Medford, OR · Updated Oct 2026

What a Medford house pays

Property tax, water, trash and energy from public rates. Look up your address to make it yours, and see how to pay less.

Sent only to free public map services to find who serves it. Not stored unless you save your house.

Example · a Medford house

$9,044a year · $754 a month

Starts at $241,273 of value before exemptions. Typical use.

A typical Medford house pays about $9,000 a year: $3,570 property tax and charges, $1,550 water and sewer, $320 trash, $2,710 electricity and gas, $890 home insurance. Estimated from public rates, not anyone's actual bill.

Rates checked Oct 21, 2026. Insurance: what you enter, or a typical premium until you do. Sources are listed at the bottom.

Ways to pay less

Nothing here applies to every house automatically. These are worth checking:

Pay the property tax in full by the November 15 due date3% off
Paying the full year by November 15 takes 3% off; paying two-thirds takes 2% off. The one-third installment gets no discount. If the 15th falls on a weekend or legal holiday, the due date moves to the next business day.
How: Pay Jackson County Taxation online, by mail (postmarked by the due date) or at a county drop box.
Seniors and disabled homeowners: property tax deferral
If you qualify, the Oregon Department of Revenue pays your county property taxes on November 15 each year. A lien is placed on the property and deferral accounts accrue 6 percent interest yearly. The household income limit for 2026 is $70,000.
How: File the application with the county assessor by April 15, or late from April 16 to December 1 with a fee.
Disabled veterans and surviving spouses: property tax exemption$27,092 or $32,512 off assessed value
Veterans with disabilities of 40 percent or more, and qualifying surviving spouses or partners, may exempt $27,092 or $32,512 of their homestead's assessed value. The amount increases by 3 percent each year.
How: File the claim with the county assessor on or before April 1.
Medford Water toilet and smart controller rebatesUp to $85 per toilet
Up to $85 for the first toilet replaced with a WaterSense model and $40 for each one after; $100 or $150 for a WaterSense labeled smart irrigation controller. Medford Water also has a lawn replacement rebate.
How: Apply on medfordwater.org (Rebates) or call the conservation team at (541) 774-2436.
Free curbside leaf pickup
Inside Medford city limits, Rogue Disposal & Recycling picks up bagged leaves at the curb at no charge. This year's leaf program runs November 2 to December 24.
How: See the leaf program details on roguedisposal.com.
Low-income households: water bill payment assistance
Medford Water gives annual grants to The Salvation Army, St. Vincent de Paul and ACCESS for water bill payment assistance to qualifying low-income families.
How: Call The Salvation Army, St. Vincent de Paul or ACCESS; each agency screens applicants.
Low-income households: Pacific Power bill discount
Low-income residential customers may qualify for a discount on their monthly Pacific Power bill (Schedule 7, Low Income Discount).
How: Ask Pacific Power about the Schedule 7 Low Income Discount.
Low-income households: Avista bill help
Avista has bill assistance programs, including income-based discounts and Comfort Level Billing, which spreads costs evenly throughout the year.
How: Contact Avista at 800-227-9187.

Adjust to match your bills

What you knowTrash cartWeekly trash pickup inside city limits; the 65-gallon recycling cart is included, yard debris is $10.32 a month extra.

Value before exemptionsOregon taxes assessed value, which is usually well below what the house would sell for. Your tax statement shows your assessed value.

Home insurance, a yearFrom your policy. We start at $886, Oregon statewide average for 2023, NAIC data in the Oregon Insurance Commissioner's January 2025 legislative briefing.

Earthquake insurance, a yearSeparate from home insurance. Most owners don't have it.

Your use

Water, thousands of gallons a month

On your water bill. A typical house uses 5,000–8,000 gallons.

Electricity, kWh a month

On your Pacific Power bill. An electric car adds about 300 kWh.

