Overview of Santa Clara County, CA Taxes
Living in beautiful Santa Clara County, California means paying property taxes if you own your home. Home values in the county are very high, so although the average effective property tax rate in Santa Clara County is relatively low at 0.85%, annual property tax bills are generally over $9,059.
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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.
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.
Santa Clara County Property Tax Rates
The average effective property tax rate in Santa Clara County is 0.85%. But because the median home value in Santa Clara County is incredibly high at $1,061,900, the median annual property tax payment in the county is $9,059, the second-highest in California behind Marin County.
Your city, county, school district and other taxing authorities all contribute to your property tax bill. The property taxes you pay on a home are called “secured taxes.”
Secured taxes are due in two installments on November 1 and February 1, respectively. If these payments aren't made by December 10 or April 10, they become "delinquent." June 30 is the end of the fiscal year for Santa Clara County, so if you still have delinquent payments by July 1, your account will be transferred to the “delinquent tax roll.” In conjunction with this, you'll receive a 10% penalty and a $20 fee.
That’s why it’s important to stay on top of your property taxes and file appropriate change of address forms so the county knows where to find you. You can change your mailing address in the county system by phone, by email or on a Mailing Address Change form that’s downloadable on the Santa Clara County government website. Failure to receive a property tax bill doesn’t excuse late penalties, so “the bill went to my old address” won’t get you off the hook if you miss a property tax deadline.
A financial advisor can help you understand how homeownership fits into your overall financial goals. SmartAsset's free calculator matches you with up to three vetted financial advisors who serve your area, and you can interview your advisor matches at no cost to decide which one is right for you. If you’re ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.
Santa Clara County Property Tax Credits
Feeling daunted by your Santa Clara County property taxes? Well, you might qualify for a Santa Clara County Property Tax Postponement (PTP). PTPs are available for qualifying senior citizens, blind people and residents with disabilities. They’re only available for current-year taxes, so if you fall into delinquency on your property taxes you can’t then apply for a postponement to cover the payments you missed.
The applications are handled by the State Controller’s Office. PTPs allows homeowners who are seniors, blind or have a disability to delay paying their current-year property taxes, as long as they meet the program requirements.
Applicants must have at least 40% equity in their homes and an annual household income of $49,017 or less.
If you have questions about how property taxes can affect your overall financial plans, a financial advisor in San Jose can help you out.
How Your Santa Clara County Property Tax Bill Works
You can view and pay your Santa Clara County property tax bill online. To see your bill, you’ll need either the Assessor’s Parcel Number (APN) or the property address. Santa Clara County doesn’t charge a fee for paying online via electronic check (e-check). There is, however, a fee for paying by credit card.
Paper property tax bills are sent, too, but they can take a while to make it to your mailbox. You can also pay your property tax bill in person, but lines for in-person payments can be long, particularly as the tax deadline approaches.
Your Santa Clara property taxes are due in two installments per year. The first installment is due on Nov. 1. If you pay after 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2019 your payment will be considered delinquent. Delinquent payments are subject to a 10% penalty and a late fee of $20. The second installment is due and payable on Feb. 1, and also comes with a grace period, after which the 10% penalty and $20 late fee will kick in.
If you prefer to mail in your property tax payment, make sure your payment is postmarked by the “Pay by” date on your property tax bill. Since not all mail is postmarked and sometimes pieces of mail are postmarked on the day after you drop off them off, cutting it close can pose problems for taxpayers. If your payment arrives late and has no postmark or is postmarked after the deadline, it will trigger a late payment penalty and fee.
Remember to include the payment stub with your check. If you don’t, you increase the payment processing time by around 10 days, according to the Santa Clara County Office of the Tax Collector. You’ll also get a speedier processing time if you remember to include your mailing address and property tax bill Parcel Number on the check or money order you send. The county can’t accept partial payments, and will charge a fee for any returned checks.
Places Receiving the Most Value for Their Property Taxes
SmartAsset’s interactive map highlights the places across the country where property tax dollars are being spent most effectively. Zoom between states and the national map to see the counties getting the biggest bang for their property tax buck.
Methodology
Our study aims to find the places in the United States where people are getting the most value for their property tax dollars. To do this, we looked at property taxes paid, school rankings and the change in property values over a five-year period.
First, we used the number of households, median home value and average property tax rate to calculate a per capita property tax collected for each county.
As a way to measure the quality of schools, we analyzed the math and reading/language arts proficiencies for every school district in the country. We created an average score for each district by looking at the scores for every school in that district, weighting it to account for the number of students in each school. Within each state, we assigned every county a score between 1 and 10 (with 10 being the best) based on the average scores of the districts in each county.
Then, we calculated the change in property tax value in each county over a five-year period. Places where property values rose by the greatest amount indicated where consumers were motivated to buy homes, and a positive return on investment for homeowners in the community.
Finally, we calculated a property tax index, based on the criteria above. Counties with the highest scores were those where property tax dollars are going the furthest.
Sources: US Census Bureau 2018 American Community Survey, Department of Education
