Oregon · 191st largest metro area

Buying a home in Bend, Oregon

In Bend, the median value of owner-occupied homes is $718,400, Deschutes County's effective property tax rate is 0.58%, a purchase mortgage carried a median $7,738 in total loan costs in 2025, and median gross rent is $1,883 a month.

Data as of : Census ACS 2020-2024, Census Vintage 2024, HMDA 2025, HUD FY 2027. Sources

Bend home costs, fact by fact

About Bend

Part of the Bend, OR metro area, which ranks 191st among U.S. metro areas, Bend has 106,926 residents and a median gross rent of $1,883 per month. The median value of owner-occupied homes is $718,400, as estimated by owners and not a sale price. 61.7% of homes are owner-occupied.

Reading the Bend figures

Bend sits alone at the top of the Oregon cities covered: owners estimate $718,400, against $507,900 for the state. Portland owners report $581,500, Hillsboro owners $521,100, and Salem owners only $416,900.

The owner share also leads, with 61.7% of households owning, ahead of Salem's 55.9% and Portland's 52%. Rent is $1,883 a month, a little under Hillsboro's $1,978 despite the much higher home value, and above Portland's $1,655. HUD's benchmark for the Bend-Redmond metro is $1,893, just over the census rent.

Deschutes County's effective rate is 0.58%, yet county homes have a median value of $650,900, so the annual bill comes to $3,807. A low rate on a high base still produces a large bill, which is the reading a buyer needs here.

The costs of the loan itself are high as well. The 2025 county median was $7,738 across 2,396 loans, and the central range runs from $5,310 to $12,893, a wide band for a buyer to plan around.

Calculate for Oregon

If you buy

Oregon state transfer tax

Oregon has no real estate transfer tax. Change the price: the amount is recalculated instantly.

Price$507,900
State transfer tax$0
Share of the price—

Default price: the Oregon median value of owner-occupied homes, $507,900 (Census ACS 2025). Rule: No tax is calculated on the price. Recording fees do not rise with the price. Who pays: No transfer tax to assign. Who pays the recording fees is a term of the purchase agreement. Not included: county and city transfer taxes, recording fees, title insurance and lender charges. Oregon transfer tax guide · all 50 states.

If you sell

Capital gain and the federal tax on it

Same federal rule in every state: Section 121 of the Internal Revenue Code excludes up to $250,000 of gain on a main home ($500,000 for a married couple filing jointly).

Capital gain$350,000
Section 121 exclusion$250,000 (limit $250,000)
Taxable gain$100,000
Type of gainLong-term (owned over 1 year), 15% chosen
Federal tax on the gain$15,000

Section 121 excludes $250,000; the rest is taxable.

Gain = sale price minus your adjusted basis (purchase price, buying costs and improvements); selling expenses reduce it (IRS Publication 523). Long-term rates for sales in 2026, by taxable income including the gain (IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32, section 4.03): 0% up to $49,450 single or $98,900 married filing jointly, 15% up to $545,500 single or $613,700 jointly, 20% above. Not included: Oregon state income tax on the gain (not computed), the net investment income tax, depreciation recapture on a rental or home office, and the reduced exclusion for an early sale. Agent commissions are negotiated and never set by law. Capital gains on a home sale.

Questions about buying a home in Bend

How much is property tax in Bend?

Homeowners in Deschutes County pay a median $3,807 a year in property tax, 0.58% of the county median home value of $650,900 (Census ACS 2020-2024). Your bill depends on your assessed value and local rates.

What are closing costs on a mortgage in Bend?

Home-purchase mortgages in Deschutes County carried median total loan costs of $7,738 in 2025; half of the 2,396 loans fell between $5,310 and $12,893 (HMDA). Total loan costs are the lender and settlement-service charges of the Closing Disclosure; transfer taxes and prepaid items come on top.

Is there a transfer tax when you buy a home in Bend?

Oregon has no state transfer tax. Article IX, Section 15 of the Oregon Constitution bars the state, cities and counties from taxing the transfer of real property or measuring a tax by its price, except taxes in effect on December 31, 2009. In Multnomah County a deed costs $86 to record for the first page and $5 per extra page.

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Bend?

It depends on your mortgage rate, down payment and how long you stay. As a benchmark, the median value of owner-occupied homes in Bend ($718,400) equals 31.8 years of the median gross rent ($1,883 a month), both from Census ACS 2020-2024.

What natural hazards affect home insurance in Bend?

Across Oregon, the main hazards for home insurance are earthquake, tsunami, wildfire, flood and landslide, and the insurer of last resort is Oregon FAIR Plan Association. The Oregon Department of Emergency Management gives about a 37% chance of a 7.1+ Cascadia megathrust earthquake in the next 50 years, and the Oregon FAIR Plan requires two turn-downs from standard insurers with a $600,000 dwelling limit.

Run your own numbers: rent vs buy calculator · closing costs calculator.

Oregon rules that apply in Bend

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Sources

Oregon · All states · Federal guides