Oregon · Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metro area

Buying a home in Gresham, Oregon

In Gresham, the median value of owner-occupied homes is $458,700, Multnomah County's effective property tax rate is 0.96%, a purchase mortgage carried a median $7,054 in total loan costs in 2025, and median gross rent is $1,586 a month.

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

Gresham home costs, fact by fact

About Gresham

Gresham is an incorporated city in Multnomah County, Oregon, with a population of 111,507. It lies in the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metro area, which ranks 26th among U.S. metro areas. The median value of owner-occupied homes, as estimated by owners rather than a sale price, is $458,700, and 55.8% of homes are owner-occupied.

Reading the Gresham figures

Gresham comes in just under the Oregon state value, with owners estimating $458,700 against $507,900 statewide. Eugene owners report $460,400, nearly the same, while Salem owners say $416,900. Hillsboro, with $521,100, and Portland, with $581,500, read higher.

The owner share is 55.8%, matching Salem's 55.9% and higher than Portland's 52%, with Hillsboro lower still at 50.2%. Rent is $1,586 a month, under Portland's $1,655 and Hillsboro's $1,978 but over Eugene's $1,402 and Salem's $1,400. HUD's benchmark for the Portland metro is $1,878, above the census rent.

Multnomah County is what makes the tax picture heavy. The effective rate is 0.96% and the median annual bill is $5,301, with county homes holding a median value of $552,700. That value is well above the city's own $458,700, so the bill is sized for pricier homes than the typical Gresham one; an address-level check is worth doing.

On borrowing, the 2025 county median cost was $7,054 over 6,655 loans, with the central range running from $4,822 to $11,216.

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 Gresham

How much is property tax in Gresham?

Homeowners in Multnomah County pay a median $5,301 a year in property tax, 0.96% of the county median home value of $552,700 (Census ACS 2020-2024). Your bill depends on your assessed value and local rates.

What are closing costs on a mortgage in Gresham?

Home-purchase mortgages in Multnomah County carried median total loan costs of $7,054 in 2025; half of the 6,655 loans fell between $4,822 and $11,216 (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 Gresham?

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 Gresham?

It depends on your mortgage rate, down payment and how long you stay. As a benchmark, the median value of owner-occupied homes in Gresham ($458,700) equals 24.1 years of the median gross rent ($1,586 a month), both from Census ACS 2020-2024.

What natural hazards affect home insurance in Gresham?

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 Gresham

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Sources

Oregon · All states · Federal guides