The median sale price for a single-family home in Marysville, WA, is roughly $620,000, while townhouses sit slightly lower at about $582,000. Renters here face a real choice: sign another lease or try to buy into a market that's moving in two different directions at once.
Key Takeaway
The Census Bureau tracks median gross rent across all Marysville rental units, but older leases drag that average down. Budget against HUD's Small Area Fair Market Rent for your specific unit size and ZIP code, not a single citywide average. If rent prices push you toward buying, look at townhouses first: their sellers wait the longest, while single-family houses still draw competing offers.
Who This Guide Is For
You're renting or about to rent in Marysville and need a realistic monthly number to plan around, or you're deciding whether to keep renting or start shopping for a home.
Average Rent in Marysville, WA
Average rent is only half the decision. The sale market is splitting between detached houses that still sell fast and townhouses that sit, so this page ends with renting versus buying.
For the bigger picture, see Marysville Housing Market.
Different sources give different rent numbers. The Census Bureau tracks what tenants pay now, including older, cheaper leases that have not turned over in years. HUD's Fair Market Rent is a more useful planning number. Live listing rents run higher still, because they reflect what landlords are asking today. A new lease will price above the Census median, so build your budget from the HUD and listing figures.
How to Find the Right Rent Figure
If you know how many bedrooms you need, go to 'Average rent by bedroom size' and use the HUD figure for that size as your ceiling check. If you've found a specific listing, check which ZIP it's in and compare it with 'Rent by ZIP code in Marysville'. If the rent might take more than 30 percent of your gross income, read 'How much rent can you afford in Marysville?' before you apply. If you're renting only until you can buy, skip to 'Renting vs buying in Marysville'. That section explains why townhouses and single-family homes call for different strategies.
Average Rent by Bedroom Size
HUD sets Small Area Fair Market Rents for each Marysville ZIP code by unit size. Each figure is a gross rent at the 40th percentile, meaning about four in ten comparable units rent for less, utilities included.
Studio and one-bedroom units
Because the HUD figure includes utilities, compare it against a listing's rent plus the utilities you'd pay yourself. Many listings quote rent alone, which makes them look cheaper than they are. A one-bedroom priced above the HUD figure isn't automatically overpriced if it includes water, sewer, and garbage. Ask each landlord which utilities are included, and add typical Marysville utility costs for the rest before you compare.
Two-bedroom units
The two-bedroom is the most common benchmark and the figure used in standard affordability calculations. HUD sets a specific two-bedroom figure for both the 98270 and 98271 ZIP codes.
A ZIP-wide benchmark can't price a specific building. A townhouse-style two-bedroom and a two-bedroom in an older apartment complex fall under the same number. Compare against two or three current listings of the same type before you negotiate.
Three-bedroom and larger units
Three-bedroom and larger rentals in Marysville are often single-family houses rather than apartments. HUD tracks three- and four-bedroom figures for both ZIP codes. A house lease can shift yard care, utilities, and sometimes minor repairs to you, so get that split in writing before you sign. If school assignment matters to your household, confirm it with the district's address lookup rather than trusting a listing.
Rent by ZIP Code in Marysville
Marysville has two main ZIP codes, 98270 and 98271, and HUD sets separate rent benchmarks for each because the Seattle-Bellevue area uses Small Area FMRs. Housing age and type vary across Marysville neighborhoods within each ZIP, so weigh the area as well as the benchmark when choosing a side of the city.
ZIP code 98270
The 98270 benchmark covers the southern and central parts of the city. The difference between the two figures shows which area offers better value for your bedroom count.
ZIP lines don't follow obvious street boundaries. Confirm a listing's ZIP from the full address before relying on either benchmark, and don't rule out a good rental that's one street over.
ZIP code 98271
Because HUD sets a separate Small Area Fair Market Rent for each Marysville ZIP, a Housing Choice Voucher carries different weight in 98271 than it does in 98270.
The benchmark covers the whole ZIP, from new builds to older apartments. It's a starting check, not a fair-price verdict on any one unit.
Is Rent Going Up or Down in Marysville?
Year-over-year changes in HUD's two-bedroom figures and Census medians show how market rates are shifting, which affects what you'll pay at your next renewal. Washington caps annual increases on most rentals. Renters who confirm the cap applies to their unit and sign a longer lease get predictable costs while saving toward a down payment.
How Much Rent Can You Afford in Marysville?
The 30 percent rule
HUD defines cost-burdened households as those that pay more than 30 percent of their income for housing, which may make it difficult to afford necessities such as food, clothing, transportation, and medical care. To find the gross annual income a rent requires, multiply the monthly rent by 12 and divide by 0.30. Because the HUD benchmark already includes utilities, the math applies cleanly to it.
The rule ignores commuting costs, and many Marysville renters commute down I-5. A cheaper unit with a long drive can cost more in total than a pricier one that's closer.
Income needed for a two-bedroom
Apply that math to the HUD two-bedroom figure to see what a household needs to earn. Compare the result with the median household income for Marysville city, which was $100,362 between 2019 and 2023, to see whether a typical earner clears the bar or falls short.
