Cle Elum, WA housing market
The typical Cle Elum home is worth about $609,000, up 1.1% in a year, close to the Washington typical home.
Home values, sales, trends and how Cle Elum compares with the towns next door — updated as new data is published.
Cle Elum at a glance
Only 4 sales in May 2026: in a market this size, monthly medians swing a lot, so the typical value above is the steadier guide.
Typical home value, 2016–2026
Show as a table
| January | Cle Elum | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $310,000 | $326,000 |
| 2018 | $346,000 | $362,000 |
| 2019 | $389,000 | $390,000 |
| 2020 | $407,000 | $413,000 |
| 2021 | $472,000 | $471,000 |
| 2022 | $597,000 | $554,000 |
| 2023 | $634,000 | $572,000 |
| 2024 | $609,000 | $582,000 |
| 2025 | $610,000 | $605,000 |
| 2026 | $612,000 | $601,000 |
| August 2026 | $609,000 | $592,000 |
54 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 54 new homes in Cle Elum in 2025: 6 single-family houses and 48 in buildings with two or more homes, worth about $9.9 million to build. That's 28 per 1,000 residents, faster than across Washington (4.6). Over the past 10 years, Cle Elum has permitted 202 homes in all.
Homes vs. people, 2010–2020
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Cle Elum gained 285 residents while 79 new homes were permitted: about 3.6 new residents per new home. Population grew faster than building, so existing homes filled up: a sign of tight supply. Across Washington: 2.7 new residents per new home.
Residents: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 and 2020 censuses. New homes: permits issued 2010–2019.
Show as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 69 | 28 | 41 | $17.9 million |
| 2025 | 54 | 6 | 48 | $9.9 million |
| 2024 | 8 | 8 | 0 | $3.1 million |
| 2023 | 37 | 11 | 26 | $6.3 million |
| 2022 | 5 | 3 | 2 | $1.1 million |
| 2021 | 6 | 6 | 0 | $1.4 million |
| 2020 | 26 | 26 | 0 | $5.1 million |
| 2019 | 25 | 25 | 0 | $5.6 million |
| 2018 | 36 | 36 | 0 | $7.5 million |
| 2017 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $636,000 |
| 2016 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $506,000 |
| 2015 | 5 | 3 | 2 | $992,000 |
| 2014 | 2 | 0 | 2 | $295,000 |
| 2013 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2012 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $194,000 |
| 2011 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2010 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $794,000 |
| 2009 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2008 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $258,000 |
| 2007 | 30 | 7 | 23 | $3.8 million |
| 2006 | 37 | 21 | 16 | $6.4 million |
| 2005 | 21 | 17 | 4 | $2.7 million |
| 2004 | 6 | 6 | 0 | $583,000 |
| 2003 | 8 | 8 | 0 | $822,000 |
| 2002 | 9 | 9 | 0 | $402,000 |
| 2001 | 37 | 8 | 29 | $2.5 million |
| 2000 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $71,000 |
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, through August 2026.
Cle Elum and its neighbors
| Town | Typical value | 1-yr change | 2-bed rent | New homes 2025 | Median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cle Elum | $609K | +1.1% | $1,310 | 54 | $63,973 |
| South Cle Elum | $407K | +2.2% | $1,370 | 1 | $66,750 |
9.5 years of income
The typical Cle Elum home costs about 9.5 years of the town's median household income, more than across Washington (6 years).
Home value ÷ ACS median household income.
Owners, rent & taxes
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,310
HUD's Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Cle Elum is $1,310 a month, utilities included: roughly what a modest, recently rented unit costs. Renters already in Cle Elum pay a median of $1,295. A two-bedroom takes about 25% of the town's median household income.
Studio $900 · 4 bedrooms $2,200
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, FY2026 Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (98922; Kittitas County, WA), weighted by land area. A Fair Market Rent is the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, August 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, May 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Listings link to their publishers.