Cost of Living in The Dalles

The Dalles carries a genuinely mixed cost-of-living picture: housing figures run relatively affordable, but the overall cost-of-living index runs a genuinely elevated 108 -- a real, disclosed outlier worth understanding.

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A real, disclosed and unusually wide housing spread

The Dalles' housing figures ran anywhere from $383,197 to $499,000 depending on source and month this pass -- a real, disclosed and unusually wide spread this record does not reconcile into one number. Confirm a specific current listing directly.

A genuinely elevated overall cost-of-living index

The Dalles' cost-of-living index ran a genuinely elevated 108 (8% above the national average) -- a real, disclosed outlier given the city's otherwise-moderate housing figures, likely reflecting goods and services costs in a smaller, more remote Gorge-corridor economy.

Oregon's real progressive income tax and zero sales tax

Oregon's real, current state income tax runs four brackets up to a genuine 9.9% top marginal rate (above $125,000 for single filers), applying identically to The Dalles residents. Oregon has zero state or local sales tax statewide.

Wasco County's comparatively low property tax rate

Wasco County's own cited median effective property tax rate ran a real, disclosed 0.75% -- though the same source's own cited Oregon statewide comparison figure (0.87%) differs from the ~0.775% figure used elsewhere in this Oregon batch, a real, disclosed methodology spread worth noting.

Key takeaways

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Last reviewed: 2026-08-25. Independent research; not financial, tax, or legal advice -- confirm current figures with a local professional before making a decision.