Landlords set their own income screens, which are often more demanding than the 30 percent threshold. Ask each landlord what income multiple and credit criteria they use before paying an application fee. Passing the 30 percent math doesn't guarantee approval.
Renting vs Buying in Marysville
When rent prices push you toward owning, the trade-off is speed against negotiating room.
Single-family homes
Single-family homes are the right target if you want a detached house and can act quickly, with recent comparable sales in hand. Even with prices down 4.6 percent from a year earlier, more than one in four Marysville houses sold above asking in the 90 days ending September 30, 2026. A falling median can reflect a different mix of homes selling, not discounts on comparable ones. Don't expect to offer well under asking on a well-priced house. What you give up is time and negotiating room.
Townhouses
Start with townhouses if you want to move from renting to owning without stepping into a bidding war. They cost only about $38,000 less than a detached house, but they sit for a median 67 days, based on 10 recent sales. With 12.1 months of supply, it would take about a year at the recent sales pace to sell every townhouse listed in Marysville.
Townhouses usually carry HOA dues, which add to the monthly cost and can rise. Ask the HOA for current dues, the reserve study, and any planned special assessments. If you're using an FHA loan, confirm the complex is FHA-approved. A slow market also means a slower resale if you need to move on later.
Rent versus owning the median home
For illustration only, take the all-homes median sale price of $617,956. Assuming a 10 percent down payment of roughly $61,795, apply the current 30-year fixed mortgage rate for principal and interest. Then add property tax: the Snohomish County Assessor's Office set the 2026 typical levy rate for the City of Marysville at $7.4860 per $1,000 of assessed value. Add a homeowners insurance quote for the specific property, then compare the monthly total against the HUD three-bedroom figure.
This owning figure leaves out maintenance, HOA dues, and mortgage insurance. It also assumes you have about 10 percent down plus closing costs in cash before the first mortgage payment. The real monthly gap versus renting is wider than this simple illustration shows. If you're weighing a townhouse offer, Renee Pilchard can pull recent comparable sales.
Marysville Home Sales at a Glance
Redfin data for the 90 days ending Sept. 30, 2026:
- Median sale price, all homes: $617,956, down 4.2% year over year (254 sales)
- Median sale price, single-family: $620,253, down 4.6% year over year (232 sales)
- Median sale price, townhouses: $582,457, up 11.5% year over year (based on only 10 sales; treat with caution)
- Median days on market: all homes 20; single-family 20; townhouses 67 (10 sales)
- Sale-to-list price: all homes 100.2%; single-family 100.2%; townhouses 99.5% (10 sales)
- Share sold above list price: all homes 27.2%; single-family 28.5%; townhouses 19.9% (10 sales)
- Months of supply: all homes 3.7; single-family 3.3; townhouses 12.1 (10 sales)
- Homes for sale: all homes 303; single-family 248; townhouses 40
- Median price per square foot: all homes $360; single-family $365; townhouses $340 (10 sales)
Marysville Rent FAQs
Is rent in Marysville cheaper than in Seattle or Everett?
Renters often find lower monthly housing costs in Marysville than in Seattle, though a longer commute eats into the savings. Census median gross rent figures show the exact gap for each city.
Where can I get help if I can't afford rent in Marysville?
The Housing Authority of Snohomish County (HASCO) administers the Housing Choice (Section 8) Voucher program. As of 2026 that waitlist is closed and will be updated when the program reopens. HASCO's separate Senior and Disabled Housing waitlist remains open, with an estimated wait of 7 to 9 years or more.
What is the minimum wage in Marysville, and how much rent does it cover?
Washington's minimum wage is $17.13 per hour effective January 1, 2026. Working 2,080 hours a year at that rate yields a gross annual income of $35,630.40, which covers about $890 a month in rent under the 30 percent rule before you become cost-burdened.
How much can a landlord raise rent in Marysville?
The Washington State Department of Commerce set the maximum allowable rent increase for 2026 at 9.683 percent, effective January 1 to December 31, 2026, though some rentals are exempt. Landlords must give at least 90 days' written notice of any increase, and no increase is allowed during the first 12 months of a tenancy.
Are there limits on security deposits and move-in fees in Marysville?
On a tenant's written request, a landlord must allow deposits, nonrefundable fees, and last month's rent to be paid in installments, with no fee or interest for doing so. The exception is when deposits and nonrefundable fees total no more than 25 percent of the first full month's rent, and last month's rent isn't required upfront. Get a written checklist of the unit's condition at move-in before paying a deposit.
Does Marysville flood, and does renters insurance cover it?
FEMA identifies flood hazard areas along the Snohomish River and Ebey Slough, and a 1-percent-annual-chance flood will inundate low-lying areas near Ebey Slough even with levee protection. Standard renters policies generally exclude flood damage, but renters can buy a standalone National Flood Insurance Program contents-only policy. Look up your address on the FEMA map before signing a lease.
