Homeowners’ exemption
Eligible owner-occupants can receive a $7,000 reduction in assessed value. The dollar savings are modest relative to California prices; file with the county assessor if it is not already on the roll.
California Property Tax
California property tax estimates (2026)
California property taxes follow Prop 13–style assessment rules that can differ sharply from market value for long-time owners. Use 2026 estimates for ZIP/county planning, then verify with your county assessor — especially after a recent purchase or reassessment event.
Start with the national ZIP-first property tax calculator for a quick estimate, then refine with county data below. National Mortgage Center is not affiliated with any government agency.
Estimated effective state rate
0.70%
Sample tax on a $400,000 home
$2,800
Vs U.S. benchmark (0.90%)
−$800
Counties in this dataset
57
In the current NMC dataset, California has an estimated effective property-tax rate of 0.70%, resulting in approximately $2,800 in annual property taxes on a $400,000 home.
Official bills come from your county assessor / tax collector. California Board of Equalization and county assessor sites publish rules and contacts.
National Mortgage Center is not a government agency and is not affiliated with any county assessor, tax collector, or state revenue department.
Top live county pages on this site
Estimates are for educational planning only. They are not your official property tax bill, escrow quote, or appraisal. Confirm with your county assessor or tax collector. National Mortgage Center is powered by Stride Bank, N.A., NMLS #466690. Educational content is not a commitment to lend.
How property taxes work in California
California property tax is defined by Proposition 13. For most single-family purchases, the baseline levy is about 1% of assessed value plus voter-approved local amounts (bond debt, parcel taxes). That is why California’s statewide effective rate sits well below Texas or New Jersey even in expensive metros.
Purchase generally triggers reassessment to the sale price (the factored base year value). After that, assessed value may rise by no more than 2% per year or inflation, whichever is lower, until another change in ownership or new construction.
Long-time owners can therefore pay tax on an assessed value far below market. A buyer of the same house starts over at the purchase price, which is the number to use in a purchase PITI estimate — not the seller’s current tax bill.
County assessors administer Prop 13. Supplemental bills after a sale are common: the difference between the old assessed value and the new base year value is billed for the remainder of the fiscal year. Our calculator shows a ~1% Prop 13 purchase baseline plus the county’s ACS effective rate so you can see both the statutory floor and what owners actually pay on average.
Exemptions and relief programs
Parent-child and other transfers
Some intra-family transfers can carry over a lower base year value under later ballot measures, subject to value caps and filing rules. This is fact-specific — confirm with the county assessor.
Veterans and disabled veterans
California offers disabled-veteran exemptions that can substantially reduce assessed value for qualifying veterans and certain surviving spouses.
County and metro context
Coastal metros
Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, and San Francisco counties often show ACS effective rates near or below 0.8% because Prop 13 keeps many assessments below market. New-purchase estimates should still start near 1% of price plus local add-ons.
Supplemental bills
Closing-cost worksheets that copy the seller’s tax amount will understate the first-year bill. Ask the title/escrow file for an estimate of supplemental tax after reassessment.
Official California resource: California Board of Equalization. Estimates on this page are for mortgage and relocation planning.
California county property tax comparison
Median owner-occupied home value and median real-estate tax paid (ACS), with the county effective rate used in our calculator. Showing the 30 largest counties by owner-occupied households; every county is listed below.
| County | Median home value | Median annual tax | Effective rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles County | $834,200 | $5,675 | 0.68% |
| San Diego County | $854,700 | $5,774 | 0.68% |
| Orange County | $962,600 | $6,330 | 0.66% |
| Riverside County | $557,300 | $4,348 | 0.78% |
| San Bernardino County | $505,000 | $3,538 | 0.70% |
| Santa Clara County | $1,490,600 | $10,001 | 0.67% |
| Sacramento County | $534,200 | $3,921 | 0.73% |
| Alameda County | $1,090,100 | $8,474 | 0.78% |
| Contra Costa County | $866,800 | $7,156 | 0.83% |
| Ventura County | $822,700 | $5,574 | 0.68% |
| Fresno County | $388,800 | $2,861 | 0.74% |
| Kern County | $338,300 | $2,984 | 0.88% |
| San Mateo County | $1,559,600 | $9,519 | 0.61% |
| San Joaquin County | $530,700 | $3,960 | 0.75% |
| San Francisco County | $1,394,500 | $9,862 | 0.71% |
| Sonoma County | $815,500 | $5,695 | 0.70% |
| Placer County | $688,100 | $5,812 | 0.84% |
| Stanislaus County | $450,100 | $3,216 | 0.71% |
| Solano County | $617,700 | $4,621 | 0.75% |
| Tulare County | $330,100 | $2,318 | 0.70% |
| Santa Barbara County | $790,700 | $5,103 | 0.65% |
| Monterey County | $781,000 | $4,910 | 0.63% |
| San Luis Obispo County | $824,700 | $5,636 | 0.68% |
| Marin County | $1,507,300 | $10,001 | 0.66% |
| El Dorado County | $679,900 | $4,753 | 0.70% |
| Santa Cruz County | $1,027,500 | $6,538 | 0.64% |
| Butte County | $424,700 | $2,951 | 0.69% |
| Shasta County | $366,400 | $2,542 | 0.69% |
| Merced County | $391,800 | $2,634 | 0.67% |
| Yolo County | $620,700 | $4,749 | 0.77% |
California county directory
Highest property tax rates in California
Among counties currently in the NMC dataset for this state.
