Washington County property owners will pay $1.834 billion in property taxes this year, a 5.28% jump that adds $92 million to the countywide total.

The county's Department of Assessment and Taxation began mailing roughly 210,000 tax statements on Friday, Oct. 16, with the last batch going out by Tuesday, Oct. 20. Data center expansion centered in Hillsboro is one of the factors driving the increase.

The first installment is due Nov. 16.

The county identified four forces behind the higher bills: the standard 3% rise in assessed value on most properties, new construction, a large expansion of industrial data centers and new or increased taxing district levies, including voter-approved bonds and local option levies.

Data center growth is a familiar pressure point for Hillsboro. As we reported Oct. 14, Gov. Tina Kotek froze new data center permits statewide, adding to limits the city had already imposed.

Who gets hit hardest

About 195,000 accounts will see higher bills than last year. Of those, 165,000 face increases between 0% and 5%. Another 30,000 accounts face increases above 5%.

Roughly 9,000 accounts will see a decrease, the county said, mostly because local option levies or bonds expired, compression shifted, or taxing districts levied less.

The county's fact sheet shows the average assessed value of a single-family home in Washington County rose to $350,536, up from $339,000 last year. The average real market value, by contrast, fell to $605,955 from $626,540.

Why some bills jumped more than 3%

Oregon law caps the annual increase in a property's maximum assessed value at 3%. But several situations can push a bill higher: new voter-approved levies, major renovations completed before the Jan. 1, 2026, assessment date, loss of a tax exemption, or changes in how the county's compression formula applies to a property.

Compression is the state-mandated cap that limits school operating taxes to $5 per $1,000 of real market value and general government taxes to $10 per $1,000. As market values shift, some accounts move in or out of compression, which can swing a bill by more than 3%.

Where the money goes

Each property tax dollar breaks down this way, according to the county:

  • 45.30 cents: education (K-12, Portland Community College, education service districts)
  • 33.76 cents: cities and special districts (police, fire, parks, water, urban road maintenance, Enhanced Sheriff's Patrol District, urban renewal)
  • 17.71 cents: county government (public safety, roads, libraries, elections, public health)
  • 3.23 cents: regional services (Metro and Port of Portland)

The county has 63 local taxing districts and 360 separate tax code areas, so the exact mix varies by location.

How to pay and how to appeal

Payments can be split into three installments: Nov. 16, 2026; Feb. 16, 2027; and May 17, 2027. Property owners who pay the full amount by Nov. 16 get a 3% discount. A two-thirds payment by that date earns a 2% discount.

The county accepts payments online, by phone at 1-888-510-9274, by mail or at drop boxes at the Public Services Building, 155 N. 1st Ave., Suite 130, in Hillsboro. An outdoor drop box in the rear parking lot is available 24 hours. Online payments by credit or debit card carry a 2.45% convenience fee; electronic checks cost 95 cents.

Property owners who believe their assessed value or real market value is too high can call the Appraisal Division at 503-846-8826. Formal appeals must be filed by Dec. 31, 2026.

Anyone who has not received a statement by Nov. 1 should call the Tax Collections Office at 503-846-8801.