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Buying a home in Lake County, Oregon

The typical owner-occupied home in Lake County is worth about $219,500, 54% below the Oregon median of $477,600 and 34% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $1,563 a year in property taxes, about 0.71% of their home's value, lower than the Oregon rate of 0.81%. The median household earns $62,787 a year, so the median home costs 3.5 times the median income (5.8 times for Oregon). 67% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 46% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Lake County at a glance

Lake County Oregon U.S.
Median home value $219,500 $477,600 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $1,563 $3,876 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 0.71% 0.81% 0.94%
Median household income $62,787 $83,011 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 67% 63% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 46% 65% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $1,411 $2,157 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 20.4% 22.4% 21.0%
Median rent $878 $1,525 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 31.0% 31.3% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1972 1981 1980
Vacant homes 17.8% 7.5% 10.1%
Population 8,267 4,254,293 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Lake County

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Lake County home of $219,500 with 20% down costs about $1,403 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $1,768, because the loan is bigger and FHA adds mortgage insurance.

Lenders usually want housing costs under about 28% of gross income, which means an income of roughly $60,111 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 27% of the median Lake County household income of $62,787; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $229,000.

The median rent here is $878 a month, so owning the median home costs about $525 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$43,900
Loan amount$175,600
Principal and interest$1,181
Property taxes (0.71% a year)$130
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$91
PMI$0
Total per month$1,403

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$7,682
Loan amount$215,524
Principal and interest$1,450
Property taxes (0.71% a year)$130
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$91
FHA mortgage insurance$97
Total per month$1,768

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Questions about home buying in Lake County

What is the median home value in Lake County?

About $219,500 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Lake County?

Homeowners pay a median $1,563 a year, which is about 0.71% of the median home value. Your bill depends on your home's assessed value and local rates.

What income do you need to buy a home in Lake County?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $1,403 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $60,111 a year.

More about Lake County

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates; Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, week of November 12, 2026. Estimates for small places have wide margins of error. About our data