Housing decision brief
Harney County, OR Housing Market
Harney County screens as a below-state purchase price, below-state rent, a manageable tax-rate signal market. Use the page as a decision brief, not just a price lookup, because local income, taxes, and data confidence change how affordable the county really is.
6th lowest home value out of 36 Oregon counties with data | 1st lowest rent out of 36
Median home value
$242,100
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$684/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$818/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
4.4x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
27.6%
Below 30% usually screens as less pressured.
Rent vs own
$134/mo
Median rent screens below owner cost.
Data confidence
2 notes
Home-value estimate has a $53,727 ACS margin of error.
What Works
Lower purchase price
$242,100 median home value is 38% below Oregon county median
Lower rent
$684/mo is 42% below Oregon county median
Rent burden below pressure line
27.60% of renter income goes to rent, below the 30% burden threshold.
Low disaster-risk signal
Risk score is 76.4 out of 100, a stronger cross-check for long-term ownership costs.
What to Check
Lower income base
$55,208 median income is 19% below Oregon county median
Crime data coverage
Crime data coverage is partial. Treat zero or low crime rates as incomplete until you check the source coverage.
Wide home-value margin
The ACS margin of error on home value is $53,727, so exact rankings should be read as directional.
Best Fit For
- Long-term owners who care about disaster-risk exposure
- Remote earners or cash buyers looking below the state price line
Poor Fit For
- Households dependent on a deep local wage market
- Anyone treating reported crime rates as complete without source context
County vs State vs National
The county number only matters after you see the benchmark. These comparisons show where Harney County is genuinely cheap, where it is average, and where the hidden cost may be.
| Metric | County | State | U.S. | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Median home value Lower usually helps affordability. | $242,100 | $388,050 | $281,900 | 38% favorable38% below Oregon county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $684 | $1,187 | $1,163 | 42% favorable42% below Oregon county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $818 | $1,132 | $1,672 | 28% favorable28% below Oregon county median |
Median household income | $55,208 | $68,417 | $74,755 | 19% pressure19% below Oregon county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 0.80% | 1.00% | 1.02% | 20% favorable20% below Oregon county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 27.60% | 30.00% | N/A | 8% favorable27.60% of renter income goes to rent. |
Income Fit
A low price only helps if local income can carry the monthly cost. This panel compares the county income base with rent and owner-cost thresholds.
Rent cushion
+$27,848
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$20,151
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Harney County offers affordable rental housing at a median of $675/month , about 16.8% of the typical household income here.
Rent vs own
The median rent in Harney County is $675/month, while owner costs run $812/month. Renting saves approximately $137/month.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $27,000/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $34,800/year. With a median household income of $48,338, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 27.0% of renter households in Harney County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Compared to Wheeler County where rent averages $782/month, Harney County is approximately 14% less expensive.
Better Counties to Compare
Similar counties are matched on home value, rent, income, and state context. This is more useful than a simple nearest-price list.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Why compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malheur County, OR | $248,900 | $821/mo | Same-state comparison near $248,900 home value and $821/mo rent. |
| Grant County, OR | $229,700 | $789/mo | Same-state comparison near $229,700 home value and $789/mo rent. |
| Wheeler County, OR | $272,400 | $870/mo | Same-state comparison near $272,400 home value and $870/mo rent. |
| Chowan County, NC | $235,800 | $681/mo | Out-of-state peer near $235,800 home value and $681/mo rent. |
| Deer Lodge County, MT | $231,700 | $696/mo | Out-of-state peer near $231,700 home value and $696/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Home-value estimate has a $53,727 ACS margin of error.
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Harney County
Is Harney County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Harney County?
How much income do you need for housing in Harney County?
What should I double-check before moving to Harney County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.