Washington had one of the strongest housing markets in the country in the end of 2020: report By Becca Savransky, SeattlePI Washington was among the top 10 states across the country that had the strongest housing markets in the fourth quarter of 2020, according to a new report. The report, from Bankrate, ranked Washington seventh on the list, according to its Housing Heat Index. The index looks at a number of factors to judge the strength of housing markets, including home price appreciation, past-due mortgage payments, job growth, unemployment, cost of living and taxes. Washington took the sixth spot for home price appreciation. It ranked lower when it came to its high cost of living and unemployment rate, but it still earned a spot on the list higher than most other states across the U.S.