Proposition 13 · 1978
What Prop 13 is worth to you
Four fields. The answer is the gap between your bill and the bill a buyer would get for the same house today.
Key figures
- Annual assessment cap
- 2.00%
- or CPI if lower, from your purchase price · Cal. Const. art. XIII A §2(b)
Reviewed September 1, 2026 · figures come from the same data the calculator uses; sources are cited where each figure is discussed below.
You pay
$8,160
| Assessed value (2015 base, factored) | $735,533 |
| Less homeowner's exemption | −$7,000 |
| Effective rate on market value | 0.68% |
A buyer today pays
$13,362
| Assessed value (purchase price) | $1,200,000 |
| Less homeowner's exemption | −$7,000 |
| Effective rate on market value | 1.11% |
Your saving this year
$5,202
Since 2015
$27,468
Your assessed value uses the official inflation factor the Board of Equalization published for each year — the 2% cap, or the California CPI where it came in lower. The total since purchase also assumes your home gained value at a steady rate and that the county levy rate held constant, so treat it as an estimate. Mello-Roos and parcel taxes are excluded.
What keeps the saving
| File the homeowner's exemption | By Feb 15 |
| Keep it as your principal residence | Ongoing |
| Prop 19 transfer to a child who occupies it | Within 1 yr |
| Prop 19 base transfer if you are 55+ | 3 moves |
What ends it
| Selling — reassessed at the new price | Full reset |
| New construction | Partial |
| Converting to a rental | Exemption lost |
| Inheritance without occupancy | Prop 19 cap |