Nestled in the picturesque Central Washington region, Wenatchee is a thriving city renowned for its breathtaking natural surroundings, with the Columbia River winding through the valley and the Cascade Mountains gracing the horizon. It is a vibrant and bustling town which offers significant outdoor activities year-round. Whether it's hiking the extensive trail network, or skiing at nearby Mission Ridge, Wenatchee is an outdoor lover's dream.
Wenatchee is home to diverse industries led by agriculture, and health care, but also including education, technology, and tourism. Known as the “Apple Capital of the World”, its roots are in agriculture, but Wenatchee is also home to the Confluence Technology Center, which houses data centers for Yahoo! and Microsoft. The Wenatchee MSA has seen steady growth in both population and jobs at rates that have outpaced the national average for over six decades.
Wenatchee is just 7.77 square miles and is nestled into the Cascade mountain range to the West and the Columbia River to the East. In addition, there is very little raw land left in the city limits for which new development could sprawl and increase supply. These natural supply constraints offer long-term investors outsized rent growth and asset control compared to other Inland Northwest markets surrounded by farmland or even with excess raw land within city limits waiting to be developed.
Centered around Pybus Public Market and a bustling Wenatchee Ave main strip, you’ll find contagious energy in this relatively small town. Combined with the outdoor activities of hiking, mountain biking, and skiing, Wenatchee residents live an active lifestyle and this shows in their restaurants, coffee shops, local shopping, and communities.
Groups such as Summerfield and Coast (regional property managers), Weidner Apartment Homes, and 11 Capital all have a presence in the market, bringing a level of sophistication not often seen in a town the size of Walla Walla. This lifts the tides of all rental housing and provides potential exit opportunities to buyers who have acquired assets at scale.
Wenatchee is not an employer-driven market, it is a lifestyle and resident-driven market. This translated to record migration during a work-from-home boom, which is a trend that is slowing and will impact the demand for high-end apartments and homes in the market. In addition, two large-scale investors own ~31% of the multifamily inventory, presenting a barrier to entry and potential market risk as those investors can swing the market one way or another on rents, occupancy, or investment opportunity.
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