Salem, OR · Updated Oct 2026

What a Salem home costs each year

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

Suggestions as you type come from Google; the lookup uses free public map services to find who serves it. Not stored unless you save your house.

Example · a Salem house

$10,606a year · $884 a month

Starts at $217,490 of value before exemptions. Typical use.

Property tax$4,357
2.004% of $217,490
Electricity and gas$3,117
784 kWh a month $2,078 · 53 therms $1,039
Water and sewer$1,792
9 units (CCF) a month on City of Salem: water $46, sewer $63, stormwater: $14.44 base plus $8.18 impervious-area fee (single-family tier 2: more than 1,330 and under 2,900 sq ft), with 5% franchise fee $24, city operations fee, single family residential, billed monthly on the city utility bill (no franchise fee added) $16 a month
Trash$454
35-gallon cart, $38 a month
Home insurance$886
Typical premium $886

A typical Salem house costs about $10,600 a year: $4,360 property tax and charges, $1,790 water and sewer, $450 trash, $3,120 electricity and gas, $890 home insurance. Estimated from public rates, not anyone's actual bill.

Rates checked Oct 22, 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:

Switch to the 20-gallon cart cartUp to $50 a year
Your cart costs $38 a month; the smallest costs $34. Worth it if you rarely fill it.
How: Call your garbage hauler.
Pay the property tax in full by the November due date3% off
Paying the full amount on or before November 15 takes 3% off the current year's tax; paying two-thirds takes 2% off. The one-third payment gets no discount.
How: Pay Marion County by mail (postmarked on or before the due date), online or by phone, or in person at the Tax Collection office.
Seniors 62+ and disabled homeowners: property tax deferral
Disabled or senior homeowners can borrow from the State of Oregon to pay their county property taxes. For the senior deferral you must be at least 62 by April 15 of the year you apply, and you must have owned and lived in the home for at least five years before April 15 of that year.
How: File the application at the county assessor's office between January 1 and April 15, or late from April 16 to December 1 with a fee.
Disabled veterans and surviving spouses: property tax exemption
Veterans with a disability rating of at least 40%, or the surviving spouse or registered domestic partner of a veteran, may be entitled to a reduction of the assessed value of their home. You must own and live on the property.
How: File the claim with the Marion County Assessor on or before April 1 (503-588-5144).
Seniors and disabled heads of household: 20% off garbage20% off garbage
The City of Salem's adopted garbage rates list a 20% senior citizen / disabled head of household discount off any residential package.
How: See the City of Salem adopted monthly garbage rates for the discount line.
PGE Income-Qualified Bill Discount15% to 80% off
Based on household size and income, PGE customers could get 15% to 80% off. No financial documents are required.
How: Apply with PGE or call 503-228-6322.
NW Natural bill discount15% to 85% off
In Oregon, households with income below 60% of the state median income can get 15% to 85% off their monthly gas bills. No proof of income is required to apply.
How: Apply online with NW Natural (nwnatural.com/billdiscount).

Adjust to match your bills

What you knowTrash cartCity of Salem adopted monthly rates for 1-1-2026, Marion County side (most of Salem): weekly garbage and organics, recycling every other week. The Polk County part of Salem (West Salem) has lower rates.

Value before exemptionsOregon taxes the assessed value on your statement, which is usually well below what the house would sell for. Enter the assessed value from your 2026-27 tax statement.

Home insurance, a yearFrom your policy. We start at $886, Oregon statewide average, 2023 (not specific to Salem); 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, units a month

On your water bill. 1 unit (CCF) is 748 gallons. A typical house uses 7–12.

Electricity, kWh a month

On your Portland General Electric (PGE) bill. An electric car adds about 300 kWh.

Gas, therms a month (yearly average)

Money dates

Nov 15in 22 daysProperty tax due: pay in full on or before November 15 for a 3% discount, or two-thirds for 2% off; the one-third payment has no discount
Dec 31in 68 daysDeadline to appeal your property value to the Property Value Appeals Board (filed with the county Clerk's Office; moves to the next business day if December 31 falls on a weekend or holiday)
Feb 15in 114 daysSecond one-third property tax payment due
Apr 1Disabled veteran / surviving spouse exemption claims due to the Assessor

Who serves this house

Water: City of Salem; City of Salem, billed monthly (effective 1/1/26): $14.09 base charge for a 5/8–3/4 inch meter plus $3.30 per ccf (single family residential). One unit of water equals 748 gallons. The City charges a five-percent franchise fee on these utility charges.
Property tax: 2.00% of value; 2026-27 tax year, Marion County code area 24010 (City of Salem, Salem-Keizer School District)
Garbage: Six franchised haulers (Republic Services, Loren's, Valley Recycling & Disposal, D&O, Pacific Sanitation, Suburban); Which hauler serves you depends on your address
Sewer: City of Salem; On the City utility bill with water and stormwater
Electricity: Portland General Electric (PGE); Salem Electric is also listed as a provider in Salem
Gas: NW Natural; Rate Schedule 2, residential
Schools: Salem-Keizer School District; Salem-Keizer School District is on the property tax bill in its tax-code areas

