Property tax in California: 0.7%
The median California homeowner pays $5,124 a year on a home worth $734,700, an effective rate of 0.7%. That ranks 35th of 51, between New Mexico (0.7%) and North Carolina (0.66%). At the median state's 0.8% the same $734,700 home would owe $735 more a year.
In dollars, California has the 3rd-highest median home value and the 7th-largest median bill of the 51. By home value it sits between District of Columbia ($737,100, taxed at 0.58%) and Washington ($564,600, 0.81%).
| Rank | State | Effective rate | Median bill | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33 | Mississippi | 0.72% | $1,215 | $169,800 |
| 34 | New Mexico | 0.7% | $1,731 | $248,100 |
| 35 | California | 0.7% | $5,124 | $734,700 |
| 36 | North Carolina | 0.66% | $1,896 | $288,900 |
| 37 | District of Columbia | 0.58% | $4,312 | $737,100 |
California property tax by home price
At county rates the median-value home would owe $4,482 a year in San Mateo County and $6,686 in Kern County, against $5,124 at the statewide figure.
| Home value | Per year | Per month | vs. median state (0.8%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| $365,000 (half the median) | $2,555 | $213 | −$365 |
| $734,700 (median) | $5,143 | $429 | −$735 |
| $1,100,000 (1.5× the median) | $7,700 | $642 | −$1,100 |
| $1,470,000 (twice the median) | $10,290 | $858 | −$1,470 |
Property tax by county in California
Across the 17 largest California counties, measured effective rates run from 0.61% in San Mateo County to 0.91% in Kern County; 10 of them sit above the statewide 0.7%.
| County | Main cities | Population | Effective rate | Median home value | Median tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles County | Los Angeles, Long Beach | 9,848,406 | 0.69% | $783,300 | $5,438 |
| San Diego County | San Diego | 3,282,782 | 0.7% | $791,600 | $5,542 |
| Orange County | Anaheim, Santa Ana, Irvine | 3,164,063 | 0.67% | $915,500 | $6,096 |
| Riverside County | Riverside | 2,449,909 | 0.82% | $510,300 | $4,189 |
| San Bernardino County | San Bernardino | 2,187,816 | 0.7% | $475,000 | $3,346 |
| Santa Clara County | San Jose | 1,903,297 | 0.71% | $1,382,800 | $9,766 |
| Alameda County | Oakland, Fremont | 1,651,949 | 0.76% | $1,057,400 | $8,061 |
| Sacramento County | Sacramento | 1,584,047 | 0.76% | $498,900 | $3,768 |
| Contra Costa County | Concord, Richmond | 1,161,458 | 0.83% | $830,800 | $6,903 |
| Fresno County | Fresno | 1,012,152 | 0.75% | $362,600 | $2,704 |
| Kern County | Bakersfield | 910,433 | 0.91% | $310,600 | $2,833 |
| Ventura County | Oxnard, Thousand Oaks | 838,259 | 0.69% | $768,400 | $5,326 |
| San Francisco County | San Francisco | 836,321 | 0.68% | $1,380,500 | $9,412 |
| San Joaquin County | Stockton | 787,416 | 0.76% | $494,500 | $3,782 |
| San Mateo County | San Mateo, Redwood City | 745,100 | 0.61% | $1,494,500 | $9,167 |
| Stanislaus County | Modesto | 552,250 | 0.71% | $426,600 | $3,025 |
| Sonoma County | Santa Rosa | 485,642 | 0.72% | $779,000 | $5,580 |