Property Tax in Benton County, Oregon
Homeowners in Benton County, Oregon pay a median of $4,713 a year in real estate taxes, on a median home value of $481,700. Those are the Census Bureau's published medians for the county (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023) — the typical bill and the typical home value for owner-occupied households.
What the Benton County numbers mean
Read the two medians together: $4,713 is the middle tax bill among owner-occupied households in Benton County, and $481,700 is the middle home value. Neither figure describes a specific property — together they describe the typical homeowner's situation in the county.
The derived effective rate for Benton County is 0.98% (median tax ÷ median value). Treat it as an estimate for comparison only: it comes from survey medians of different households, not from the county's rate schedule.
Benton County by the numbers
| Measure | Benton County | Oregon | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid | $4,713 | $3,767 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $481,700 | $454,200 | $303,400 |
| Derived effective rate* | 0.98% | 0.83% | 0.98% |
| Median tax per month | $393 | $314 | $247 |
*Estimate derived from Census medians (tax ÷ value), not an official rate.
Benton County at a glance
- Median tax rank in Oregon: #4 of 36 counties
- Median home value rank in Oregon: #6 of 36
- Population rank in Oregon: #11 of 36 (96,359 residents)
- Population density rank: #6 of 36 (143 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in Oregon: #33 of 36 (675 sq mi, 0.7% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $393; per $1,000 of home value: $0.98
How Benton County compares
Set against its state, Benton County's median bill of $4,713 is about 25% higher than the Oregon median ($3,767). Against the country as a whole it is about 59% higher than the US median ($2,969). That places the county #4 of 36 Oregon counties ranked by median taxes paid.
Remember what drives the ranking: bills follow home values as much as rates. Benton County's median home, at $481,700, ranks #6 by value in Oregon, while its derived rate of 0.98% compares with a derived US figure of 0.98%.
Some extra context for Benton County: the median bill works out to about $393 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $978 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 96,359 people — the #11 most populous county in Oregon, spread over 675 square miles, a density of about 143 people per square mile. Its median home value, $481,700, ranks #6 among the state's 36 counties with data.
Nationally, Benton County's median bill of $4,713 ranks #145 of 3133 counties with published data — inside the top 5% of counties by tax paid. The county accounts for about 2.3% of Oregon's population, its median home value is about 6% above the state median, and at the derived rate the median home would hand over roughly 9.78% of its value in tax across a decade. Within the state, the distance from Benton County to the most expensive county, Multnomah County ($5,061), is $348 a year.
Counties nearest Benton County in the Oregon ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clackamas County, OR | $5,051 | $577,900 | 0.87% |
| Washington County, OR | $4,852 | $558,500 | 0.87% |
| Deschutes County, OR | $3,670 | $596,000 | 0.62% |
| Polk County, OR | $3,534 | $419,500 | 0.84% |
Benton County and its population peers
Counties of a similar size can tax very differently. The table below shows the counties closest to Benton County in population across the United States, with their median bills and home values. Within the group of 9, Benton County ($4,713) ranks the highest by median tax paid.
| County | Population | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rogers County, OK | 97,235 | $1,739 | $222,200 | 0.78% |
| Roanoke County, VA | 96,793 | $2,340 | $267,300 | 0.88% |
| Lafourche Parish, LA | 96,670 | $951 | $190,800 | 0.50% |
| Suffolk city, VA | 96,638 | $3,073 | $329,600 | 0.93% |
| Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region, CT | 95,829 | $4,340 | $281,300 | 1.54% |
| Grand Traverse County, MI | 95,757 | $2,900 | $296,200 | 0.98% |
| Fairbanks North Star Borough, AK | 95,555 | $3,570 | $282,500 | 1.26% |
| Geauga County, OH | 95,479 | $4,533 | $305,100 | 1.49% |
The closest population match is Suffolk city, Virginia (96,638 residents), where the median real estate tax paid is $3,073 on a median home value of $329,600 — $1,640 more than Benton County pays.
Inside Oregon itself, the counties closest to Benton County in population are Douglas County (111,807 residents, median tax $1,869 on a median value of $283,200); Yamhill County (108,122 residents, median tax $3,318 on a median value of $442,700); Polk County (88,553 residents, median tax $3,534 on a median value of $419,500); Josephine County (88,069 residents, median tax $2,023 on a median value of $383,100). Same state, same broad tax framework — yet the median bills still differ, because assessed values and the mix of county, municipal and school-district rates are set locally.
How the tax is worked out
The bill is built in stages. First the assessor puts a market value on the property. Exemptions — a homestead exemption above all — then reduce the taxable amount. Finally the combined local rate is applied. To see the scale: at the county's derived rate of 0.98%, each $100,000 of value corresponds to about $978 of tax a year, and a $400,000 home to roughly $3,912. Real bills use the official assessment and district rates, not this derived figure, so treat the example as a sense of scale only.
Illustrative bills in Benton County at the derived rate
The derived rate of 0.98% is only an estimate built from medians, but applying it to different home values gives a sense of scale for Benton County — and a quick way to compare with the state derived rate of 0.83% and the US figure of 0.98%:
| Home value | Illustrative tax / year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| $150,000 | $1,467 | $122 |
| $250,000 | $2,445 | $204 |
| $350,000 | $3,423 | $285 |
| $500,000 | $4,890 | $408 |
| $750,000 | $7,335 | $611 |
Illustration only: real bills are computed from the assessed value, exemptions, and the combined rates of the property's actual taxing districts.
Checking your assessment in Benton County
Most successful appeals are won on facts, not arguments. Start with the property record card held by the Benton County assessor: wrong square footage, an extra room, or a missing homestead exemption are common and fixable. Next, line your assessed value up against recent sales of genuinely similar homes nearby. Many disputes end at an informal conversation with the assessor's office; if yours does not, file the formal appeal with the review board named on your notice before its deadline, evidence attached, and keep paying the bill in the meantime so penalties do not build up.
More Oregon counties
Frequently asked questions
What is the median property tax in Benton County, Oregon?
The median real estate tax paid in Benton County, Oregon is $4,713 per year, on a median home value of $481,700 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Benton County, Oregon?
Dividing Benton County's median tax bill ($4,713) by its median home value ($481,700) gives a derived effective rate of 0.98%. This is an estimate computed from two Census survey medians — it is not the county's official tax rate.
How does Benton County compare with the rest of Oregon?
By median taxes paid, Benton County stands at #4 among the 36 Oregon counties the Census publishes figures for. Its $4,713 median bill is about 25% higher than the state median ($3,767), and 3 counties in the state record a higher median.
How are property taxes calculated in Benton County, Oregon?
The assessor estimates your property's market value; exemptions (such as a homestead exemption) reduce the taxable amount; and the result is multiplied by the combined rates of the local taxing districts — county, municipality, school district and any special districts. In Benton County, the median outcome of that process is a bill of $4,713 on a median home value of $481,700.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Benton County, Oregon?
Yes — appeals are handled locally. Start with the Benton County assessor's property record card for your home, correct any factual errors, and back your case with comparable recent sales. Formal appeals go to the review board named on your assessment notice and must be filed by its deadline, typically within 30 to 90 days.