Is there a shortage of affordable housing in San Juan County?
Working people and people who grew up in the islands have a hard time finding permanent housing in the County at prices local wages can support. According to data developed by Washington State University, San Juan County's residents typically have the greatest gap between household incomes and housing prices of any County in the state. Typical first-time home-buyers in San Juan County can afford a housing payment of less than 40% of the payment they must make to purchase a starter home. The average for the state is 77%. With a full 20% down, a median-income family of 4 in our county can still afford only 66% of the payment needed on a median-priced home, while in most parts of the state, the median-income family can afford 110% of the price of the median-priced home. For more information, see the Housing Affordability Crisis Fact Sheet (PDF).

Show All Answers

1. Is there a shortage of affordable housing in San Juan County?
2. How are very low, low, moderate, and middle income groups determined?
3. Why is there a shortage of affordable housing?
4. What measures can the County and State take to solve the affordable housing problem?