Orchard Town on the Wenatchee

About Cashmere, WA

Welcome to Cashmere, a Chelan County orchard town in the Wenatchee Valley, home to the Aplets & Cotlets candy tradition and framed by the foothills of the Cascades.

Cashmere is a small city in Chelan County, in central Washington, set along the Wenatchee River within the Wenatchee Valley. It lies roughly ten miles west of Wenatchee, the region's principal city, and is part of the Wenatchee–East Wenatchee metropolitan area. U.S. Route 2, a major east-west corridor across the Cascade Range, passes through town. The community's economy has long been tied to fruit. The Wenatchee Valley is one of the nation's premier apple-growing regions, and orchards of apples, pears, and cherries ring Cashmere on all sides. In 1918, two Armenian immigrants, Mark Balaban and Armen Tertsagian, founded Liberty Orchards as a way to make use of surplus fruit, developing the Aplets & Cotlets candies that made the town nationally known. The candy company remains one of Cashmere's signature institutions, and its country store and factory draw visitors from across the state. Cashmere also preserves its frontier past. The Cashmere Museum and Pioneer Village includes a collection of roughly twenty pioneer-era structures, offering a picture of nineteenth-century life in the valley. The town was incorporated in 1904, and its compact downtown still reflects its early twentieth-century character. The surrounding orchards and the river have long defined the local landscape, shaping both the town's economy and its identity. Today Cashmere functions as a small, orchard-centered community that also serves as a gateway to the Cascade Range. Its location along Highway 2 puts the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, the Icicle Creek corridor, and the Wenatchee River within easy reach, while Wenatchee supplies the larger employment, shopping, and airport amenities of the region. The town's dry, sunny climate and its position between river, orchards, and mountains give it a character distinct within the broader valley.

Population 3,248
County Chelan County
Active Listings 67

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is Cashmere in?

Cashmere is in Chelan County, in central Washington, within the Wenatchee Valley. It is part of the Wenatchee–East Wenatchee metropolitan area and sits along U.S. Route 2, about ten miles west of the city of Wenatchee.

What is Cashmere known for?

Cashmere is best known as the home of Liberty Orchards, maker of Aplets & Cotlets fruit candies, a tradition begun by Armenian immigrants in 1918. The Cashmere Museum and Pioneer Village preserves the area's pioneer history.

How far is Cashmere from Wenatchee?

Cashmere lies roughly ten miles west of Wenatchee along U.S. Route 2. The two cities are part of the same metropolitan area, with Wenatchee providing the region's larger employment, shopping, and airport access.

What outdoor recreation is near Cashmere?

The Wenatchee River runs through the area, offering fishing and floating, and the Alpine Lakes Wilderness and Cascade Range lie nearby with hiking and camping. The town is a gateway to Stevens Pass and the Wenatchee Valley's orchards.

City Guide

About Cashmere

Real Estate & Housing

Cashmere's housing stock is typical of a small Washington orchard town. Older single-family homes, many built in the early-to-mid twentieth century, line the streets near downtown, while newer subdivisions have grown on the town's edges as the Wenatchee Valley has expanded. Lots in the older core tend to be modest and tree-lined, and many homes have views toward the surrounding orchards and foothills. The mix of established and newer housing gives buyers a range of eras and styles, from older bungalows and ramblers to more recent construction on larger lots.

Neighborhoods

Cashmere is small enough that its neighborhoods flow together around the downtown core and the Wenatchee River. The historic center, with its shops and civic buildings, is surrounded by established residential blocks, while newer development has extended the town's footprint outward toward the orchards and hills. Because the town is framed by agricultural land and rising foothills, most neighborhoods sit within view of orchards or open country. The compact scale makes the entire town walkable and keeps daily services close at hand for residents.

Lifestyle in Cashmere

Life in Cashmere blends small-town character with a strong agricultural identity. The Liberty Orchards country store is a local landmark, and the town's orchards and farm stands are woven into everyday life. Community events, the museum, and the riverside setting anchor a slower pace than the larger Wenatchee area just down the highway. Residents have easy access to the dining, shopping, and cultural offerings of Wenatchee while returning to a quieter, orchard-framed setting. The result is a lifestyle centered on community and the outdoors.

Schools & Education

Public education in Cashmere is provided by the Cashmere School District, which operates the community's elementary, middle, and high schools. The district is a central institution in a town of this size, and its schools serve both the city and the surrounding orchard country. For higher education and vocational training, Wenatchee Valley College in nearby Wenatchee offers two-year and continuing-education programs within a short drive.

Getting Around

Cashmere sits directly on U.S. Route 2, the principal highway across the Cascade Range in central Washington. The highway connects the town eastward to Wenatchee and the Columbia River and westward over Stevens Pass toward the Puget Sound region. Wenatchee, about ten miles away, provides regional transit, intercity bus, and rail service, including Amtrak's Empire Builder, as well as Pangborn Memorial Airport. The town's position on the Highway 2 corridor makes it a practical base for the broader valley.

Parks & Recreation

Cashmere is surrounded by outdoor recreation. The Wenatchee River offers fishing and floating, and the nearby Icicle Creek and Alpine Lakes Wilderness provide hiking, climbing, and camping in the Cascade foothills. Stevens Pass, a major ski and winter-recreation area, is within driving distance to the west. Locally, the Cashmere Museum and Pioneer Village offers a cultural destination, and the town's orchards and surrounding farm country lend themselves to walking and cycling. The valley's dry, sunny climate supports outdoor activity through much of the year.

MARKET SNAPSHOT

The Market at a Glance

How homes have been selling here over the last 90 days.

home_work New This Week 1
Went Under Contract 0
trending_down Price Reductions 0
payments Median Sale Price $640,884 +5.1%
square_foot Price per Sq Ft $344
schedule Avg Days on Market 35
sell Homes Sold 22
percent Sale-to-List Ratio 98.0%
inventory_2 Months of Inventory 4.8

Price & Sales History

Market data reflects closed sales over the last 90 days and is provided for informational purposes.

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812 E Main Puyallup, WA 98372