Is Spokane still appreciating in 2026?

Yes, mid-single-digit year-over-year. South Hill and Liberty Lake lead; North Spokane and Five Mile are slower. Spokane has been one of the more-appreciated PNW markets since 2020 in percentage terms, partly driven by remote-worker in-migration. The pace has slowed from the 2021–2022 frenzy but remains positive.

Is Spokane a buyer's or seller's market?

Closer to balanced than either extreme, with seller-tilt in South Hill and Liberty Lake and more buyer leverage in North Spokane and parts of Five Mile. The longer days-on-market vs Eastside markets gives buyers genuine thinking time. Listings sitting 40+ days usually have negotiation room.

How does the remote-worker pattern affect local-income buyers?

Materially in remote-worker-preferred neighborhoods (South Hill, Browne's Addition, Garland District). Local-income buyers face partial competition from buyers carrying higher-cost-of-living incomes. The fix isn't easy — local-income buyers either compete in less remote-worker-preferred neighborhoods (North Spokane, Five Mile, parts of Hillyard), accept stretching budgets, or wait for slower appreciation periods.

Should I time my Spokane purchase around rate movements?

Probably not strategically. Spokane is more rate-sensitive than the Eastside cities (more first-time buyers in the buyer pool), but timing the market is harder than getting financially ready and acting. If rates drop below 6.0%, expect inventory to tighten quickly and price growth to accelerate. If rates rise above 7.0%, expect modest cooling. Plan for the rate environment you're shopping in, not the one you wish for.

What's the resale liquidity story for Spokane?

Reasonable but slower than Eastside markets. Typical days-on-market is 25–35 days for well-priced homes. Buyer pool is meaningful (mix of local first-time, remote-worker, and move-up buyers). For 5+ year holds, Spokane resale is reliable. For 2-year holds (career changes, family relocations), the slower liquidity is a real consideration; price expectations should be calibrated accordingly.

Market Update5 min read

Spokane Market Data 2026: A Buyer's Snapshot

Where Spokane prices, inventory, and days-on-market actually sit heading into mid-2026 — with neighborhood deltas, the remote-worker pattern's market impact, and what to watch through the year.

Published April 29, 2026

Educational content. This piece covers a market outside our service area. We represent buyers in King, Pierce & Snohomish County, Washington — for direct representation in this market, contact a licensed local agent.

The headline numbers

Spokane's median single-family home sits around $385K as of early 2026, with median days-on-market in the 25–35 day range. Year-over-year, the Spokane median is up modestly (mid-single-digit percentage), continuing a multi-year appreciation pattern partly driven by remote-worker in-migration. Spokane's market is among the most appreciated in the PNW since 2020 on a percentage basis (though obviously from a much lower price base). The trade-off pattern: Spokane is no longer the screaming-deal it was in 2019, but it remains structurally cheaper than every other PNW city we cover, and the affordability gap is durable.

Neighborhood deltas

South Hill leads Spokane pricing in 2026 with above-average year-over-year growth driven by school assignments, walkable amenities, and remote-worker buyer preference. Liberty Lake (eastern suburb) has also outpaced the city average, driven by newer construction and family-buyer demand. Browne's Addition and Garland District have appreciated steadily as urban-character neighborhoods continue to attract a broader buyer pool. North Spokane and parts of Five Mile have had more modest growth, which makes them more accessible relative to the city average than they were two years ago. The remote-worker buyer pool concentrates in South Hill, Browne's Addition, Garland District, and Liberty Lake — pricing in those neighborhoods is partly anchored to non-local incomes.

Leading: South Hill, Liberty Lake (eastern suburb)
Above-average growth: Browne's Addition, Garland District
Modest growth: North Spokane, parts of Five Mile
Remote-worker concentration: South Hill, Browne's Addition, Garland
Premium tier ($600K+): South Hill restored historic, Liberty Lake newer construction

The remote-worker effect

Remote workers from Westside Washington and California have been a meaningful share of Spokane's buyer pool since 2020. The pattern has slowed but not stopped — remote-worker buyers continue to enter the market, and they bring purchasing power calibrated to higher-cost-of-living incomes. The market impact: pricing in remote-worker-preferred neighborhoods is partly anchored to non-local incomes, which keeps those neighborhoods more competitive than local-income fundamentals would suggest. For local-income buyers, this is frustrating; for remote-worker buyers, it means meaningful purchasing power advantage. Tracking the remote-worker flow is one of the more useful Spokane-specific market signals.

Inventory and the buyer's negotiating position

Spokane inventory is moderate by PNW standards. Typical buyers should expect 25–50 active listings in their target neighborhood and price band — fewer than Tacoma's 30–60 but more than Bellevue's 12–25. Days-on-market in the 25–35 day range gives buyers reasonable thinking time and inspection-period leverage. Homes sitting 50+ days are signals worth investigating. For first-time buyers, Spokane offers more options than the headline-affordability would suggest — South Hill alone usually has 30+ active listings across the family-tier price band, which is more than most Eastside neighborhoods deliver.

What to watch in Q2 and Q3 2026

Three Spokane-specific signals worth tracking. First, remote-worker in-migration trends continue to drive South Hill, Browne's Addition, and Liberty Lake pricing — corporate return-to-office mandates affect the flow. Second, mortgage rate movement matters more here than in Westside markets because the buyer pool skews more toward first-time and budget-tier purchasers. Rate drops below 6.0% would tighten Spokane materially. Third, Idaho cross-line buyer flow (Coeur d'Alene-area buyers shopping Spokane for affordability) has been a small but real source of Spokane demand; watch for any meaningful Coeur d'Alene price acceleration which would push more cross-line buyers into Spokane.

Common questions

Is Spokane still appreciating in 2026?: Yes, mid-single-digit year-over-year. South Hill and Liberty Lake lead; North Spokane and Five Mile are slower. Spokane has been one of the more-appreciated PNW markets since 2020 in percentage terms, partly driven by remote-worker in-migration. The pace has slowed from the 2021–2022 frenzy but remains positive.
Is Spokane a buyer's or seller's market?: Closer to balanced than either extreme, with seller-tilt in South Hill and Liberty Lake and more buyer leverage in North Spokane and parts of Five Mile. The longer days-on-market vs Eastside markets gives buyers genuine thinking time. Listings sitting 40+ days usually have negotiation room.
How does the remote-worker pattern affect local-income buyers?: Materially in remote-worker-preferred neighborhoods (South Hill, Browne's Addition, Garland District). Local-income buyers face partial competition from buyers carrying higher-cost-of-living incomes. The fix isn't easy — local-income buyers either compete in less remote-worker-preferred neighborhoods (North Spokane, Five Mile, parts of Hillyard), accept stretching budgets, or wait for slower appreciation periods.
Should I time my Spokane purchase around rate movements?: Probably not strategically. Spokane is more rate-sensitive than the Eastside cities (more first-time buyers in the buyer pool), but timing the market is harder than getting financially ready and acting. If rates drop below 6.0%, expect inventory to tighten quickly and price growth to accelerate. If rates rise above 7.0%, expect modest cooling. Plan for the rate environment you're shopping in, not the one you wish for.
What's the resale liquidity story for Spokane?: Reasonable but slower than Eastside markets. Typical days-on-market is 25–35 days for well-priced homes. Buyer pool is meaningful (mix of local first-time, remote-worker, and move-up buyers). For 5+ year holds, Spokane resale is reliable. For 2-year holds (career changes, family relocations), the slower liquidity is a real consideration; price expectations should be calibrated accordingly.