All 58 counties · 2026-27 rates
What your California home will cost you each year
Three answers in one place: what a buyer pays today, what you pay if you have owned the place a while, and what Proposition 13 is quietly saving you.
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Exemptions you have, or could have
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Estimated annual tax on this purchase
$13,305
That is $1,109 a month, or 1.23% of what the house is worth. It is billed in two installments — due 1 November and 1 February, and late after 10 December and 10 April.
How we got there
| Value you entered | $1,080,000 |
| Assessed value (= purchase price) | $1,080,000 |
| Homeowner's exemption | −$7,000 |
| County levy rate | 1.24% |
| Annual tax | $13,305 |
Mello-Roos, parcel taxes and direct assessments are not in this figure.
Where the numbers come from
County tax rate books for 2026-27, median sale prices from Redfin, and exemption amounts published by the Board of Equalization. Every figure on this page carries the date it was checked.
Why your neighbour pays less
Their assessed value is what they paid, grown at most 2% a year since. Yours resets to the purchase price the day you buy. Two identical houses, two very different bills.
What this does not cover
Mello-Roos districts, parcel taxes and supplemental bills in your first year of ownership. Your county page lists the districts and what they charge.
Rates by county
Full county guide →| County | Region | Levy rate | Tax on $800,000 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orange County | Southern CA | 1.12% | $8,882 | County page |
| Los Angeles County | Southern CA | 1.24% | $9,833 | County page |
| San Diego County | Southern CA | 1.13% | $8,961 | County page |
| Riverside County | Inland Empire | 1.21% | $9,595 | County page |
| San Bernardino County | Inland Empire | 1.09% | $8,644 | County page |
| Santa Clara County | Bay Area | 1.11% | $8,802 | County page |
| Alameda County | Bay Area | 1.24% | $9,857 | County page |
| Sacramento County | Central Valley | 1.20% | $9,516 | County page |
| Contra Costa County | Bay Area | 1.24% | $9,833 | County page |
| Fresno County | Central Valley | 1.23% | $9,754 | County page |
| San Francisco County | Bay Area | 1.18% | $9,381 | County page |
Levy rates include voter-approved bonds. The example applies the $7,000 homeowner's exemption to a $800,000 assessment.
Questions people actually ask
Why is my neighbour's bill lower than mine?
Proposition 13. Their assessed value is what they paid for the house, grown by at most 2% a year since. Yours resets to the purchase price the day you buy. Two identical houses on the same street can carry very different bills.
Does this include Mello-Roos?
No. Community Facilities District charges are set per district, not per county, and can add roughly $1,200 to $8,500 a year. Parcel taxes and direct assessments are also outside this figure. Your county page lists the districts.
When are payments due?
Secured property tax is billed in two installments. The first is due 1 November and becomes delinquent after 10 December; the second is due 1 February and becomes delinquent after 10 April. Most people pay on the December and April dates.
How do I get the homeowner's exemption?
File once with your county assessor for the home you occupy as your principal residence. File by 15 February for the full $7,000 reduction. It is not automatic, and a surprising number of eligible owners have never claimed it.
Can I appeal?
Yes, if you can show the market value is below the assessed value. Filing opens 2 July everywhere. In most counties the deadline is 30 November; in eleven counties — Alameda, Alpine, Inyo, Kings, Mono, Placer, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, Santa Clara, Sierra, Ventura — it is 15 September. The Board of Equalization sets that list each year, so confirm your own county before you rely on it.