County housing intelligence
Oregon Housing Market by County
Oregon is not one housing market. Across 36 counties, the median county home value is $369,300 and the median county rent is $1,140/mo. The useful question is not whether Oregon is cheap. It is which county fits your income, tax tolerance, and buy-versus-rent plan.
County median home value
$369,300
Median of county medians, less distorted by the largest metros.
County median rent
$1,140/mo
Gross rent includes rent plus utilities where Census reports it.
Counties compared
36
Every county with available ACS housing data in this state.
Fast answers
Start with the housing question.
Market brief
The state-level housing signal
These benchmarks use the median county in the state, not one metro-weighted average. That makes the brief better for county comparison and rural-to-urban screening.
Purchase price
State county median vs national benchmark
Rent
State county median vs national benchmark
Owner cost
State county median vs national benchmark
Income base
State county median vs national benchmark
Tax rate
State county median vs national benchmark
The Oregon Pattern
These are the signals a statewide average hides. Start here before choosing counties to compare.
Price geography
Deschutes County, Clackamas County, Hood River County sit at the top of the purchase market, while Gilliam County, Harney County, Sherman County anchor the lower-cost end.
Rent reality
Washington County, Clackamas County, Deschutes County lead on rent, while Harney County, Wheeler County, Baker County show where monthly lease costs are lowest.
Decision lens
Gilliam County, Morrow County, Sherman County screen best for purchase affordability when home values are measured against local household income.
Best Counties by Housing Goal
Different households need different rankings. Price alone is not enough, so these groups compare rent, income, owner costs, and tax exposure.
Cheapest to buy
Lowest median home values. Useful for purchase-price screening.
- 1. Gilliam County
$158,400
- 2. Harney County
$190,600
- 3. Sherman County
$206,700
- 4. Lake County
$219,400
- 5. Malheur County
$221,300
Best buy affordability
Lowest home-value-to-income ratios. Better than price alone.
- 1. Gilliam County
2.5x home-value-to-income
- 2. Morrow County
3.3x home-value-to-income
- 3. Sherman County
3.5x home-value-to-income
- 4. Lake County
3.6x home-value-to-income
- 5. Umatilla County
3.7x home-value-to-income
Cheapest to rent
Lowest median gross rent among counties with ACS rent data.
- 1. Harney County
$675/mo
- 2. Wheeler County
$782/mo
- 3. Baker County
$814/mo
- 4. Malheur County
$819/mo
- 5. Grant County
$840/mo
Lowest rent burden
Where typical renters spend the smallest share of income on rent.
- 1. Sherman County
18.0% rent burden
- 2. Morrow County
19.0% rent burden
- 3. Grant County
20.0% rent burden
- 4. Wheeler County
21.0% rent burden
- 5. Lake County
22.0% rent burden
Lowest tax-rate signal
Lowest effective property-tax rates in the state data.
- 1. Josephine County
0.53% effective tax rate
- 2. Curry County
0.53% effective tax rate
- 3. Wallowa County
0.58% effective tax rate
- 4. Hood River County
0.59% effective tax rate
- 5. Tillamook County
0.60% effective tax rate
Owner-cost advantage
Counties where median owner costs are furthest below median rent.
- 1. Gilliam County
$438/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 2. Sherman County
$296/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 3. Curry County
$209/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 4. Lake County
$119/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 5. Douglas County
$112/mo cheaper to own than rent
Income-backed value
Higher-income counties that still hold a reasonable value-to-income profile.
- 1. Gilliam County
$64,219 income, 2.5x value-to-income
- 2. Morrow County
$70,217 income, 3.3x value-to-income
- 3. Washington County
$104,434 income, 5.3x value-to-income
- 4. Columbia County
$86,359 income, 4.5x value-to-income
- 5. Umatilla County
$68,958 income, 3.7x value-to-income
Tradeoffs to Check
The best page is not the one that crowns a winner. It is the one that shows where a county can surprise you after the headline price looks attractive.
