What a St. Helens 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.
Starts at $225,068 of value before exemptions. Typical use.
- Property tax$3,611
1.605% of $225,068
- Electricity and gas$2,447
1100 kWh a month $1,429 · 53 therms $1,018
- Water and sewer$1,822
7.995 units (CCF) a month on City of St. Helens: water $66, sewer $67, stormwater (single-family home, 1 dru) $19 a month
- Trash$430
35-gallon cart (weekly), $36 a month
- Home insurance$886
Typical premium $886
A typical St. Helens house costs about $9,200 a year: $3,610 property tax and charges, $1,820 water and sewer, $430 trash, $2,450 electricity and gas, $890 home insurance. Estimated from public rates, not anyone's actual bill.
Rates checked Oct 29, 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 November 153% off
To receive the full discount of 3 percent, property taxes must be current for all prior years and the current year tax assessment must be paid in full by November 15.
How: Details are on your tax statement.
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 monthly gas bills. No proof of income is required to apply.
How: Apply online at nwnatural.com/billdiscount.
Columbia River PUD income-qualified rate (Schedule 13)
Schedule 13 is for residential customers whose household income is at or below 60% of State Median Income.
Water leak adjustment
Submit the leak adjustment form within 45 days of the billing date in question, with a third-party statement or repair receipts. The minimum credit issued is $15.00.
How: Form at the City website or the Utility Billing counter.
Money dates
- Nov 15in 11 daysProperty tax: pay in full by this date for the 3% discount
- 10th of each monthCity water, sewer and stormwater bill due
- 21st of each month$25 late fee assessed on the 21st of every month
Who serves this house
- Water
- City of St. Helens
- Volume rates are based on the customer class for each 100 cubic feet (CCF) of water.
- Property tax
- 1.60% of value
- 2026-27 tax year, Columbia County code area 0201 (City of St. Helens, St. Helens School District 502)
- Garbage
- Hudson Garbage Service
- The City's listed garbage hauler: 503-397-1534
- Sewer
- City of St. Helens
- Volume charge based on a 2-month winter averaging of water consumption
- Electricity
- Columbia River PUD
- Provides electric service to customers in St. Helens
- Gas
- NW Natural
- Listed by the City as the natural gas provider
Other OR cities
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How these numbers are made
- Property tax: the 2026-27 Columbia County rate for code area 0201 (City of St. Helens, School District 502), $16.0461 per $1,000 of assessed value, including the urban renewal line as listed. Code area 0201 has 4,819 tax accounts, the most of any St. Helens code area. Oregon has no homestead exemption.
- The starting assessed value ($225,068) is the average assessed value of real-property accounts in code area 0201 (total assessed value divided by tax accounts); it includes some non-residential parcels, so use the value on your statement.
- Water and sewer: City Resolution 2079 rates for billing cycles on or after July 15, 2026. Sewer volume is billed on winter averaging, modeled as 5 ccf (3.74 kgal) a month; the page starts at 8 ccf (5.98 kgal), the rate study average. Stormwater is one drainage unit.
- Garbage: Hudson Garbage Service rates effective July 1, 2025, the newest schedule found; a July 2026 schedule was not found. Electricity: Columbia River PUD Schedule 10, 1,100 kWh average. Gas: NW Natural Schedule 2 $1.4122 per therm (effective October 31, 2025). NW Natural says the combined PGA and ARM filings raise residential bills about $6.30 a month at 54 therms effective October 31, 2026 (about $76 a year); the new Schedule 2 sheet is not yet posted, so the page uses the 2025 rate. Insurance: 2023 Oregon statewide average.
- Tax rates are per $1,000 of assessed value; typical value = total assessed value / tax accounts, includes non-residential parcels.
- Nothing here is legal, tax or insurance advice.
How St. Helens compares
A typical St. Helens house against the 40 Oregon cities we cover, using the same default numbers as the total above.
| Per year | St. Helens | Median | Where it falls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property tax rate | 1.60% | 1.85% | lower than 34 of the other 39 Oregon cities we cover |
| Water | $788 | $626 | higher than 30 of the other 39 Oregon cities we cover |
| Sewer and utility-bill fees | $1,035 | $1,088 | lower than 23 of the other 39 Oregon cities we cover |
| Trash | $430 | $418 | higher than 22 of the other 37 Oregon cities we cover |
| Electricity and gas | $2,447 | $2,903 | lower than 33 of the other 39 Oregon cities we cover |
| Home insurance | $886 | $886 | in the middle of 39 other Oregon cities we cover |
| Total | $9,197 | $10,514 | lower than 30 of the other 39 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: St. Helens's property tax rate is 1.60%, lower than 34 of the other 39 Oregon cities we cover. The rate adds up every agency on the bill, not only the city.
Ask: "Property tax in St. Helens is 1.60%, lower than 34 of the other 39 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 $788 a year at typical use, higher than 30 of the other 39 Oregon cities we cover.
Ask: "Water here costs about $788 a year at typical use, higher than 30 of the other 39 Oregon cities we cover. What drives that cost, and would you change anything?"
3. Electricity and gas
The fact: Electricity and gas for a typical house here cost about $2,447 a year, lower than 33 of the other 39 Oregon cities we cover. Rates are set mostly by the utility and the state.
Ask: "Electricity and gas here cost about $2,447 a year for a typical house, lower than 33 of the other 39 Oregon cities we cover. Which parts of that can the city influence, and what would you do about them?"
Common questions about St. Helens house costs
What is the property tax rate in St. Helens?
About 1.60% of the value before exemptions a year (2026-27 tax year, Columbia County code area 0201 (City of St. Helens, St. Helens School District 502)), plus flat charges on the same bill.
How much is property tax on a $500,000 house in St. Helens?
About $8,023 a year on $500,000 of the value before exemptions.
How much is the water bill in St. Helens?
About $152 a month for water and sewer at typical use (7.995 units, or 5,980 gallons a month) on City of St. Helens.
How much does trash pickup cost in St. Helens?
$36 to $74 a month, depending on the trash cart size (35-gallon cart (weekly), 65-gallon cart (weekly), 95-gallon cart (weekly)).
Where can I get help paying utility bills in St. Helens?
Columbia River PUD income-qualified rate (Schedule 13): Schedule 13 is for residential customers whose household income is at or below 60% of State Median Income.
How much does a house in St. Helens cost to run each year?
A typical St. Helens house costs about $9,200 a year: $3,610 property tax and charges, $1,820 water and sewer, $430 trash, $2,450 electricity and gas, $890 home insurance. Estimated from public rates, not anyone's actual bill.