Overview of California Taxes
California’s effective property tax rate is lower than the national median, but high home values result in property tax bills that are higher than those paid by homeowners in many other states.
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To calculate the exact amount of property tax you will owe requires your property's assessed value and the property tax rates based on your property's address. Please note that we can only estimate your property tax based on median property taxes in your area. There are typically multiple rates in a given area, because your state, county, local schools and emergency responders each receive funding partly through these taxes. In our calculator, we take your home value and multiply that by your county's effective property tax rate. This is equal to the median property tax paid as a percentage of the median home value in your county.
California Property Taxes
Property taxes in California are limited by Proposition 13, a law approved by California voters in 1978. The law has two important features.
First, it limits general property taxes (not including those collected for special purposes) to 1% of a property’s market value. And secondly, it restricts increases in assessed value to 2% per year. These two rules combine to keep California’s overall property taxes below the national average, which in turn keeps your bills low.
The effective property tax rate in California is 0.71%, which means the typical homeowner's property tax bill is equal to 0.71% of the their home's value. For comparison, the median American homeowner pays 0.89% of their home value in property taxes each year.
How Property Taxes in California Work
California property taxes are based on the purchase price of the property. So when you buy a home, the assessed value is equal to the purchase price. From there, the assessed value increases every year according to the rate of inflation, which is the change in the California Consumer Price Index. Remember, there's a 2% cap on these increases.
This means that, for homeowners who have been in their house for a long time, assessed value is often lower than market value. The same is true of homeowners in areas that have experienced rapid price growth in recent years, such as San Francisco and San Jose.
Homeowners in California can claim a $7,000 exemption on their primary residence. This reduces the assessed value by $7,000, saving you at least $70 per year. You only need to claim this exemption once, and it’s important to do so shortly after you buy.
If you're considering buying a home in California with a mortgage, you’ll want to take a look at our guide on mortgage rates and getting a mortgage in the Golden State.
A financial advisor can help you understand how homeownership fits into your overall financial goals. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with vetted financial advisors who serve your area, and you can have a free introductory call with your advisor matches to decide which one you feel is right for you. If you’re ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.
California Property Tax Rates
Property taxes in California are applied to assessed values. Each county collects a general property tax equal to 1% of assessed value. This is the single largest tax, but there are other smaller taxes that vary by city and district.
Voter-approved taxes for specific projects or purposes are common, as are “Mello-Roos” taxes. Mello-Roos taxes are voted on by property owners and are used to support special districts through financing for services, public works or other improvements.
The table below shows effective property tax rates, as well as median annual property tax payments and median home values, for each county in California. Assessed value is often lower than market value, so effective tax rates (taxes paid as a percentage of market value) in California are typically lower than 1%, even though nominal tax rates are always at least 1%.
Want to learn more about your mortgage payments? Check out our mortgage payment calculator.
Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County is the most populous county in both the state of California and the entire United States. The median Los Angeles County homeowner pays $5,856 annually in property taxes, which is equal to 0.68% of the median home value there ($866,500).
San Diego County
The effective property tax rate in San Diego County is 0.65%, significantly lower than the national median. However, the median home value is a whopping $914,700, which means the typical homeowner pays $5,948 per year in real estate taxes.
Orange County
The median annual property tax that homeowners pay in southern California’s Orange County is $6,436. That is one of the highest amounts in the state and roughly two-times the national median. Total taxes in Orange County are lofty, mainly because home values are high. The county’s median home value is $1,037,200.
Riverside County
The effective property tax rate in Riverside County is 0.75%, one of the highest in the state. While that is the rate a typical homeowner in the county pays, it's not necessarily what a new homeowner will pay, as assessed values increase to the purchase price of your home when you buy.
For reference, the median home value in Riverside County is $601,600 and the median annual property tax payment is $4,526.
San Bernardino County
In terms of population, San Bernardino County is one of the largest counties in California. It's also the largest county in the U.S. by area. In fact, it has a land area of 20,057 square miles, making it slightly larger than the entire country of Costa Rica. The effective property tax rate in San Bernardino County is 0.67% while the median home value is $545,900.
Santa Clara County
The median home value in Santa Clara County is among the highest in the nation at $1,555,600. Because of these high home values, annual property tax bills for homeowners in Santa Clara County are quite high, despite rates actually being near the statewide median. The median annual property tax payment in Santa Clara County is $10,000.
Alameda County
Situated on the eastern shore of the San Francisco Bay, Alameda County contains the cities of Oakland, Berkeley and Fremont, among others. The effective property tax rate in the county is 0.80%, thanks to a median home value of $1,090,600. City-level tax rates in this county apply to assessed value, which is equal to the sales price of recently purchased homes.
Sacramento County
Sacramento County is located in northern California and has a population of just over 1.6 million people. It's also home to the state capital. The county’s effective property tax rate is 0.73%. At that rate, the total property taxes owed on a median home is $4,059.
Contra Costa County
The median property tax paid by homeowners in the Bay Area’s Contra Costa County is $7,378 per year. That is over double the national median property tax payment.
Fresno County
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the median home value in Fresno County is $413,800. That means that, while property tax rates in Fresno County are similar to those in the rest of the state, property taxes paid in terms of dollars spent are far lower. The median property tax payment in Fresno County is just $3,072 per year, which is approximately $2,300 below the statewide median.