Gas, therms a month (yearly average)

Money dates

Nov 15in 23 daysProperty tax due each year: full payment (3% off), two-thirds (2% off) or the first one-third; moves to the next business day if the 15th is a weekend or legal holiday
Dec 31, 2026in 69 daysDeadline to file a Property Value Appeals Board (PVAB) petition with the Jackson County Clerk
Feb 15in 115 daysSecond one-third property tax installment due (next business day if the 15th is a weekend or legal holiday)
Apr 1Disabled veteran / surviving spouse exemption claims due to the assessor, on or before April 1 preceding the tax year claimed

Who serves this house

Water: Medford Water; Medford Water, monthly bills; single-family homes inside the City of Medford pay a $23.72 monthly fee for the 5/8" x 3/4" meter, a $0.90 residential backflow fee, and $1.35 per 1,000 gallons for the first 5,000 gallons, $2.44 for the next 20,000 and $3.54 over 25,000, effective March 1, 2026
Property tax: 1.48% of value; 2025-26 tax year, Jackson County code area 4901 (City of Medford)
Garbage: Rogue Disposal & Recycling; Weekly cart pickup; recycling is included with trash service
Sewer: City of Medford; Flat monthly sewer fee for single-family homes on the City utility bill
Electricity: Pacific Power; Residential Schedule 4
Gas: Avista Utilities; Schedule 410 single-family residential
Schools: Medford SD 549C; District billing rate 0.0044123 plus 0.0010789 for the 2007 bonds in code area 4901

Pay or manage your bills

Your water

Source: Big Butte Springs has been the primary source since 1927; the Rogue River supplements it in warmer summer months
PFAS: PFAS have not been detected in Medford's drinking water
Lead: Oregon Health Authority has certified Medford Water as a non-lead service line system
Violations: Late or missed reporting violations in 2025 (Consumer Confidence Report, corrosion control, groundwater compliance report); no expected health effects

How these numbers are made

Property tax: the 2025-26 Jackson County rates for code area 4901 (City of Medford), $14.8132 per $1,000 of assessed value, because the 2026-27 rate sheet was not yet posted; Oregon has no homestead exemption.
The starting assessed value ($241,273) is our estimate: Medford's Census median home value ($417,100) times the real property total assessed value divided by taxable real market value for code area 4901 on the 2025 roll ($8,095,426,739 / $13,994,926,091, about 0.58), because the county publishes no median assessed value for Medford homes. Your own assessed value is on your tax statement.
Water: Medford Water's March 1, 2026 rates for single-family homes inside the city at gravity elevation (5/8" x 3/4" meter $23.72 plus the $0.90 backflow fee; $1.35, $2.44 and $3.54 per 1,000 gallons). Homes above elevation 1,500 also pay a $6.00 high elevation charge and $0.12 per 1,000 gallons, not included here. The page starts at 10,000 gallons a month (13.37 CCF), the average Medford Water uses in its bill example.
City utility bill: the City of Medford's single-family breakdown from July 1, 2026 ($85.91 a month): sewer $39.05, storm drain $9.63, street $6.69, public safety $22.23 and parks $8.31. Homes south of Cherry Lane and east of N. Phoenix Road also pay a pedestrian lighting fee, not included. Part of Medford is in Rogue Valley Sewer Services' area, which lists a $35.00 single-family sewer fee from July 1, 2026; this page uses the City's sewer fee.
Garbage: Rogue Disposal & Recycling's posted inside-city-limits monthly cart rates; yard debris service ($10.32 a month) is optional and not included.
Electricity: Pacific Power Schedule 4 prices in effect April 1, 2026 (year-round, no seasonal rates), with the 1.5% public purpose charge, system benefits and Energy Trust charges and the BPA credit (applied below 2,000 kWh, as the price summary lists it) folded into the per-kWh price. Gas: Avista Schedule 410 rates effective January 1, 2026, with Medford's 5% franchise fee added (x 1.05). City fee line: Medford's fee schedule lists a 5% franchise fee on non-telecommunication utilities; OAR 860-022-0040 puts the first 3.5% in electric rates and requires the excess to be separately stated on bills in the city, so Pacific Power charges are multiplied by 1.015. Avista's published Schedule 410 rates exclude franchise fees, and Avista tells customers to add the listed Medford franchise fee (5%) on top, so gas is multiplied by 1.05; no further fee is added.
Insurance: the 2023 Oregon statewide average homeowners premium; Medford quotes vary with the house and wildfire risk.
Nothing here is legal, tax or insurance advice.

