Mount Vernon, WA — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Washington·Mount Vernon

Skagit County · Mount Vernon-Anacortes · population 35,344

Mount Vernon, WA
Image: Wikipedia · Mount Vernon, Washington
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
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68
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Mount Vernon stands

At or near all-time high. rents up 5.1% in the last year.

Median home $590,838
1-year +1.8%
5-yr CAGR +4.7%
vs 5-yr peak -0.3%
Population +0.1%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-02$591k$253k$374k$495k$616k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
32/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
22/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
89/100
Excellent for remote work
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$2,022/mo$1,659$1,901$2,14420242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent11011510020242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 24.3
Lean rent

At a 24.3 price-to-rent ratio, the math is starting to lean toward renting in Mount Vernon. Owner-occupier ROI requires longer holds and the assumption that prices keep appreciating roughly at the rate of rent.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
59 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
63 · w22%
Distance from peak
88 · w18%
Population growth
47 · w16%
Rent YoY
79 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
82 · w10%
Long thesis

Mount Vernon has held up across the cycle: home values at $590,838 with +4.7% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Mount Vernon's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Mount Vernon

Mount Vernon is a city in Skagit County, Washington, with an estimated population of 35,344. It anchors the Mount Vernon-Anacortes metro area. The median home value in Mount Vernon is $590,838 as of 2026-04, up 1.8% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +4.7% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Mount Vernon average $2,022 per month, up 5.1% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 68 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Held the highs: currently -0.3% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.
●Hot rental market: rents up 5.1% YoY — landlords have pricing power, supports new investment math.

▼ Bear case

○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Mount Vernon (Wikipedia)

Mount Vernon is the county seat of and the most populous city in Skagit County, Washington, United States. A central location in the Skagit River Valley, the city is located 51 miles (82 km) south of the Canadian border and 60 miles (97 km) north of Seattle. The population was 35,219 at the 2020 census, making it the 35th most-populous city in Washington, with 62,966 people living in its urban area. It is one of two principal cities of and included in the Mount Vernon-Anacortes Metropolitan Statistical Area, covering most of Skagit County.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Skagit County right now.

NWS active alerts (WA)Washington Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Skagit County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Neighborhoods of Mount Vernon

1 tracked · ranked by median home value
1West Hill$492,489-0.1%

Cities like Mount Vernon

Walla Walla, WA65 · RisingEast Wenatchee, WA65 · RisingPort Angeles, WA67 · RisingOak Harbor, WA65 · Rising

Run the numbers for Mount Vernon

ToolCan I afford Mount Vernon?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Mount Vernon rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Mount Vernon to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolMount Vernon cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
45° / 35°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
77° / 56°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
152
~42% of year
Annual precip
38″ rain
10″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
Very low
Wildfire
High
Earthquake
Very high
Flood
Moderate

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Mount Vernon listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Mount Vernon-Anacortes area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
75%
Very humid climate
Median household income
$90,400
Washington state median
Top industries (state-level)
Tech (Amazon/MS)Aerospace (Boeing)Agriculture

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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