Cost of Living & Housing in Sequim
Sequim offers no state income tax and a real, precisely documented dry, sunny microclimate -- but housing runs moderate-to-upper for this build's Washington Tier C markets, and property-tax figures carry a real, disclosed spread across sources.
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Learn moreModerate-to-upper home values for this tier
Zillow's average home value for Sequim is $563,761, down 2.4% over the past year (a separately cited figure puts it at $562,161, down 1.3%) (base record). Homes go to pending in roughly 14 days on average -- not a bargain price point among this build's Washington Tier C markets, reflecting Sequim's genuine retirement and lifestyle-migration draw.
Property tax rate carries a real, disclosed spread
Sequim's own average effective property tax rate is cited at 0.87%, while a separate source cites a Clallam County-wide average of 0.77% (base record) -- both disclosed rather than reconciled to one number. Washington also caps year-over-year property tax bill growth at 3% for an owner-occupied primary residence under state law.
No state income tax, plus a real capital gains excise tax
Washington levies no state personal income tax, but does apply a real capital gains excise tax on high earners -- 7% on gains above the annual threshold, rising to 9.9% on gains above $1M (base record). Sequim's combined sales tax rate is 8.9%.
A genuinely dry, sunny microclimate lowers some lifestyle costs
Sequim's real Olympic rain-shadow position -- roughly 16 inches of annual rainfall against Seattle's 34-37 inches (base record) -- is a genuine quality-of-life and cost factor for anyone weighing outdoor maintenance, heating patterns, or seasonal mood against wetter Western Washington markets.
Key takeaways
- Zillow's average home value runs $562,161-$563,761 depending on source -- moderate-to-upper for this build's Washington Tier C markets, not a bargain.
- Property tax rate carries a real, disclosed spread: 0.77%-0.87% depending on citation.
- No state income tax, alongside a real capital gains excise tax (7% base, 9.9% above $1M) and an 8.9% combined sales tax.
- A genuinely dry, sunny Olympic rain-shadow microclimate (~16 in/year rainfall) sets Sequim apart from wetter Western Washington markets.
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