Sources

How Medford compares

A typical Medford house against the 17 Oregon cities we cover, using the same default numbers as the total above.

Per year	Medford	Median	Where it falls
Property tax rate	1.48%	1.92%	lower than 14 of the other 16 Oregon cities we cover
Water	$523	$624	lower than 12 of the other 16 Oregon cities we cover
Sewer and utility-bill fees	$1,031	$1,123	lower than 10 of the other 16 Oregon cities we cover
Trash	$324	$446	lower than 11 of the other 13 Oregon cities we cover
Electricity and gas	$2,706	$2,873	lower than 11 of the other 16 Oregon cities we cover
Home insurance	$886	$886	in the middle of 16 other Oregon cities we cover
Total	$9,044	$10,422	lower than 13 of the other 16 Oregon cities we cover

Cities bill differently (some put trash on the tax bill, some cover more services), so a higher number isn't necessarily worse. The property tax rate is compared instead of dollars because house values differ.

Questions to ask your candidates

Each one starts from a number above. Any candidate can answer them.

1. Property tax rate

The fact: Medford's property tax rate is 1.48%, lower than 14 of the other 16 Oregon cities we cover. The rate adds up every agency on the bill, not only the city.

Ask: "Property tax in Medford is 1.48%, lower than 14 of the other 16 Oregon cities we cover. What should that money pay for first, and would you change anything about how it is set?"

2. Water

The fact: Water here costs about $523 a year at typical use, lower than 12 of the other 16 Oregon cities we cover.

Ask: "Water here costs about $523 a year at typical use, lower than 12 of the other 16 Oregon cities we cover. What drives that cost, and would you change anything?"

3. Trash

The fact: Trash pickup here costs about $324 a year for the standard cart, lower than 11 of the other 13 Oregon cities we cover. Where trash is billed through the tax bill or a separate hauler, it is not counted here.

Ask: "Trash pickup here costs about $324 a year for the standard cart, lower than 11 of the other 13 Oregon cities we cover. What drives that cost, and would you change anything about the service or the price?"

See who is running in your city →

Common questions about Medford house costs

What is the property tax rate in Medford?

About 1.48% of the value before exemptions a year (2025-26 tax year, Jackson County code area 4901 (City of Medford)), plus flat charges on the same bill.

How much is property tax on a $500,000 house in Medford?

About $7,407 a year on $500,000 of the value before exemptions.

How much is the water bill in Medford?

About $129 a month for water and sewer at typical use (10,000 gallons a month) on Medford Water.

How much does trash pickup cost in Medford?

$27 to $64 a month, depending on the trash cart size (35-gal, 65-gal, 95-gal).

When is property tax due in Medford?

Nov 15: Property tax due each year: full payment (3% off), two-thirds (2% off) or the first one-third; moves to the next business day if the 15th is a weekend or legal holiday Feb 15: Second one-third property tax installment due (next business day if the 15th is a weekend or legal holiday) Apr 15: Senior & disabled property tax deferral applications due to the county assessor (late filing from April 16 to December 1 with a fee)

Can seniors lower their property tax or bills in Medford?

Yes. Seniors and disabled homeowners: property tax deferral: If you qualify, the Oregon Department of Revenue pays your county property taxes on November 15 each year. A lien is placed on the property and deferral accounts accrue 6 percent interest yearly. The household income limit for 2026 is $70,000.

Where can I get help paying utility bills in Medford?

Low-income households: water bill payment assistance: Medford Water gives annual grants to The Salvation Army, St. Vincent de Paul and ACCESS for water bill payment assistance to qualifying low-income families. Call The Salvation Army, St. Vincent de Paul or ACCESS; each agency screens applicants.

How much does a house in Medford cost to run each year?

All Oregon cities All cities