Washington County closing costs
The county-specific transfer tax and deed recording fees for Washington County, Oregon - the local details that change your total beyond the statewide rate.
- Effective transfer tax
- 0.1%
- ≈ $400 on a $400,000 home
- Typical lender + 3rd-party fees
- $7,357
- median of 5,170 purchase loans · HMDA 2023
Washington County compared with Oregon counties
In the verified Oregon county records we have, Washington County's effective transfer-tax rate ranks #1 of 2 by highest rate. At $400,000, the county-specific transfer tax is $400, which is $400 above the state-level calculation before city surtaxes.
- County rank
- #1 of 2
- within verified Oregon county pages
- Tax at $400,000
- $400
- state baseline $0
- HMDA fee sample
- 5,170
- purchase loans in 2023
Washington County transfer-tax data: official source linked on this page, reviewed 2026-Q2.
Transfer tax in Washington County
Washington County is the ONLY jurisdiction in Oregon that levies a real-estate transfer tax — grandfathered under ORS 306.815 (which otherwise bans local transfer taxes statewide) as operative before March 31, 1997. Rate is $1.00 per $1,000 of selling price (0.1%); liability is shared between purchaser and seller and commonly split. Sales of $13,999 or less are exempt, and the tax must be paid or an exemption filed within 15 days of recording or a late penalty applies. No city in the county levies its own transfer tax (ORS 306.815 prohibits it).
Recording fees in Washington County
$86.00 for the first page and $5.00 for each additional page (effective Aug 1, 2025; was $81 before). $5.00 per additional title. A $20.00 non-standard fee applies if the first-page requirements (e.g., 3"x3" recording space in top-right corner) are not met; a cover page can avoid this. Card payments incur a 2.45% surcharge (min $1.50). Official fee schedule update PDF: https://www.washingtoncountyor.gov/at/documents/fee-schedule-update-8-1-25/download?inline
Official recorder: Washington County recorder ↗ — the authoritative source for the current recording fee schedule.
What lenders actually charge in Washington County
Across 5,170 home-purchase mortgages originated in Washington County in 2023, the median total loan costs — lender fees plus third-party services such as appraisal and title, excluding prepaids and escrow — were $7,357, of which about $3,967 was the lender’s own origination charges. That is reported loan-level data from every lender under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act — not a national average — so it reflects what buyers in this county actually paid. Lender fees vary widely, so comparing a few rate quotes is the single biggest lever on your closing total.
Source: FFIEC HMDA Data Browser ↗ (2023 purchase originations, FIPS 41067, ODC-BY 1.0). Median total loan costs exclude prepaids and escrow.
Estimate your Washington County closing costs
Pre-set to Oregon. County-level taxes above may add to this estimate.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the transfer tax in Washington County?
Washington County (Oregon): the applicable real-estate transfer tax works out to about 0.1%. Washington County is the ONLY jurisdiction in Oregon that levies a real-estate transfer tax — grandfathered under ORS 306.815 (which otherwise bans local transfer taxes statewide) as operative before March 31, 1997. Rate is $1.00 per $1,000 of selling price (0.1%); liability is shared between purchaser and seller and commonly split. Sales of $13,999 or less are exempt, and the tax must be paid or an exemption filed within 15 days of recording or a late penalty applies. No city in the county levies its own transfer tax (ORS 306.815 prohibits it).
What are recording fees in Washington County?
$86.00 for the first page and $5.00 for each additional page (effective Aug 1, 2025; was $81 before). $5.00 per additional title. A $20.00 non-standard fee applies if the first-page requirements (e.g., 3"x3" recording space in top-right corner) are not met; a cover page can avoid this. Card payments incur a 2.45% surcharge (min $1.50). Official fee schedule update PDF: https://www.washingtoncountyor.gov/at/documents/fee-schedule-update-8-1-25/download?inline
How much are closing costs in Washington County?
Closing costs in Washington County follow Oregon's structure plus this county's specific transfer-tax and recording fees. Use the calculator below for an estimate; for the exact recording schedule, the county recorder is the authoritative source.
What do lenders charge in fees in Washington County?
In 2023, the median total loan costs — lender fees plus third-party services like appraisal and title, excluding prepaids and escrow — across 5,170 home-purchase mortgages in Washington County were about $7,357, of which roughly $3,967 was the lender's own origination charges. This is reported loan-level data under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act; actual fees vary by lender, so comparing quotes matters.
Closest Oregon county comparisons
Sibling links are ordered by nearby verified effective transfer-tax rate, so each county page connects to genuinely comparable counties.