【Washington, 】3 Washington cities are ‘hidden gem housing markets,’ ranking says. Which ones?

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Editor’s Note

A recent analysis highlights several U.S. housing markets that balance affordability with quality of life. Among them are three Washington cities, noted for their relatively lower home prices and strong livability scores.

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Washington Cities Ranked as Hidden Gems

A new report lists more than two dozen housing markets “where affordability and livability best intersect” — and three are in Washington. They’re not the state’s most populous or even necessarily best-known areas, but they — along with the other markets on the list — “offer significantly lower home prices than their state averages, manageable mortgage costs and solid median incomes — along with strong livability ratings,” according to the personal finance site GOBankingRates.

The site curated a list of “America’s 30 Best Hidden Gem Housing Markets of 2025,” published Sept. 15. The top hidden gem housing market is in Virginia, followed by a city in New York and one in Wisconsin. Washington’s highest-placing city cracked the top five.

“From college towns to lakeside communities,” the 30 markets on the list “are quietly thriving and poised to attract savvy buyers in the months ahead,” GOBankingRates said.

Which Washington cities made the hidden gem housing markets list?

The three Washington cities on GOBankingRates’ list of the 30 best hidden gem housing markets in the country are:

Aberdeen (No. 5)
Spokane Valley (No. 12)
Pullman (No. 20)

Aberdeen is on the west side of the state, near the coast. Its average home value is $282,994, or nearly $340,000 less than the state’s average, GOBankingRates said. The average monthly mortgage is $1,620, per the site, while the median household income is $52,181.

Meanwhile, Spokane Valley and Pullman — both in eastern Washington — also have average home values far below the state average of $621,316, GOBankingRates said. Spokane Valley’s is $420,821 and Pullman’s is $439,271. The average monthly mortgage in those cities is $2,409 in Spokane Valley and $2,514 in Pullman, according to GOBankingRates, while their median household incomes are $70,722 and $45,097, respectively.

What are the ’30 Best Hidden Gem Housing Markets’ in the US?

Here are the 30 housing markets in the U.S. considered to be the best hidden gems, according to GoBanking Rates:

1. Lynchburg, Virginia
2. North Tonawanda, New York
3. Wausau, Wisconsin
4. Blythe, California
5. Aberdeen, Washington
6. Keene, New Hampshire
7. Central Point, Oregon
8. Ridgecrest, California
9. Logan, Utah
10. Wyandotte, Michigan
11. Sandusky, Ohio
12. Spokane Valley, Washington
13. Glens Falls, New York
14. Hanford, California
15. South Euclid, Ohio
16. Gloversville, New York
17. Wakefield, Virginia
18. Cumberland, Maryland
19. Meadville, Pennsylvania
20. Pullman, Washington
21. Redding, California
22. Chicopee, Massachusetts
23. Superior, Wisconsin
24. Utica, New York
25. Clinton, Utah
26. Binghamton, New York
27. Springfield, Massachusetts
28. Glassboro, New Jersey
29. Pensacola, Florida
30. Merced, California

How did GoBankingRates come up with its ranking?

GOBankingRates used data from Sperling’s BestPlaces, AreaVibes, Zillow, the Federal Reserve and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics to create its hidden gems list, it said.

“Cities were weighted based on how they rank in multiple categories, and an overall score was determined — producing a list of the nation’s best blends of affordability and livability,” GOBankingRates said.

Criteria used to evaluate the cities included the difference in the city’s and state’s average home value, livability index score, median household income and average mortgage cost, per the site.

This story was originally published October 8, 2025 at 5:00 AM.

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⏰ Published on: October 08, 2025