Moving to Oregon
New residents have 30 days to get an Oregon driver license and must register a car within 30 days. Prices are 3.4% above the U.S. average, and a single filer earning $100,000 pays about $7,148 in Oregon income tax. 64,386 households moved here from other states in 2022–2023, most often from California and Washington.
New resident checklist for Oregon
Driver license
Within 30 days; vision screening required; knowledge and drive tests usually waived if you surrender an out-of-state license that has not been expired more than 1 year. Bring proof of identity, your Social Security number and two proofs of your Oregon address.
Vehicle title and registration
Within 30 days; out-of-state titled vehicles need a VIN inspection ($9, can be done at DMV); DEQ emissions test required in Portland and Medford areas (newer vehicles exempt). Switch your auto insurance to an Oregon policy.
Taxes or fees on a car you bring: No sales tax on a vehicle you already own. Oregon's vehicle use tax/certificate applies only to new vehicles (7,500 miles or less) bought from out-of-state dealers.
Annual registration: Two-year registration priced by fuel economy: $126 (0-19 MPG), $136 (20-39 MPG), $216 (40+ MPG), $376 (all-electric); some counties add a local fee. Title fee $101-$192.
Extra yearly fee for an electric vehicle: $120.
Establishing residency
You become a resident when you live in Oregon with intent to stay (for example, working, enrolling kids in school or registering to vote); the 30-day clocks run from that date. Residency also decides where you pay income tax in the year you move; see taxes the year you move.
Your first-month checklist in Oregon
- Register to vote at your new address.
- Update your address with the IRS (Form 8822), your employer and your bank.
- Make sure your employer withholds Oregon income tax from your move date.
- Set up utilities and get renters or homeowners insurance. Owners with a mortgage here paid a median $1,126 a year for homeowners insurance in 2024 (Census ACS); premiums have risen in most states since, so get quotes.
- Keep your lease or closing papers and your license date as proof of when you became a resident.
Still planning the move itself? The moving out of state checklist covers the weeks before you go, and the moving timeline turns your move date into dated deadlines. Our guide to moving with pets covers vet records, travel and local pet rules. Shipping a car? See shipping a car to another state, or take the Where should I move? quiz.
Official site: oregon.gov. Sources: oregon.gov (2), oregon.gov (3), oregon.gov (4), oregon.gov (5). Reviewed 2026-09-25. Rules and fees change; confirm with the Oregon motor vehicle agency before you go.
Compare your move to Oregon
Pick the state you're leaving and your salary to see your take-home pay, rent and the salary that keeps your buying power the same in Oregon.
Equal salary in OR: $94,600
To keep the same lifestyle, you need about $94,600 in Oregon to match $100,000 in California ($5,400 less), after 2026 taxes and local prices.
Single filer, W-2 salary, standard deduction.
These changes cover taxes, housing and electricity. Food, transport, healthcare, other spending and one-time moving costs are excluded. They are not total savings. State medians may differ from your neighborhood and current quotes.
| Tax on $100,000 | California | Oregon |
|---|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $13,170 | $13,170 |
| Social Security + Medicare | $7,650 | $7,650 |
| State income tax | $5,055 | $7,148 |
| State payroll programs (UI, disability, paid leave, transit) | $1,300 | $700 |
| Take-home pay | $72,825 | $71,332 |
Full reports for the most common moves to Oregon: California to Oregon, Washington to Oregon, Texas to Oregon, Arizona to Oregon, Idaho to Oregon and Colorado to Oregon.
Living in Oregon: costs, taxes and risk
Of the 51 (the 50 states and D.C.), Oregon is in the best 10 for homeowners insurance, and in the worst 10 for state income tax and cost to own a home.
- Median rent
- $1,597/mo U.S. $1,487
- Cost to own the median home
- $3,053/mo U.S. $2,298
- Take-home on $100,000
- $71,332 $3,746 less than in the median state
- Property tax (effective)
- 0.78% median $3,895/yr
- FEMA risk score
- 89.9 of 100 Among the highest of U.S. counties
- Moved in from other states
- 64,386 households, IRS 2022–2023
Pros and cons of living in Oregon
How Oregon ranks among all 51 (the 50 states and D.C.) on 11 measures of costs, taxes, risk and income. Top 10 means among the 10 best for someone moving in, Bottom 10 among the 10 worst.
Where Oregon ranks best
- Top 10 Lowest homeowners insurance: $1,126 a year at the median for homes with a mortgage (Census ACS 2024), 7th lowest of 51.
Where Oregon ranks worst
- Bottom 5 Highest state income tax: $7,148 on a $100,000 salary, 2nd highest of 51.
- Bottom 10 Highest cost to own a home: $3,053 a month for the median home with 20% down, 10th highest of 51.
Measures: state income tax, overall prices, rent, cost to own a home, property tax rate, homeowners insurance, electric bills, car insurance, health premiums, natural hazard risk, household income. State income tax is for a single filer earning $100,000 under 2026 rules, including the average county income tax in Indiana and Maryland. Ties share a rank.
Where new Oregon residents come from
In the latest IRS migration data (2022–2023), 64,386 households filed their taxes in Oregon after filing in another state the year before. California sent the most, 16,765 households (26% of the total). Oregon lost a net 45 households to other states that year.
Five-year trend
Moves to Oregon from other states peaked in 2019–20 at 69,339 households, then fell 7% to 64,386 in 2022–23, down 2% from 2018–19. Oregon gained households from other states on net in three of the five years.
