Taxes in Portland
Oregon levies a real, current progressive state income tax -- four brackets running from 4.75% up to a real 9.9% top marginal rate above $125,000 of taxable income for single filers -- among the highest top state income tax rates in the US, but this coexists with a genuine, complete absence of any state or local sales tax, one of only five US states with none.
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Learn moreA Real, Current, Progressive Income Tax -- Among the Highest Top Rates in the US
Oregon's progressive income tax runs four brackets: 4.75% on the lowest bracket, rising to 6.75%, then 8.75%, and finally a real 9.9% top marginal rate above $125,000 of taxable income for single filers ($250,000 for married filing jointly) -- among the highest top state income tax rates in the country. This is a real, meaningful cost that a mover comparing Portland against no-income-tax Washington should budget for directly, not assume away.
A Genuine, Complete Absence of Sales Tax -- Not Merely "Low"
Oregon is one of only five US states with no sales tax whatsoever (Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, Oregon), and one of only two (with Delaware) with no local-option sales tax layered on top either. Every retail purchase in Portland is genuinely untaxed at the point of sale -- a real, immediate, and complete inversion of Washington's structure (no income tax, but a real, substantial combined sales tax) just across the Columbia River.
Property Tax Runs Above the National Average, With a Real Measure 50 Nuance
As detailed in full on the property-taxes topic page, Multnomah County's effective property tax rate against market value runs approximately 0.96%-0.99% -- above both Oregon's statewide ~0.83% average and the national average. Oregon's distinctive Measure 50 mechanic caps taxable assessed-value growth (generally 3%/year), producing a real, disclosed gap between the market-value-based rate and a materially higher assessed-value-based rate in most Portland levy code areas.
No Separate State-Level Sales Tax to Track, Anywhere in Oregon
Unlike states with local-option sales tax stacking (covered for several other markets in this project), Oregon's zero-sales-tax structure applies uniformly statewide -- Portland, Bend, and every other Oregon city or county genuinely share the same 0% rate, with no local add-ons to track or confirm for a specific address.
Property Taxes and Insurance: Pointers to Full Detail
Multnomah County property taxes run at a rate above the national average, covered in full on the property-taxes topic page rather than repeated here, while Oregon's real, current homeowners-insurance rate increases (approximately 4% baseline in 2026, on top of a cumulative ~30% rise since 2020 statewide) are covered on the homeowners-insurance topic page.
Key takeaways
- Oregon levies a real, current progressive income tax topping out at 9.9% -- among the highest top state income tax rates in the US, applying above $125,000 of taxable income for single filers.
- Oregon has a genuine, complete absence of sales tax (0%) -- one of only five US states with none, and one of only two with no local-option add-ons either.
- Multnomah County's property tax runs above the national average when measured against market value (~0.96%-0.99%), with a real, distinct, and materially higher rate (2.4%-2.8%) when measured against Oregon's Measure 50-capped assessed value instead.
- Oregon's zero sales tax applies uniformly statewide -- Portland and every other Oregon city share the same 0% rate, unlike states with local-option stacking.
- Oregon homeowners insurance carries a real, current ~4% 2026 baseline increase, on top of a cumulative ~30% rise since 2020 statewide -- covered in full on the homeowners-insurance topic page.
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