| Signal | County | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Cheap price, weaker income base | Gilliam County $158,400 home value, $64,219 income | Low purchase prices can still feel tight when local wages are also low. |
| Affordable homes, higher tax rate | Gilliam County $158,400 home value, 1.01% tax rate | A low home price can be offset by the annual property-tax bill. |
| Renter pressure | Benton County $1,359/mo rent, 38.00% rent burden | Monthly rent alone does not show whether renters can comfortably absorb the cost. |
| Expensive, but income-supported | Deschutes County $596,000 home value, $87,640 income | Some high-price counties also have stronger incomes, so affordability depends on both sides of the equation. |
Lowest home values
Best value-to-income
Compare Every Oregon County
Sorted by home-value-to-income ratio so the first rows are not just cheap counties, but counties where purchase prices look smaller relative to local income.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Income | Value/Income | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gilliam County | $158,400 | $1,084/mo | $64,219 | 2.5x | 1.01% |
| Morrow County | $229,800 | $910/mo | $70,217 | 3.3x | 0.82% |
| Sherman County | $206,700 | $945/mo | $59,500 | 3.5x | 0.69% |
| Lake County | $219,400 | $861/mo | $61,222 | 3.6x | 0.64% |
| Umatilla County | $256,100 | $962/mo | $68,958 | 3.7x | 0.99% |
| Grant County | $225,100 | $840/mo | $59,800 | 3.8x | 0.76% |
| Harney County | $190,600 | $675/mo | $48,338 | 3.9x | 0.97% |
| Union County | $260,500 | $982/mo | $64,212 | 4.1x | 0.89% |
| Baker County | $247,700 | $814/mo | $57,844 | 4.3x | 0.88% |
| Klamath County | $255,700 | $973/mo | $59,353 | 4.3x | 0.68% |
| Malheur County | $221,300 | $819/mo | $49,902 | 4.4x | 0.81% |
| Columbia County | $390,600 | $1,221/mo | $86,359 | 4.5x | 0.75% |
| Jefferson County | $339,200 | $957/mo | $73,051 | 4.6x | 0.74% |
| Linn County | $344,600 | $1,273/mo | $73,396 | 4.7x | 0.91% |
| Douglas County | $283,200 | $995/mo | $58,983 | 4.8x | 0.66% |
| Coos County | $302,800 | $992/mo | $60,313 | 5.0x | 0.74% |
| Marion County | $383,300 | $1,333/mo | $74,624 | 5.1x | 0.88% |
| Wheeler County | $259,000 | $782/mo | $51,250 | 5.1x | 0.73% |
| Yamhill County | $442,700 | $1,377/mo | $87,084 | 5.1x | 0.75% |
| Crook County | $423,300 | $1,224/mo | $81,675 | 5.2x | 0.64% |
| Polk County | $419,500 | $1,270/mo | $81,318 | 5.2x | 0.84% |
| Wasco County | $332,500 | $978/mo | $63,602 | 5.2x | 0.84% |
| Washington County | $558,500 | $1,773/mo | $104,434 | 5.3x | 0.87% |
| Jackson County | $400,200 | $1,310/mo | $71,443 | 5.6x | 0.76% |
| Curry County | $366,700 | $1,156/mo | $64,769 | 5.7x | 0.53% |
| Lane County | $395,800 | $1,287/mo | $69,311 | 5.7x | 0.86% |
| Wallowa County | $371,900 | $858/mo | $65,559 | 5.7x | 0.58% |
| Clackamas County | $577,900 | $1,693/mo | $100,360 | 5.8x | 0.87% |
| Multnomah County | $528,000 | $1,582/mo | $86,247 | 6.1x | 0.96% |
| Tillamook County | $408,600 | $1,169/mo | $66,551 | 6.1x | 0.60% |
| Benton County | $481,700 | $1,359/mo | $76,011 | 6.3x | 0.98% |
| Lincoln County | $387,700 | $1,150/mo | $61,314 | 6.3x | 0.84% |
| Clatsop County | $437,800 | $1,130/mo | $68,705 | 6.4x | 0.70% |
| Josephine County | $383,100 | $1,157/mo | $59,097 | 6.5x | 0.53% |
| Deschutes County | $596,000 | $1,674/mo | $87,640 | 6.8x | 0.62% |
| Hood River County | $571,200 | $1,381/mo | $82,095 | 7.0x | 0.59% |
Questions This Page Answers
Each answer is generated from the current county dataset, so it changes when the underlying ACS data changes.
What is the typical home value in Oregon by county?
What is the typical rent in Oregon by county?
Which Oregon counties are most affordable to buy in?
Why do cheap counties still need a closer look?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.