Oregon · 217th largest metro area

Buying a home in Medford, Oregon

In Medford, the median value of owner-occupied homes is $417,100, Jackson County's effective property tax rate is 0.74%, a purchase mortgage carried a median $7,757 in total loan costs in 2025, and median gross rent is $1,376 a month.

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

Medford home costs, fact by fact

About Medford

Medford, Oregon is the first-named place in the title of the Medford, OR metro area, ranked 217th nationally. Jackson County's effective property tax rate (median tax as a share of home value) is 0.74%, and 56.3% of homes are owner-occupied.

Reading the Medford figures

Medford's owner-estimated median of $417,100 is below the $507,900 for Oregon. Bend reports $718,400, Portland reports $581,500, and Eugene reports $460,400, all higher than Medford. Salem reports $416,900, a near match, while Gresham reports $458,700. Rent of $1,376 a month sits close to Eugene's $1,402 and Salem's $1,400, and below HUD's Fair Market Rent of $1,539 for Jackson County, whose larger-unit benchmark is $2,131. That figure is a HUD benchmark, not a market median. Owners hold 56.3% of homes, above Hillsboro, where it is 50.2%, and Eugene, where it is 47.9%. Jackson County's tax collector takes $3,174 a year, which is the 0.74% rate applied to a home worth $430,200. Typical up-front loan expenses were $7,757 on 1,884 mortgages originated in 2025, and the central band runs from $5,075 to $12,499.

Metro context adds a little. Medford is the first-named place in the title of the Medford, OR metro area, which holds 221,331 residents and ranks 217th, while the city itself has 86,301. Beaverton reports $569,800 with rent of $1,826, and Gresham reports rent of $1,586, so Medford's rent is lower than both.

Calculate for Oregon

If you buy

Oregon state transfer tax

Oregon has no state transfer tax; counties and cities may charge one. 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 state tax to assign. In Washington County the sources read do not assign the transfer tax; the purchase agreement decides, as it does for recording fees. 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 Medford

How much is property tax in Medford?

Homeowners in Jackson County pay a median $3,174 a year in property tax, 0.74% of the county median home value of $430,200 (Census ACS 2020-2024). Your bill depends on your assessed value and local rates.

What are closing costs on a mortgage in Medford?

Home-purchase mortgages in Jackson County carried median total loan costs of $7,757 in 2025; half of the 1,884 loans fell between $5,075 and $12,499 (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 Medford?

Oregon has no state transfer tax. Article IX, Section 15 of the Oregon Constitution and ORS 306.815 bar new local taxes on real property transfers, but a local tax in force on March 31, 1997 survives: Washington County charges $1 per $1,000 of the selling price (Washington County Code Chapter 3.04). 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 Medford?

It depends on your mortgage rate, down payment and how long you stay. As a benchmark, the median value of owner-occupied homes in Medford ($417,100) equals 25.3 years of the median gross rent ($1,376 a month), both from Census ACS 2020-2024.

What natural hazards affect home insurance in Medford?

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 Medford

Other large cities in Oregon

Who licenses each trade in Oregon · All covered cities

Sources

Oregon · All states · Federal guides