Property Tax in Washington County, Oregon
Homeowners in Washington County, Oregon pay a median of $4,852 a year in real estate taxes, on a median home value of $558,500. 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 Washington County numbers mean
The median is the midpoint of the county's actual bills: half of Washington County homeowners pay more than $4,852 a year and half pay less. The exact bill for any one home depends on its assessed value, exemptions, and which school, municipal and special districts cover it.
Set against the median home value of $558,500, the median bill works out to a derived effective rate of 0.87%. That rate is an estimate computed from the two medians — no county publishes a rate calculated this way — but it adjusts for home prices, which makes comparisons between counties more meaningful.
Washington County by the numbers
| Measure | Washington County | Oregon | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid | $4,852 | $3,767 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $558,500 | $454,200 | $303,400 |
| Derived effective rate* | 0.87% | 0.83% | 0.98% |
| Median tax per month | $404 | $314 | $247 |
*Estimate derived from Census medians (tax ÷ value), not an official rate.
Washington County at a glance
- Median tax rank in Oregon: #3 of 36 counties
- Median home value rank in Oregon: #4 of 36
- Population rank in Oregon: #2 of 36 (600,266 residents)
- Population density rank: #2 of 36 (829 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in Oregon: #31 of 36 (724 sq mi, 0.8% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $404; per $1,000 of home value: $0.87
How Washington County compares
The median tax bill in Washington County is about 29% higher than the state median ($3,767 for Oregon) and about 63% higher than the US median ($2,969 nationally). By median taxes paid, the county ranks #3 out of 36 Oregon counties with published Census data — 2 counties in the state have a higher median bill.
Comparisons cut both ways: a county can have a modest rate but high bills because homes are expensive, or a high rate but modest bills because homes are cheaper. Washington County's derived rate of 0.87% sits below the derived US figure of 0.98%.
Some extra context for Washington County: the median bill works out to about $404 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $869 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 600,266 people — the #2 most populous county in Oregon, spread over 724 square miles, a density of about 829 people per square mile. Its median home value, $558,500, ranks #4 among the state's 36 counties with data.
Zooming out: of 3133 counties nationwide with published Census figures, only 134 record a higher median tax bill than Washington County — it sits in the top 4% nationally. The county holds roughly 14.2% of Oregon's people. Its homes are worth more than the state norm (median $558,500 versus $454,200), and a decade at the derived rate of 0.87% adds up to about 8.69% of the median home's value in tax. The cheapest county in the state, Lake County, medians $1,407 — $3,445 less than Washington County per year.
Counties nearest Washington County in the Oregon ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multnomah County, OR | $5,061 | $528,000 | 0.96% |
| Clackamas County, OR | $5,051 | $577,900 | 0.87% |
| Benton County, OR | $4,713 | $481,700 | 0.98% |
| Deschutes County, OR | $3,670 | $596,000 | 0.62% |
How the tax is worked out
As an illustration of the arithmetic: at Washington County's derived rate of 0.87%, a home valued at $400,000 would carry a tax bill of roughly $3,476 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.
Checking your assessment in Washington County
Believe your assessment is too high? The practical order of attack is: obtain your record card and audit it line by line; collect comparable recent sales in Washington County; ask the assessor's office to correct anything plainly wrong; and, if the value still seems off, lodge a formal appeal ahead of the deadline printed on your assessment notice. Windows are short — often 30 to 90 days — and late appeals are usually rejected outright, however strong the case.
More Oregon counties
Frequently asked questions
What is the median property tax in Washington County, Oregon?
The median real estate tax paid in Washington County, Oregon is $4,852 per year, on a median home value of $558,500 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Washington County, Oregon?
Dividing Washington County's median tax bill ($4,852) by its median home value ($558,500) gives a derived effective rate of 0.87%. This is an estimate computed from two Census survey medians — it is not the county's official tax rate.
How does Washington County compare with the rest of Oregon?
By median taxes paid, Washington County stands at #3 among the 36 Oregon counties the Census publishes figures for. Its $4,852 median bill is about 29% higher than the state median ($3,767), and 2 counties in the state record a higher median.
How are property taxes calculated in Washington 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 Washington County, the median outcome of that process is a bill of $4,852 on a median home value of $558,500.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Washington County, Oregon?
Yes. Request your property record card from the Washington County assessor's office and check it for errors, then compare your assessed value with recent sales of similar homes. If it still looks too high, file a formal appeal with the local review board named on your assessment notice before the deadline printed on the notice — windows are short, often 30 to 90 days.