area scores highest, at 67 (upper middle). Among 35 scored counties in Washington, Lincoln County scores highest, at 87 (high). Scores compare each market with others of its kind across the U.S.
What is the Groundwork market score?
The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. Washington scores 56 for real estate businesses (upper middle), #17 of the 50 states and DC.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Washington. It maps the real estate businesses on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.
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Top markets for real estate businesses across the U.S. · All business types in Washington
Related business types in Washington
- Real estate agents and brokers9,904 listings
- Property management933 listings
- Mortgage brokers and lenders1,867 listings
- Home inspectors194 listings
Screening a site or an acquisition in Washington?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.