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The quiet choice in Tigard. About 319 single-family homes and condos tucked into a wooded, greenway-laced setting in the rolling hills of southeast Washington County — owner-governed, no golf course, and deliberately smaller and calmer than its big neighbors.
Highlands is for the buyer who wants the 55+ structure, a real clubhouse, and a wooded, walkable setting — but not 1,500 neighbors or a golf operation to help fund. With 319 single-family houses and condominiums built between 1989 and 1997, it's newer than the metro's 1960s–70s communities and noticeably more intimate. Homes here feature open floor plans, private decks, fireplaces, vaulted ceilings, and second-story loft options; condos run roughly 816 to 1,336 square feet. Walking paths and greenways wind through the property, with an elegant clubhouse as the social center.
Highlands runs on a straightforward HOA model — a regular fee covering the clubhouse and common areas, set and managed by a board composed of owners. The lack of a golf course is a feature here, not a gap: there's no course budget to subsidize and no pressure to convert optional memberships into mandatory dues, which is a recurring source of friction at golf communities. Buyers should still confirm whether a given home is a single-family residence (often lower dues) or a condo within a sub-grouping (which may carry additional dues).
| Cost item | Structure | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| HOA fee | Regular, owner-set | Clubhouse, ballroom, library, billiards, trails, meeting rooms |
| Condo sub-dues | Varies | Condos may carry additional building-level dues |
| Typical home price | $300Ks–$500Ks | Condos lower, single-family higher |
| Property tax (Washington Co.) | ~0.84% effective | On capped assessed value |
| Golf budget exposure | None | No course to fund — no mandatory-membership risk |
No golf course is a quiet financial plus. At Woodburn and Summerfield, the course is part of the draw but also a budget pressure that can push dues up. Highlands carries none of that exposure — the trade-off is simply that if you want golf, you'll play (and pay for) it elsewhere. For a non-golfer who wants a calmer, lower-drama HOA, that's a feature worth weighting.
The clubhouse anchors community life with a ballroom, library, billiards, and multipurpose meeting rooms, plus walking and biking trails through the wooded grounds. Programming leans social and low-key — card games, fitness classes, movie nights, holiday events, and potlucks. It's a community built for people who want neighbors and activities available without the scale and intensity of a 1,200-home operation.
Highlands sits in the same southeast Washington County pocket as Summerfield and King City near Tigard — roughly 12 miles from downtown Portland, close to Legacy Meridian Park, freeway access, and the airport, and outside Multnomah County's local income tax. It shares the corridor's advantages while offering a meaningfully different, lower-key feel.
Same city, very different communities. We'll lay out the cost and lifestyle trade-offs side by side.
Compare Tigard 55+ communities