Property tax in Alpine County, California
The median property tax bill in Alpine County, California is $4,530 a year, which is about 0.77% of the county's median home value of $590,200. That effective rate is higher than the typical California county (0.7%) and lower than the national median (0.81%). These are American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024); your own bill depends on your home's assessed value and any exemptions.
Estimate the property tax on a home in Alpine County
Enter a home's market value for a ballpark at Alpine County's average effective rate of 0.77% (Census). The real bill depends on the home's assessed value, the millage where it sits and any exemptions.
Estimated property tax: $4,545 / year
Property tax in Alpine County at a glance
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median annual property tax | $4,530 |
| Median home value | $590,200 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.77% |
| Typical California county rate | 0.7% |
| National median county rate | 0.81% |
Effective rate = median real estate taxes paid divided by median home value. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
How does Alpine County compare in California?
Among California's 58 counties, Alpine County has the 7th highest effective property-tax rate: 6 rank higher and 51 rank lower. That places it among the most heavily taxed counties in the state. Nationally, it ranks 1660th of 3135 US counties by effective rate. See every California county ranked.
How much do homeowners in Alpine County actually pay?
The median is only the middle bill. Across Alpine County's 340 owner-occupied homes, 61.5% pay $3,000 or more a year in property tax, 72.7% pay at least $2,000, and 2.9% pay under $800. Another 12.9% report paying no property tax at all, which usually means an exemption covers the whole bill.
| Annual bill | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $800 | 10 | 2.9% |
| $800 to $1,499 | 14 | 4.1% |
| $1,500 to $1,999 | 25 | 7.4% |
| $2,000 to $2,999 | 38 | 11.2% |
| $3,000 or more | 209 | 61.5% |
| No property tax paid | 44 | 12.9% |
Owners with a mortgage pay a median of $4,616 and owners without one pay $4,050. Owners who have paid off a home have usually held it longer, and in states that cap how fast an existing owner's assessment can rise, long-held homes carry lower assessed values. Census table B25103.
How does the Alpine County property tax bill compare with local incomes?
The median property tax bill of $4,530 is about 4.1% of the median income of Alpine County homeowner households, $109,545 a year. That compares two middles, so a retiree in a long-held home can pay a far larger share. 78.2% of Alpine County's occupied homes are lived in by their owners; renters pay property tax too, just folded into rent.
Have property taxes gone up in Alpine County?
Yes. The median bill went from $2,831 in 2015-2019 to $4,530 in 2020-2024, a 60% rise. Over the same span the median home value moved 61.6%, from $365,300 to $590,200.
Two Census ACS 5-year periods with no survey years in common, in each period's own dollars. A change counts only if it exceeds the combined 90% margin of error.
Property tax in counties next to Alpine County
Alpine County borders 6 counties, 1 of them across the state line.
| County | Effective rate | Median bill | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine County, CA (this county) | 0.77% | $4,530 | $590,200 |
| Calaveras County, CA | 0.73% | $3,319 | $457,200 |
| Amador County, CA | 0.71% | $3,172 | $449,800 |
| El Dorado County, CA | 0.7% | $4,753 | $679,900 |
| Tuolumne County, CA | 0.66% | $2,864 | $433,200 |
| Mono County, CA | 0.65% | $4,177 | $639,400 |
| Douglas County, NV | 0.45% | $2,750 | $615,400 |
How is a home assessed in Alpine County?
California sets the assessment rules and Alpine County applies them. How California assesses and reappraises homes.
Is there a homestead exemption in Alpine County?
Yes. California's Homeowners' Exemption takes $7,000 off the assessed value of an owner-occupied home. File form BOE-266 with the county assessor by February 15 for the full exemption. That is the California rule, and it applies in Alpine County. California's exemptions and relief programs in full.
When are property taxes due in Alpine County?
Secured property tax is billed in two installments: the first is due November 1 (delinquent after December 10) and the second is due February 1 (delinquent after April 10), with a 10% penalty after each. Billed and collected by the county tax collector.
California splits the bill into 2 installments. That is the California rule. Alpine County issues and collects the bill, so the dates printed on your statement are the ones that bind you.
How to appeal your Alpine County property assessment
You contest the assessed value with the County Assessment Appeals Board. The filing deadline is typically July 2 to September 15 (or November 30 in some counties). That is the California rule; Alpine County sets the exact dates and forms. The California appeal process step by step.
California rules from primary state sources, reviewed September 7, 2026; sources on the California page.
Work out your own numbers
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How much house can I afford?
Your income, debts and down payment against the 28/36 rule lenders actually use, with Alpine County's tax rate to hand.
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Mortgage calculator
Monthly payment with principal, interest, tax and insurance, plus what an extra payment saves you.
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California income tax
Brackets, standard deduction and what California actually taxes.
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Sales tax in Alpine County
The other local tax: combined state and local rate for this county.
Sources
- Median real estate taxes paid and median home value for Alpine County, California: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020-2024), tables B25103, B25077, B25102, B25119 and B25003; the five-year comparison uses the 2015-2019 estimates. Neighboring counties: Census county adjacency file.