Property Tax in Polk County, Oregon
The median real estate tax bill in Polk County, Oregon is $3,534 per year, and the median home is worth $419,500. Both figures are the US Census Bureau's survey medians for owner-occupied households (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What the Polk County numbers mean
Read the two medians together: $3,534 is the middle tax bill among owner-occupied households in Polk County, and $419,500 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 Polk County is 0.84% (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.
Polk County by the numbers
| Measure | Polk County | Oregon | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid | $3,534 | $3,767 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $419,500 | $454,200 | $303,400 |
| Derived effective rate* | 0.84% | 0.83% | 0.98% |
| Median tax per month | $294 | $314 | $247 |
*Estimate derived from Census medians (tax ÷ value), not an official rate.
Polk County at a glance
- Median tax rank in Oregon: #6 of 36 counties
- Median home value rank in Oregon: #10 of 36
- Population rank in Oregon: #12 of 36 (88,553 residents)
- Population density rank: #7 of 36 (120 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in Oregon: #30 of 36 (740 sq mi, 0.8% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $294; per $1,000 of home value: $0.84
How Polk County compares
Set against its state, Polk County's median bill of $3,534 is about 6% lower than the Oregon median ($3,767). Against the country as a whole it is about 19% higher than the US median ($2,969). That places the county #6 of 36 Oregon counties ranked by median taxes paid.
Remember what drives the ranking: bills follow home values as much as rates. Polk County's median home, at $419,500, ranks #10 by value in Oregon, while its derived rate of 0.84% compares with a derived US figure of 0.98%.
Some extra context for Polk County: the median bill works out to about $294 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $842 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 88,553 people — the #12 most populous county in Oregon, spread over 740 square miles, a density of about 120 people per square mile. Its median home value, $419,500, ranks #10 among the state's 36 counties with data.
Nationally, Polk County's median bill of $3,534 ranks #303 of 3133 counties with published data — inside the top 10% of counties by tax paid. The county accounts for about 2.1% of Oregon's population, its median home value is about 8% below the state median, and at the derived rate the median home would hand over roughly 8.42% of its value in tax across a decade. Within the state, the distance from Polk County to the most expensive county, Multnomah County ($5,061), is $1,527 a year.
Counties nearest Polk County in the Oregon ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benton County, OR | $4,713 | $481,700 | 0.98% |
| Deschutes County, OR | $3,670 | $596,000 | 0.62% |
| Lane County, OR | $3,417 | $395,800 | 0.86% |
| Marion County, OR | $3,382 | $383,300 | 0.88% |
Polk County and its population peers
Counties of a similar size can tax very differently. The table below shows the counties closest to Polk County in population across the United States, with their median bills and home values. Within the group of 9, Polk County ($3,534) ranks the highest by median tax paid.
| County | Population | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cullman County, AL | 89,463 | $457 | $180,500 | 0.25% |
| Dodge County, WI | 88,818 | $3,395 | $218,400 | 1.55% |
| Lapeer County, MI | 88,703 | $2,185 | $229,100 | 0.95% |
| Elmore County, AL | 88,669 | $563 | $213,600 | 0.26% |
| Bannock County, ID | 88,457 | $1,918 | $267,200 | 0.72% |
| Josephine County, OR | 88,069 | $2,023 | $383,100 | 0.53% |
| Burke County, NC | 87,863 | $1,191 | $170,500 | 0.70% |
| Barrow County, GA | 86,982 | $2,124 | $255,200 | 0.83% |
The closest population match is Bannock County, Idaho (88,457 residents), where the median real estate tax paid is $1,918 on a median home value of $267,200 — $1,616 more than Polk County pays.
Inside Oregon itself, the counties closest to Polk County in population are Yamhill County (108,122 residents, median tax $3,318 on a median value of $442,700); Benton County (96,359 residents, median tax $4,713 on a median value of $481,700); Josephine County (88,069 residents, median tax $2,023 on a median value of $383,100); Umatilla County (80,087 residents, median tax $2,534 on a median value of $256,100). 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
As an illustration of the arithmetic: at Polk County's derived rate of 0.84%, a home valued at $400,000 would carry a tax bill of roughly $3,368 a year. That is only an illustration using the derived rate — a real bill is computed from the property's assessed value, its exemptions, and the combined rates of its specific taxing districts, so it can be higher or lower.
The usual sequence is: the local assessor values the property; exemptions are applied; the taxable value is multiplied by the combined local rates; and the county bills and collects the tax, distributing it to the schools, municipalities and districts that levied it.
Illustrative bills in Polk County at the derived rate
The derived rate of 0.84% is only an estimate built from medians, but applying it to different home values gives a sense of scale for Polk 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 | $1,263 | $105 |
| $250,000 | $2,105 | $175 |
| $350,000 | $2,947 | $246 |
| $500,000 | $4,210 | $351 |
| $750,000 | $6,315 | $526 |
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 Polk County
Most successful appeals are won on facts, not arguments. Start with the property record card held by the Polk 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 Polk County, Oregon?
The median real estate tax paid in Polk County, Oregon is $3,534 per year, on a median home value of $419,500 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Polk County, Oregon?
Dividing Polk County's median tax bill ($3,534) by its median home value ($419,500) gives a derived effective rate of 0.84%. This is an estimate computed from two Census survey medians — it is not the county's official tax rate.
How does Polk County compare with the rest of Oregon?
Polk County ranks #6 of 36 Oregon counties with published data by median taxes paid. Its median bill of $3,534 is about 6% lower than the Oregon median of $3,767.
How are property taxes calculated in Polk 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 Polk County, the median outcome of that process is a bill of $3,534 on a median home value of $419,500.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Polk County, Oregon?
Yes — appeals are handled locally. Start with the Polk 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.