Pay or manage your bills

Your water

Source: The North Santiam River is Salem's primary drinking water supply
PFAS: PFAS were not detected in the North Santiam River in January 2024 testing, for 29 PFAS compounds

How these numbers are made

Property tax: the 2026-27 Marion County billing rates for code area 24010 (City of Salem, Salem-Keizer School District), excluding the urban-renewal-area rates the county lists for that code area (Jory Apartment TIF, South Waterfront, Riverfront, West Salem and the zero-rate Gateway and Mill Creek areas) because they apply only to parcels in those areas; the Salem urban renewal special levy (0.2074 per $1,000) is included. Rates per $1,000: county 3.0463, city 7.8166, UR special levy 0.2074, transit 0.7383, library 0.0795, schools 7.0011, ESD 0.288, community college 0.8582 (total 20.0354). Code area 24010 holds 31,425 of the tax lots in property class 101. The Polk County part of Salem (West Salem) has other rates and is not modeled. Oregon has no homestead exemption.
The starting assessed value ($217,490) is the median of property class 101 tax lots in code area 24010 in Marion County's open parcel data (October 2026); the dataset may carry the prior roll's value. Your statement's assessed value is the number to use. Measure 5 compression is not modeled.
Water, sewer and fees: City of Salem rates effective 1/1/26, billed monthly: water $14.09 base (5/8-3/4 inch) plus $3.30 per ccf; sewer $20.07 base plus $4.47 per ccf of wastewater volume; stormwater $14.44 base plus the $8.18 tier 2 single-family impervious area fee (a home over 2,900 sq ft pays $9.19, under 1,330 sq ft $7.15). We add the 5% franchise fee to water, sewer and stormwater charges (the City says it is calculated on all utility charges except backflow, streetlight and City Operations fees). The City Operations Fee ($16.28 for single family, billed monthly per Salem Reporter) is included with no franchise fee added. The City also lists a $2.80 streetlight fee on the utility bill; it is not included because the City page does not state its billing period. The page starts at the default use because Salem publishes no typical use we could cite.
Garbage: City of Salem adopted monthly rates for 1-1-2026 for Marion County (no Marion County increase is planned for 2027): 20 gallon $33.70, 35 gallon $37.85, 65 gallon $49.40, 95 gallon $56.40, including weekly organics and every-other-week recycling. The Polk County part of Salem has lower rates.
Electricity: PGE Schedule 7 effective July 8, 2026 (year-round), the effective per-kWh rate plus the 1.5% public purpose charge, times about 1.015 for the franchise excess above 3.5% (Salem's franchise fee is 5%); the 19.29 and 20.40 cents in the note are before those two additions, which raise them about 3% to the stored per-kWh rates. Gas: NW Natural Schedule 2 effective October 31, 2025 (new rates take effect October 31, 2026, about $5.08 a month more at 53 therms, not included), times 1.02 for the franchise excess above 3%; new rates take effect October 31, 2026 and are not included. Salem Electric serves some Salem addresses with its own rates. Insurance: the 2023 Oregon statewide average. The franchise multipliers are modelling assumptions.
Nothing here is legal, tax or insurance advice.

Sources

How Salem compares

A typical Salem house against the 28 Oregon cities we cover, using the same default numbers as the total above.

Per year	Salem	Median	Where it falls
Property tax rate	2.00%	1.90%	higher than 18 of the other 27 Oregon cities we cover
Water	$552	$609	lower than 18 of the other 27 Oregon cities we cover
Sewer and utility-bill fees	$1,240	$1,050	higher than 20 of the other 27 Oregon cities we cover
Trash	$454	$454	in the middle of 22 other Oregon cities we cover
Electricity and gas	$3,117	$2,868	higher than 18 of the other 27 Oregon cities we cover
Home insurance	$886	$886	in the middle of 27 other Oregon cities we cover
Total	$10,606	$10,340	higher than 16 of the other 27 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.

Common questions about Salem house costs

What is the property tax rate in Salem?

About 2.00% of the value before exemptions a year (2026-27 tax year, Marion County code area 24010 (City of Salem, Salem-Keizer School District)), plus flat charges on the same bill.

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

About $10,018 a year on $500,000 of the value before exemptions.

How much is the water bill in Salem?

About $149 a month for water and sewer at typical use (9 units, or 6,732 gallons a month) on City of Salem.

How much does trash pickup cost in Salem?

$34 to $56 a month, depending on the trash cart size (20-gallon cart, 35-gallon cart, 65-gallon cart, 95-gallon cart).

When is property tax due in Salem?

Nov 15: Property tax due: pay in full on or before November 15 for a 3% discount, or two-thirds for 2% off; the one-third payment has no discount Feb 15: Second one-third property tax payment due 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 Salem?

Yes. Seniors 62+ and disabled homeowners: property tax deferral: Disabled or senior homeowners can borrow from the State of Oregon to pay their county property taxes. For the senior deferral you must be at least 62 by April 15 of the year you apply, and you must have owned and lived in the home for at least five years before April 15 of that year.

Where can I get help paying utility bills in Salem?

PGE Income-Qualified Bill Discount: Based on household size and income, PGE customers could get 15% to 80% off. No financial documents are required. Apply with PGE or call 503-228-6322.

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

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