- 1. Kern County0.88%
- 2. Placer County0.84%
- 3. Contra Costa County0.83%
- 4. San Benito County0.81%
- 5. Alameda County0.78%
Lowest property tax rates in California
Among counties currently in the NMC dataset for this state.
- 1. Trinity County0.58%
- 2. Del Norte County0.61%
- 3. Mariposa County0.61%
- 4. San Mateo County0.61%
- 5. Colusa County0.62%
Alameda County
Estimated effective rate: 0.78%
Amador County
Estimated effective rate: 0.71%
Butte County
Estimated effective rate: 0.69%
Calaveras County
Estimated effective rate: 0.73%
Colusa County
Estimated effective rate: 0.62%
Contra Costa County
Estimated effective rate: 0.83%
Del Norte County
Estimated effective rate: 0.61%
El Dorado County
Estimated effective rate: 0.70%
Fresno County
Estimated effective rate: 0.74%
Glenn County
Estimated effective rate: 0.64%
Humboldt County
Estimated effective rate: 0.64%
Imperial County
Estimated effective rate: 0.77%
Inyo County
Estimated effective rate: 0.74%
Kern County
Estimated effective rate: 0.88%
Kings County
Estimated effective rate: 0.75%
Lake County
Estimated effective rate: 0.73%
Lassen County
Estimated effective rate: 0.72%
Los Angeles County
Estimated effective rate: 0.68%
Madera County
Estimated effective rate: 0.70%
Marin County
Estimated effective rate: 0.66%
Mariposa County
Estimated effective rate: 0.61%
Mendocino County
Estimated effective rate: 0.69%
Merced County
Estimated effective rate: 0.67%
Modoc County
Estimated effective rate: 0.69%
Mono County
Estimated effective rate: 0.65%
Monterey County
Estimated effective rate: 0.63%
Napa County
Estimated effective rate: 0.69%
Nevada County
Estimated effective rate: 0.75%
Orange County
Estimated effective rate: 0.66%
Placer County
Estimated effective rate: 0.84%
Plumas County
Estimated effective rate: 0.70%
Riverside County
Estimated effective rate: 0.78%
Sacramento County
Estimated effective rate: 0.73%
San Benito County
Estimated effective rate: 0.81%
San Bernardino County
Estimated effective rate: 0.70%
San Diego County
Estimated effective rate: 0.68%
San Francisco County
Estimated effective rate: 0.71%
San Joaquin County
Estimated effective rate: 0.75%
San Luis Obispo County
Estimated effective rate: 0.68%
San Mateo County
Estimated effective rate: 0.61%
Santa Barbara County
Estimated effective rate: 0.65%
Santa Clara County
Estimated effective rate: 0.67%
Santa Cruz County
Estimated effective rate: 0.64%
Shasta County
Estimated effective rate: 0.69%
Sierra County
Estimated effective rate: 0.69%
Siskiyou County
Estimated effective rate: 0.64%
Solano County
Estimated effective rate: 0.75%
Sonoma County
Estimated effective rate: 0.70%
Stanislaus County
Estimated effective rate: 0.71%
Sutter County
Estimated effective rate: 0.75%
Tehama County
Estimated effective rate: 0.62%
Trinity County
Estimated effective rate: 0.58%
Tulare County
Estimated effective rate: 0.70%
Tuolumne County
Estimated effective rate: 0.66%
Ventura County
Estimated effective rate: 0.68%
Yolo County
Estimated effective rate: 0.77%
Yuba County
Estimated effective rate: 0.74%
California property tax FAQs
What is the California Prop 13 property tax rate?
The base levy is generally 1% of assessed value plus local voter-approved amounts. After a purchase, assessed value starts near the sale price and is then capped at a small annual increase until the next change in ownership.
Why is the seller’s tax bill much lower than my estimate?
The seller may have a decades-old base year value. Prop 13 does not transfer that low assessment to a typical arm’s-length buyer. Use purchase price, not the current bill, for a new-loan PITI estimate.
Related planning resources for California
California property tax calculatorMonthly payment calculator (PITI)California FHA loan limitsCompare loan optionsGet a personalized mortgage estimateNational property tax calculator
FHA limit context in California
Some counties follow standard FHA limits while higher-cost counties may qualify for elevated FHA limits.
FHA 1-unit floor $541,287 · ceiling $1,249,125. Property tax estimates on this page are separate from loan limits.
View California FHA loan limitsNeed the national view?
Return to the national Property Tax Calculator to compare across states and scenarios.
Methodology
Statewide effective rates use 2024 ACS owner-occupied data. County rates are median real-estate taxes paid divided by median owner-occupied home value (ACS 2020–2024 5-year). Last reviewed August 13, 2026. Estimates only — confirm with the local taxing authority.
On a $400,000 home, the U.S. benchmark used for comparison is 0.90% ($3,600 / year).