IRS SOI state-to-state migration files, tax years 2018–19 to 2022–23. Net gain or loss by year: 2018–19 +10,369, 2019–20 +9,515, 2020–21 −829, 2021–22 +141, 2022–23 −45.
Cost of living in Oregon vs the U.S.
Overall prices in Oregon are 3.4% above the U.S. average, 40th cheapest of 51. The widest gap is in housing (108.6), 9% above the U.S. level.
The vertical line marks the U.S. average (100). BEA Regional Price Parities 2024.
- Average electric bill
- $130/mo U.S. $142
- Car insurance, per car
- $1,170/yr U.S. $1,282
- Health plan, age 40
- $543/mo U.S. $625
EIA 2024 average residential bills, NAIC 2023 average auto insurance expenditure, KFF 2026 benchmark silver Marketplace premium before subsidies.
Taxes in Oregon: take-home pay at three incomes
Oregon taxes wages. Workers also pay about $700 a year in state payroll programs at $100,000, which the take-home figures include. Here is what a single filer keeps after 2026 federal and state taxes, compared with the middle of all 51.
| Salary | OR income tax | Take-home | vs. median state |
|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $3,204 | $38,801 | -$1,977 |
| $100,000 | $7,148 | $71,332 | -$3,746 |
| $150,000 | $12,805 | $99,936 | -$7,651 |
Single filer, 2026 tax rules, standard deduction. Take-home is after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and Oregon income and payroll taxes. "vs. median state" is the difference from the median take-home of all 51 at the same salary. For married filing jointly, change the filing status in the calculator above.
Oregon has no statewide sales tax. Homeowners pay a median $3,895 a year in property tax, 0.78% of the median home value (property tax by county). Retiring? See how Oregon taxes Social Security and pensions. Moving mid-year? Read about taxes the year you move.
Cities in Oregon: where a paycheck goes furthest
Of the 3 Oregon metro areas we cover, Eugene is the best value: about $85,600 there buys what $75,000 buys in an average-priced area with no state income tax. Portland takes the most, $89,600.
| Metro area | Salary to match $75k | Price level | Median rent | Median home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eugene | $85,600 | 101.6 | $1,470 | $448,000 |
| Bend | $87,600 | 103.6 | $1,834 | $631,000 |
| Portland | $89,600 | 105.4 | $1,767 | $584,800 |
Salary to match $75k: the pay that leaves the same after-tax, price-adjusted income as $75,000 in an area at U.S. average prices with no state income tax, single filer, including the principal city's own income tax where it has one. BEA 2024 price levels (U.S. = 100) and Census ACS 2024 rent and home values for each metro area.
Housing and home insurance in Oregon
| Measure | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Median rent (monthly) | $1,597 | $1,487 |
| Median home value | $497,500 | $360,600 |
| Monthly cost to own the median home (20% down) | $3,053 | $2,298 |
| Income needed to buy the median home | $130,842 | $98,486 |
| Median property tax (yearly) | $3,895 | $3,211 |
| Homeowners insurance (yearly median, homes with a mortgage) | $1,126 | $1,450 |
Census ACS 2024 rent, home value and property tax, and ACS 2024 homeowners insurance. Cost to own: principal and interest at the Freddie Mac 30-year average (6.95%) with 20% down, plus the median property tax and the median homeowners insurance paid by owners with a mortgage. Premiums have risen since 2024, especially in high-risk areas, so get quotes. See buying a home in Oregon for other down payments.
Natural disaster risk in Oregon
Oregon's population-weighted score on FEMA's National Risk Index is 89.9 of 100, among the highest of U.S. counties and 37th safest of 51. Expected losses from natural hazards average about $598 per resident a year, and about 62% of residents live in counties FEMA rates relatively high or very high.
The vertical line marks the middle of U.S. counties (50).
See disaster risk for every Oregon county and how to check a home's risk before you move.
Frequently asked questions
Where do people moving to Oregon come from?
In IRS migration data for 2022–2023, 64,386 households moved to Oregon from other states. The most came from California (16,765 households), Washington (12,212) and Texas (3,335).
What are the pros and cons of living in Oregon?
Where Oregon ranks best among the 50 states and D.C.: lowest homeowners insurance, 7th lowest of 51. Where it ranks worst: highest state income tax, 2nd highest of 51; highest cost to own a home, 10th highest of 51.
Is Oregon expensive to live in?
Overall prices in Oregon are 3.4% above the U.S. average (BEA price level 103.4, 2024), 40th cheapest of 51. Median rent is $1,597 a month and the median home is worth $497,500.
How long do I have to get an Oregon driver license after moving?
30 days after becoming a resident. Within 30 days; vision screening required; knowledge and drive tests usually waived if you surrender an out-of-state license that has not been expired more than 1 year.
How long do I have to register my car in Oregon?
30 days. Within 30 days; out-of-state titled vehicles need a VIN inspection ($9, can be done at DMV); DEQ emissions test required in Portland and Medford areas (newer vehicles exempt).
Do new residents pay tax on a car brought to Oregon?
No sales tax on a vehicle you already own. Oregon's vehicle use tax/certificate applies only to new vehicles (7,500 miles or less) bought from out-of-state dealers.
What makes me an Oregon resident?
You become a resident when you live in Oregon with intent to stay (for example, working, enrolling kids in school or registering to vote); the 30-day clocks run from that date.