The cost of living in Oregon (relocate, property taxes, luxury)

[wildberries61]

Was wondering about the cost of living? Mostly property taxes and licensing your car. I know you have no sales tax is the property taxes high. Being self-employed what is the state taxes like? Thanks

[Waterlily]

We just got a bill for one of our cars license. It's gone up to $54 for 2 years. It's not much compared to many states.
Property taxes vary by county and which city you are in. I believe most places here on the coast are between 1% and 1.9%. Before you buy a house I'd check on what the property taxes are in that particular area.

States taxes are kind of high at around 8 to 8.5%. No there is no sales tax.
Some who have done the math say it's cheaper to live with our state taxes then having a high sales tax.
I hope this helps you figure out the costs for living in Oregon.

[Clear2land]

The Tax Foundation, a policy research group, estimated the average taxpayer's total state and local tax burden for 2005 in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. That burden reflects what residents pay in state and local income taxes, property taxes, sales taxes, luxury taxes and fuel taxes, among others. States below are ranked from least to most tax friendly. (Read more about this table below.)

Click on column headings to re-sort »

State-Local Tax Burdens, Calendar Year 2005
Rank State State/Local taxes as
% of per capita income
U.S. average 10.10%
1 Maine 13.00%
2 New York 12.00%
3 Hawaii 11.50%
4 Rhode Island 11.40%
5 Wisconsin 11.40%
6 Vermont 11.10%
7 Ohio 11.00%
8 Nebraska 10.90%
9 Utah 10.90%
10 Minnesota 10.70%
11 Arkansas 10.50%
12 Connecticut 10.50%
13 West Virginia 10.50%
14 New Jersey 10.40%
15 Kansas 10.40%
16 Louisiana 10.40%
17 Maryland 10.30%
18 Indiana 10.30%
19 Kentucky 10.30%
20 California 10.30%
21 Arizona 10.20%
22 Michigan 10.10%
23 Wyoming 10.10%
24 Washington 10.00%
25 Iowa 10.00%
26 Mississippi 10.00%
27 Idaho 10.00%
28 North Carolina 10.00%
29 New Mexico 9.90%
30 Illinois 9.80%
31 Georgia 9.80%
32 Massachusetts 9.80%
33 South Carolina 9.70%
34 Virginia 9.70%
35 Pennsylvania 9.70%
36 Oregon 9.60%
37 Colorado 9.50%
38 Nevada 9.50%
39 Montana 9.50%
40 Oklahoma 9.40%
41 Missouri 9.40%
42 North Dakota 9.40%
43 Texas 9.30%
44 Florida 9.20%
45 South Dakota 8.80%
46 Alabama 8.70%
47 Tennessee 8.30%
48 Delaware 8.00%
49 New Hampshire 7.40%
50 Alaska 6.40%
District of Columbia 12.20%
Source: Tax Foundation, 2005



More tax info: Big city tax burdens »
Tax rankings: Income, sales, property »
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The state/local tax burden reflects what a state and its local governments collect as a percentage of per capita income. So, for example, with a state/local tax burden of 10.4 percent, the state of New Jersey and its local governments get about a tenth of what its residents make per capita.

Of course, if you live in the Garden State your personal tax burden may be higher or lower. Much will depend, as it would in any state, on whether you own your home, where in the state you live, how much you make and the source of your income.

[Clear2land]

Boy, did I find a great website on Oregon taxes. It sould answer all your questions and more...

http://www.movingtoportland.net/oregon_taxes.htm

[wildberries61]

Clear2land,
Thanks for your find I will take a look at it. Unlike most I'm looking more on the eastern side we are in Idaho now. Were they are building a resort and we know big time taxes are coming or already have to some within a 50 mile radius so we are looking now. The whole state of Idaho is exploding and this state has little resources as far as social and things for teenagers to do.
There are 3 big cities and the rest of the towns are small and lots of the towns are in need of updating and money for that to happen. Thanks again for all your information.

[tkx7]

i find that taxes list by state deceptive. Cost of living is more important, like in Alaska, they have the least state taxes, but they pay sky rocket prices for goods and services which ends up being more costly than living in the lower 48. Some states have expensive housing but that is not reflected either. States with more taxes probably provide more services that other states pay for in different ways anyways.

[Nea1]

Self employment tax in Oregon is brutal, we had a construction company there for ten years beofre we moved out, taxes for being self employed are high.

[wildberries61]

Thanks, for letting me know that because, we are self-employed and in construction. So, that helps with deciding were to relocate.