Property tax in Lake County, Oregon
The median property tax bill in Lake County, Oregon is $1,563 a year, which is about 0.71% of the county's median home value of $219,500. That effective rate is lower than the typical Oregon county (0.74%) and lower than the national median (0.81%). These are American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024); your own bill depends on your home's assessed value and any exemptions.
Estimate the property tax on a home in Lake County
Enter a home's market value for a ballpark at Lake County's average effective rate of 0.71% (Census). The real bill depends on the home's assessed value, the millage where it sits and any exemptions.
Estimated property tax: $1,558 / year
Property tax in Lake County at a glance
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median annual property tax | $1,563 |
| Median home value | $219,500 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.71% |
| Typical Oregon county rate | 0.74% |
| National median county rate | 0.81% |
Effective rate = median real estate taxes paid divided by median home value. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
How does Lake County compare in Oregon?
Among Oregon's 36 counties, Lake County has the 23rd highest effective property-tax rate: 22 rank higher and 13 rank lower. That is on the lower side for Oregon. Nationally, it ranks 1870th of 3135 US counties by effective rate. See every Oregon county ranked.
How much do homeowners in Lake County actually pay?
The median is only the middle bill. Across Lake County's 2,343 owner-occupied homes, 18.6% pay $3,000 or more a year in property tax, 38.7% pay at least $2,000, and 16.6% pay under $800. Another 3.4% report paying no property tax at all, which usually means an exemption covers the whole bill.
| Annual bill | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $800 | 390 | 16.6% |
| $800 to $1,499 | 709 | 30.3% |
| $1,500 to $1,999 | 257 | 11% |
| $2,000 to $2,999 | 471 | 20.1% |
| $3,000 or more | 436 | 18.6% |
| No property tax paid | 80 | 3.4% |
Owners with a mortgage pay a median of $1,942 and owners without one pay $1,332. Owners who have paid off a home have usually held it longer, and in states that cap how fast an existing owner's assessment can rise, long-held homes carry lower assessed values. Census table B25103.
How does the Lake County property tax bill compare with local incomes?
The median property tax bill of $1,563 is about 2.1% of the median income of Lake County homeowner households, $74,487 a year. That compares two middles, so a retiree in a long-held home can pay a far larger share. 67.3% of Lake County's occupied homes are lived in by their owners; renters pay property tax too, just folded into rent.
Have property taxes gone up in Lake County?
The survey cannot tell. The median bill was $1,411 in 2015-2019 and $1,563 in 2020-2024, but that $152 difference is inside the Census's own margin of error for a county this size, so it could be sampling noise rather than a real change.
Two Census ACS 5-year periods with no survey years in common, in each period's own dollars. A change counts only if it exceeds the combined 90% margin of error.
Property tax in counties next to Lake County
Lake County borders 5 counties, 2 of them across the state line.
| County | Effective rate | Median bill | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harney County, OR | 0.8% | $1,943 | $242,100 |
| Lake County, OR (this county) | 0.71% | $1,563 | $219,500 |
| Modoc County, CA | 0.69% | $1,561 | $224,700 |
| Klamath County, OR | 0.62% | $1,752 | $280,400 |
| Deschutes County, OR | 0.58% | $3,807 | $650,900 |
| Washoe County, NV | 0.44% | $2,385 | $539,900 |
How is a home assessed in Lake County?
Oregon sets the assessment rules and Lake County applies them. How Oregon assesses and reappraises homes.
Is there a homestead exemption in Lake County?
No. Oregon has no statewide general homestead exemption; homeowners are protected instead by the 3% cap on assessed value growth and the caps on tax rates. That is the Oregon rule, and it applies in Lake County. Oregon's exemptions and relief programs in full.
When are property taxes due in Lake County?
Statements arrive in late October for a tax year running July 1 to June 30. Pay at least a third by November 15 to avoid interest, with the rest due February 15 and May 15. Pay the full year by November 15 for a 3% discount, or two thirds for 2%. Late installments cost 1.33% a month.
Oregon splits the bill into 3 installments. That is the Oregon rule. Lake County issues and collects the bill, so the dates printed on your statement are the ones that bind you.
How to appeal your Lake County property assessment
You contest the assessed value with the County Property Value Appeals Board, then the Magistrate Division of the Oregon Tax Court. The filing deadline is typically December 31. That is the Oregon rule; Lake County sets the exact dates and forms. The Oregon appeal process step by step.
Oregon rules from primary state sources, reviewed September 7, 2026; sources on the Oregon page.
Work out your own numbers
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How much house can I afford?
Your income, debts and down payment against the 28/36 rule lenders actually use, with Lake County's tax rate to hand.
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Mortgage calculator
Monthly payment with principal, interest, tax and insurance, plus what an extra payment saves you.
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Oregon income tax
Brackets, standard deduction and what Oregon actually taxes.
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Sales tax in Lake County
The other local tax: combined state and local rate for this county.
Sources
- Median real estate taxes paid and median home value for Lake County, Oregon: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020-2024), tables B25103, B25077, B25102, B25119 and B25003; the five-year comparison uses the 2015-2019 estimates. Neighboring counties: Census county adjacency file.