City St. Helens is a city in Oregon, in Columbia County.
The median owner-occupied home in St. Helens had a real-estate tax bill of $2,704 (± $155) a year, compared with $3,767 in Oregon and $2,969 nationwide. The median home value was $350,900 (± $14,782), compared with $454,200 in Oregon and $303,400 nationwide.
| Measure | St. Helens | Oregon | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 14,152 ± 27 | 4,238,714 | 332,387,540 |
| Median annual property tax bill (homeowners) | $2,704 ± $155 | $3,767 ± $17 | $2,969 ± $3 |
| Median home value | $350,900 ± $14,782 | $454,200 ± $1,608 | $303,400 ± $362 |
| Median household income | $82,123 ± $6,200 | $80,426 ± $573 | $78,538 ± $176 |
| Property tax as a share of home value (calculated) | 0.77% ± 0.05 points | 0.83% ± under 0.01 points | 0.98% ± under 0.01 points |
| Homes lived in by their owners | 62.8% ± 3.8 points | 63.4% ± 0.3 points | 65.0% ± 0.3 points |
| Owner households headed by someone 65 or older | 24.3% ± 4.4 points | 35.2% ± 0.2 points | 32.6% ± 0.2 points |
| Owners spending 30% or more of income on housing costs | 22.1% ± 5.1 points | 25.0% ± 0.4 points | 22.2% ± 0.1 points |
How to read these numbers
- These are estimates from a survey, not a count. The American Community Survey asks a sample of households. The ± figure is the Census Bureau’s margin of error: the true value is very likely within that range of the estimate. Small places have large margins.
- “Too imprecise to report” means the margin of error is at least half of the estimate, so printing the number would suggest accuracy that does not exist. A “rough guide only” note means the margin is a quarter to a half of the estimate.
- Property tax bill and home value are medians for owner-occupied homes. Half of the homes are above the figure and half below. A median bill is not the rate set by a city or town; the bill combines taxes levied by every local government that serves the home, such as the school district and county.
- “Calculated” rows are worked out by Untax the Roof from the Census figures above them. They compare two medians, so they describe the place, not a particular household.
- Missing is not zero. Where the Census Bureau publishes no figure, this page says so.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2019–2023: tables B25103 (real estate taxes), B25077 (home value), B19013 (household income), B01003 (population), B25003 (owners and renters), B25007 (age of householder), B25091 (housing costs as a share of income); see the Census ACS data page.
If property taxes go unpaid in Oregon
How it works. County in-rem property-tax foreclosure; judgment orders property sold to county, followed by statutory redemption period and deed to county; county later retains/transfers/sells property
Excess sale money. 2025 Oregon Laws c.475 created ORS 312.500-.560 surplus system. County must determine surplus using fair market value for retained/transferred property or sale consideration for bona fide sale, deduct statutory allowable costs, and provide claim route through State Treasurer. Applies to specified notices received on/after May 25 2023
These rules are set by Oregon, not by St. Helens, so this section is the same for every place in the state. Last verified 2026-09-25. See the full Oregon entry with statute links.