The answer
Oregon does not reset assessed value to the purchase price the way California Prop 13 does. Assessed value is the lesser of real market value and maximum assessed value (Measure 50). A sale usually does not restart that clock. New construction and major improvements can. Published effective rates for Lane County sit about 1.03% of value for the 2025–2026 conversation, and Eugene’s median effective rate is often cited about 0.95%. Your bill is the assessed value on the Lane County account, not a Zillow price times a percent. Stacy Haugen will walk a net sheet. We are not the tax collector.
Planning bands — not your bill. Look up the account.
| If today’s price is | A ~1% planning band | What you must still do |
|---|---|---|
| $450,000 | About $4,500 / year if it were a full 1% | Look up assessed value. Long-owned houses are often less. |
| $750,000 | About $7,500 / year if it were a full 1% | Measure 50 may keep assessed well below the sale price. |
| $1,200,000 | About $12,000 / year if it were a full 1% | New construction and major additions are the usual exceptions. |
JVM Lending, Lane County property taxes (2025–2026 assessment year). Ownwell, Eugene effective property tax rate. Table is a ceiling-style illustration, not a quote. Official: Lane County Assessment & Taxation.
Measure 50 is the whole conversation
Before Measure 50, Oregon taxed closer to market. After 1997, each property got a maximum assessed value that generally grows 3% a year, and you pay on the lesser of that and real market value. California Prop 13 resets the base when you buy. Oregon usually does not. That is why two houses on the same street can have very different bills, and why “1% of purchase price” is a planning toy, not the law.
What a new buyer should do this week
Look the address up in Lane County’s property search. Read assessed value, real market value, and last year’s tax. Then call us. Compression, code areas, and a new shop on the lot can change the story. We will not pretend a blog post replaced the treasurer.
Pay dates and prorations when you sell
Lane County lets you pay in full by November 15 or in three installments. At closing, escrow prorates the stub. Melissa came from a title desk; the net sheet is where this line actually lands. Pair this page with seller closing costs.
California and high-tax-state relocators
You may pay less than you feared, or not — it depends on the account you are buying, not the headline rate. We will pull the card before you write. Stacy runs a lot of later-life and family files where the tax line decides whether the next house is even possible.
Two neighbors
Same street, different bills
One owner has been in the house since the 1990s. Assessed value crawled at 3%. The house next door had a major addition. The sale prices could be close and the tax bills could not. That is Measure 50, not a glitch. Look up both accounts before you assume a neighborhood has “a tax rate.”
Questions we actually get
What is the property tax rate in Eugene, Oregon?+
Published effective rates for Lane County are around 1.03% of value in the 2025–2026 conversation; Eugene’s median effective rate is often cited near 0.95%. Your bill is assessed value times the code-area rates — look it up on Lane County Assessment & Taxation.
Do property taxes reset when I buy a house in Oregon?+
Usually no. Unlike California Prop 13, a sale typically does not reset assessed value to the purchase price. New construction and major improvements can change assessed value. Confirm on the account.
How much would I pay on a $750,000 Eugene house?+
A 1% planning band is about $7,500 a year — and it may be wrong if assessed value is far from the sale price. Pull the Lane County card. Team Burke will read it with you.
When are Lane County property taxes due?+
In full by November 15, or in installments on November 15, February 15, and May 15. Discount rules live on the county site.
Are Eugene property taxes high?+
Effective rates sit near 1%, which is not a New Jersey story and not a Texas story. The surprise is usually the assessed-versus-market gap, not a 2% headline.
Who do I pay?+
Lane County, not Team Burke. We explain the line on a net sheet. The treasurer collects.
Do taxes go up 3% every year?+
Maximum assessed value is generally limited to 3% growth under Measure 50, with exceptions. Real market value can move more. You pay on the lesser of the two.
Can Team Burke estimate taxes before I buy?+
We will pull the account and put a planning number on the net sheet. Stacy Haugen at 541-915-3888. Official figures still come from the county.