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The carrying cost here looks a lot like an Oregon community’s — until you add income tax, where Washington charges nothing. For a retiree with real taxable income, that’s where the decade-long gap opens up.
Modeled on a representative $440,000 single-family Fairway Village home for a couple. Washington assesses at market value annually (no Measure 50 cap), so the property-tax base tracks the home’s actual value.
| Annual item | Year 1 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| HOA fee | ~$1,500 | Clubhouse, pool, fitness, trails, clubs |
| Property tax (~0.9% of $440K market) | ~$3,960 | Annual market-value assessment; no cap |
| Insurance (est.) | ~$1,450 | Single-family home |
| State income tax | $0 | Washington has none |
| Approx. annual carrying cost | ~$6,910 | Plus $0 income tax |
The carrying cost over a decade lands near $73,000. On housing costs alone, that’s comparable to a similar Oregon home. The difference is the income tax you’re not paying.
| Cost bucket | 10-year total |
|---|---|
| HOA (3% growth) | ~$17,200 |
| Property tax (market-value growth) | ~$45,400 |
| Insurance | ~$16,600 |
| Closing costs (est.) | ~$4,400 |
| Approx. 10-year carrying cost | ~$73,000 |
Now add the income-tax difference. A couple drawing $120,000 a year in taxable pension and 401(k) income pays roughly $8,000–$10,000 a year in Oregon state income tax. In Washington, they pay $0. Over ten years that’s on the order of $80,000–$100,000 kept — an amount that dwarfs any plausible difference in home price or property tax between Fairway Village and an Oregon community. For a high-taxable-income retiree, this is the entire argument, and it’s a big one.
Washington isn’t free money. You pay ~8.4% sales tax in Clark County (though groceries and prescriptions are exempt, and many residents shop across the river in Oregon for big purchases). You don’t get Oregon’s Measure 50 assessed-value cap, so your property tax tracks market value with no built-in compression. And if your income is modest — mostly Social Security, which Oregon also exempts — the Oregon income tax barely touches you, so Washington’s advantage shrinks while you still pay its sales tax. The crossover is roughly $75,000 of income: above it, Washington usually wins; below it, the Oregon no-sales-tax suburbs can.
This is the most consequential state line in the country for retirees, and the decision turns entirely on your income mix. We lay out every category — income, sales, property, capital gains, estate — on the Vancouver vs. Portland tax guide, and put the two flagship communities side by side on the Fairway Village vs. Summerfield page.
Send us your income mix and spending — we’ll model Fairway Village against an equivalent Oregon home, income tax and all.
Get your Fairway Village projectionIllustrative estimates for planning, built from typical Clark County HOA dues and effective property-tax ranges and the published Washington/Oregon tax structures. Income-tax figures depend on your specific taxable income. Verify current rates and consult a tax professional. Not financial advice.