Property tax in Butte County, California
In Butte County, the property tax bill comes from the Butte County Treasurer-Tax Collector. The 2026-2027 bill is paid in 2 installments, and the next one is due November 1, 2026. You can look up and pay the bill on the county's own payment page. Taken from Butte County's own pages, checked September 23, 2026.
The median property tax bill in Butte County, California is $2,951 a year, which is about 0.69% of the county's median home value of $424,700. That effective rate is lower 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.
Who sends the property tax bill in Butte County, and how do you pay it?
The bill comes from the Butte County Treasurer-Tax Collector. The value it is based on is set by a separate office, the Butte County Assessor, which is who to ask if the value looks wrong. For how to look up and pay the bill, go to the county's own payment information.
The Assessor sets the value and the Treasurer-Tax Collector sends the bill and takes the payment; they are separate offices. Secured bills are mailed in the fall; if yours has not arrived by the end of October, call the Tax Collector at 530-552-3720. Paying online by eCheck is free; paying by card carries a service fee charged by the payment vendor, not the county. Mailed payments go to Butte County Treasurer-Tax Collector, 25 County Center Drive, Suite 125, Oroville, CA 95965. Bank bill-pay checks usually arrive without a postmark, so the county advises scheduling them at least 10 business days early.
When are property taxes due in Butte County?
For the 2026-2027 bill, Butte County splits the bill into 2 payments, the first due November 1, 2026 and the last February 1, 2027. A first installment not paid by December 10, 2026 gets a 10% penalty. A second installment not paid by April 12, 2027 gets a 10% penalty plus a $44 charge. Taxes still unpaid after June 30 go into default, with a $15 redemption fee and further penalties of 1.5% a month until paid. A payment to clear unpaid taxes by June 30 must reach the office by 5 p.m. that day; a postmark is not enough.
| Payment | Due | Note |
|---|---|---|
| First installment | November 1, 2026 | State law makes the first installment due November 1, but no penalty applies until after 5 p.m. on December 10, 2026 (a Thursday), the last day to pay without penalty. A mailed payment must be postmarked by that day. Both installments may be paid together by this deadline. |
| Second installment | February 1, 2027 | The second installment is due February 1, 2027. The last day to pay without penalty is normally April 10, but April 10, 2027 is a Saturday, and the county and state law move the deadline to 5 p.m. on the next business day, Monday, April 12, 2027. A mailed payment must be postmarked by that day. |
From Butte County's published schedule, checked September 23, 2026. If a date falls on a weekend or holiday, the county's own rules on the next business day apply.
Estimate the property tax on a home in Butte County
Enter a home's market value for a ballpark at Butte County's average effective rate of 0.69% (Census). The real bill depends on the home's assessed value, the millage where it sits and any exemptions.
Estimated property tax: $2,930 / year
Property tax in Butte County at a glance
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median annual property tax | $2,951 |
| Median home value | $424,700 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.69% |
| 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 Butte County compare in California?
Among California's 58 counties, Butte County has the 31st highest effective property-tax rate: 30 rank higher and 27 rank lower. That is near the middle for California. Nationally, it ranks 1908th of 3135 US counties by effective rate. See every California county ranked.
How much do homeowners in Butte County actually pay?
The median is only the middle bill. Across Butte County's 47,717 owner-occupied homes, 47% pay $3,000 or more a year in property tax, 65.4% pay at least $2,000, and 8.7% pay under $800. Another 4.2% report paying no property tax at all, which usually means an exemption covers the whole bill.
| Annual bill | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $800 | 4,132 | 8.7% |
| $800 to $1,499 | 6,071 | 12.7% |
| $1,500 to $1,999 | 4,295 | 9% |
| $2,000 to $2,999 | 8,773 | 18.4% |
| $3,000 or more | 22,420 | 47% |
| No property tax paid | 2,026 | 4.2% |
Owners with a mortgage pay a median of $3,376 and owners without one pay $2,285. 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 Butte County property tax bill compare with local incomes?
The median property tax bill of $2,951 is about 3.1% of the median income of Butte County homeowner households, $96,424 a year. That compares two middles, so a retiree in a long-held home can pay a far larger share. 57.3% of Butte 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 Butte County?
Yes. The median bill went from $1,941 in 2015-2019 to $2,951 in 2020-2024, a 52% rise. Over the same span the median home value moved 56.3%, from $271,700 to $424,700.
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 Butte County
Butte County borders 6 counties.
| County | Effective rate | Median bill | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sutter County, CA | 0.75% | $3,268 | $433,500 |
| Yuba County, CA | 0.74% | $3,071 | $412,300 |
| Plumas County, CA | 0.7% | $2,537 | $360,200 |
| Butte County, CA (this county) | 0.69% | $2,951 | $424,700 |
| Glenn County, CA | 0.64% | $2,263 | $352,400 |
| Colusa County, CA | 0.62% | $2,426 | $393,400 |
| Tehama County, CA | 0.62% | $2,118 | $339,600 |
How is a home assessed in Butte County?
California sets the assessment rules and Butte County applies them. How California assesses and reappraises homes.
Is there a homestead exemption in Butte 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 Butte County. California's exemptions and relief programs in full.
Butte County does not add relief programs of its own beyond the California ones (checked September 23, 2026).
How to appeal your Butte County property assessment
In Butte County you appeal to the Butte County Assessment Appeals Board (filed with the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors). The deadline: For the regular annual assessment, file between July 2 and November 30; for 2026 the window runs from Thursday, July 2 to Monday, November 30, 2026. An appeal of a supplemental assessment, escape assessment or roll change is due within 60 days of the date on that notice, and an appeal of a calamity reassessment within 6 months. Before appealing, you can ask the Assessor for a free informal appraisal review, which is separate from a formal appeal. Keep paying your taxes on time while an appeal is pending. How to file. Checked September 23, 2026 against the official appeal rules.
How California's appeal process works, including the next level if the first one turns you down.
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 Butte 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 Butte County
The other local tax: combined state and local rate for this county.
Sources
- Median real estate taxes paid and median home value for Butte 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.