The story of this market
The typical home in Sherman County, Oregon sells for about $297,622, or $145 per square foot.
Prices are up +4.06% from a year ago, so sellers still have some momentum. Homes take about 120 days to sell, which is slow. The biggest natural hazard here is wildfire, which FEMA rates very high. HUD's fair market rent for a two-bedroom is $1,214 a month.
HUD sets the fair market rent for a 2-bedroom at $1,214 a month. FEMA's National Risk Index rates overall hazard risk here as Relatively Moderate.
Monthly price momentum
Home values since 2015
+0.3%
OR · past 12 months
Freddie Mac House Price Index, single-family homes, monthly through 2026-08. Each line starts at 100 in January 2015, so a reading of 180 means prices are up 80% since then.
Rent benchmark
Fair market rent by size
$1,618
3-bed / month
HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal 2027, for this county. A typical rent for a modest unit, used to set housing-voucher payments.
Natural hazard exposure
The area's risk shape
84
Relatively Moderate
FEMA National Risk Index. Each spoke is a hazard ranked nationally, where 100 is the most exposed. Expected annual loss: $2,591,662.
Mortgage activity
Home lending in this county
83.7%
2018 approval rate
| Year | Applications | Loans made | Approval | Investor share | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 61 | 35 | 83.7% | 0% | $175,000 |
CFPB Home Mortgage Disclosure Act records: every mortgage application reported by lenders for homes in this county. Approval rate is approved ÷ decided (withdrawn and incomplete files excluded). Investor share and home value are the median census tract.
Sherman County, Oregon
Sherman County's housing market remains characterized by low inventory and slow turnover, typical of a rural agricultural economy. While home values have seen modest appreciation, the market is constrained by a small population base and limited new construction activity. Current conditions reflect a stable but quiet environment with minimal speculative pressure.
No ARED distress-ledger coverage for this county yet — the foreclosure ingest rotates the national county directory, and filings appear here once the county's posted notices are read. Key-figure check: no independent anchor retained yet — first-researched cycles establish the anchor baseline this pass.
Select a city to expand its ZIP intel reports beneath · 4 cities · 4 ZIP reports
Median prices moved down 3.2% year over year.
Homes spend a median of 44 days on market with 0.1 months of supply — a fast-moving market.
0% of listings have cut prices · homes sell at 1.66% of asking — demand is holding steady.
no recorded foreclosure-ledger notices (0.0 per 10,000 residents) · unemployment 0.8% · poverty 22.0% — a stable, low-distress profile.
ACS 2024 5-year estimates. Aggregate published statistics for this county — never individual records, and never an attribute of any individual property or resident.
Deterministic aggregate of 3 researched ZIP reports of 4 — sales_count-weighted (population fallback); per point, children lacking the value or its weight are excluded. Tax rates, sentiment and context notes are tier-native and never roll.
Sherman County, Oregon — researched county-level history with a deterministic 1 / 3 / 5-year projection
Solid: researched ten-year history · dotted: 1 / 3 / 5-year projection extended from the historical 9.2%/yr trend — a deterministic estimate, not a published forecast or guarantee.
No researched properties in this county yet — the property base layer populates as property research runs, and each property feeds its ZIP's roll-up.
researched Sep 16
researched Sep 26
researched Sep 26
researched Sep 26
| 97018 | Columbia City | $484,000 | $294 | +2.7% | 65 | — | — | — | 49 | $1,365 | researched Sep 16 |
| 97039 | Moro | $428,950 | $226 | — | 57 | — | — | — | — | $1,214 | researched Sep 26 |
| 97050 | Rufus | $346,000 | $215 | +1% | 69 | 98.5% | 15% | 4.2 | 952 | $1,398 | researched Sep 26 |
| 97065 | Wasco | $475,000 | $271 | -4% | 41 | — | — | — | 54 | $1,214 | researched Sep 26 |
Figures are each ZIP report's own latest research — the county roll-up aggregates them sales_count-weighted (population fallback); ZIPs cycle quarterly.
Schools in Sherman County are primarily served by the Sherman County School District, which operates a single K-12 facility in Moro, reflecting the rural and consolidated nature of the county's educational infrastructure.
The region faces moderate wildfire risks common to the high-desert agricultural landscape of North Central Oregon, with insurance availability and premiums increasingly influenced by state-wide wildfire mitigation requirements.
The economy is heavily concentrated in capital-intensive wheat and grain agriculture, with limited industrial diversification and a small labor force that has seen modest population growth since 2020.
Property taxes are assessed by the Sherman County Assessor based on real market value, with rates determined by local taxing districts including the county, school district, and fire districts; there is no state sales tax in Oregon.
Recreation is centered on outdoor activities including fishing and boating on the John Day and Deschutes Rivers, as well as hunting and scenic vistas characteristic of the Columbia Plateau.
The rental market is characterized by low inventory and limited multi-family options, with rents largely influenced by local agricultural workforce demand and HUD fair market rent benchmarks.
The economy is dominated by large-scale wheat and grain production, with public administration and educational services serving as the primary non-agricultural employers.
Transportation is primarily served by U.S. Route 97, which acts as the main north-south corridor for freight and regional travel through the county.
The Sherman County Assessor's office maintains property valuations based on annual market analysis and state-mandated appraisal cycles.
The county is served by the Sherman County School District and various rural fire protection districts that provide essential services across the sparsely populated landscape.
Property insurance markets are stable but sensitive to regional wildfire risk assessments, with premiums generally tracking with statewide trends for rural Oregon.
The amenity base that shapes daily life and property demand in this county — what residents actually live with, and what the pipeline is adding.
Provides significant opportunities for fishing, rafting, and wildlife viewing in a rugged canyon setting.
Hosts the annual county fair and various community events, serving as a central social hub for the rural population.
Forms the western border of the county and is a premier destination for fly fishing and outdoor recreation.
Data sourced from US Census Bureau QuickFacts and Census Reporter.
Public schools whose reported address is in this area (NCES). Not attendance boundaries — schools that serve residents may sit outside it. Check the district's address locator for assignment.
applies when — Members of the Oregon National Guard or Reserve who are deployed.
Allows for the exemption of a portion of the assessed value of a primary residence from local property taxes for a period of three to five years in standard zones, or up to 15 years in rural zones.
Business Oregon Enterprise Zone statutes
applies when — Qualified disabled veterans or their surviving spouses meeting specific disability or service-connected criteria.
Provides a reduction in the assessed value of the primary residence, effectively lowering the property tax burden based on the exemption amount set by statute.
ORS 307.250
applies when — Delinquency of property taxes for a period of three years from the earliest date of delinquency.
The county may initiate foreclosure proceedings to seize the property to satisfy the tax lien. Owners have redemption rights prior to the judgment of foreclosure.
ORS 312.010
Tax is calculated on the lesser of Real Market Value (RMV) or Maximum Assessed Value (MAV). MAV is limited to a 3% annual growth rate unless physical changes occur to the property. The tax is the product of the taxable assessed value and the local taxing district's millage rate.
Oregon Constitution; ORS Chapter 308
Governance registry — every jurisdiction re-researches on a rolling 90-day cycle. Property reports compose these inherited burdens into a per-parcel ledger with conditional determinations. Informational only — not legal advice.