California property tax by county

Updated

Across California's 58 counties, the typical (median) effective property-tax rate is 0.7% of a home's value. Rates vary widely by county, from 0.54% in Trinity County to 0.91% in Kern County. The full ranking is below; each county links to its own page. Figures are from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Property tax rate by county in California

California counties by effective property-tax rate (Census ACS, reviewed August 29, 2026)
County Effective rate Median tax Median home value
Kern County 0.91% $2,833 $310,600
Placer County 0.85% $5,600 $658,800
Imperial County 0.84% $2,348 $279,500
Contra Costa County 0.83% $6,903 $830,800
Riverside County 0.82% $4,189 $510,300
San Benito County 0.81% $6,078 $751,500
Sierra County 0.78% $2,590 $334,100
Sutter County 0.78% $3,111 $399,400
Mono County 0.77% $3,936 $514,300
Yolo County 0.77% $4,567 $593,800
Alameda County 0.76% $8,061 $1,057,400
Sacramento County 0.76% $3,768 $498,900
San Joaquin County 0.76% $3,782 $494,500
Fresno County 0.75% $2,704 $362,600
Kings County 0.75% $2,295 $305,700
Solano County 0.75% $4,408 $589,600
Yuba County 0.75% $2,865 $380,000
Nevada County 0.74% $4,468 $602,800
Tulare County 0.73% $2,213 $303,000
Lake County 0.72% $2,295 $316,800
Lassen County 0.72% $1,868 $259,500
Marin County 0.72% $10,001 $1,390,000
Plumas County 0.72% $2,360 $327,400
Sonoma County 0.72% $5,580 $779,000
Calaveras County 0.71% $3,154 $441,800
Inyo County 0.71% $2,392 $338,400
Santa Clara County 0.71% $9,766 $1,382,800
Stanislaus County 0.71% $3,025 $426,600
Amador County 0.7% $2,939 $422,800
El Dorado County 0.7% $4,510 $640,500
Madera County 0.7% $2,575 $367,700
Napa County 0.7% $5,840 $838,800
San Bernardino County 0.7% $3,346 $475,000
San Diego County 0.7% $5,542 $791,600
San Luis Obispo County 0.7% $5,475 $777,200
Shasta County 0.7% $2,442 $347,200
Butte County 0.69% $2,819 $408,700
Los Angeles County 0.69% $5,438 $783,300
Mendocino County 0.69% $3,376 $486,000
Ventura County 0.69% $5,326 $768,400
Alpine County 0.68% $3,190 $466,100
Mariposa County 0.68% $2,437 $358,000
Merced County 0.68% $2,487 $368,400
Modoc County 0.68% $1,445 $212,000
San Francisco County 0.68% $9,412 $1,380,500
Orange County 0.67% $6,096 $915,500
Tuolumne County 0.67% $2,737 $406,200
Colusa County 0.66% $2,481 $375,100
Monterey County 0.66% $4,782 $723,100
Santa Barbara County 0.66% $4,870 $735,700
Siskiyou County 0.66% $1,880 $284,500
Glenn County 0.65% $2,190 $338,400
Humboldt County 0.65% $2,731 $418,800
Tehama County 0.63% $1,996 $315,600
Santa Cruz County 0.62% $6,305 $1,015,200
San Mateo County 0.61% $9,167 $1,494,500
Del Norte County 0.59% $1,872 $319,600
Trinity County 0.54% $1,772 $329,000

Effective rate = median real estate taxes paid divided by median home value. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2023), tables B25103 and B25077.

Why county rates vary so much

Property tax is set locally, not by the state, so the rate depends on the county, city, school district, and special districts where a home sits, and on how those local budgets compare to local home values. A county with low home values can still have a high effective rate if its local budgets are large, and a wealthy county can have a low effective rate. The effective rate shown here is the median tax bill divided by the median home value, which is the standard way to compare places; your own bill depends on your assessment and any exemptions.

For California's income and retirement taxes, see California income tax and California retirement taxes.

Sources