Property tax in Fresno County, California
In Fresno County, the property tax bill comes from the Fresno County Auditor-Controller/Treasurer-Tax Collector. The 2026-27 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 Fresno County's own pages, checked September 23, 2026.
The median property tax bill in Fresno County, California is $2,861 a year, which is about 0.74% of the county's median home value of $388,800. 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.
Who sends the property tax bill in Fresno County, and how do you pay it?
The bill comes from the Fresno County Auditor-Controller/Treasurer-Tax Collector. The value it is based on is set by a separate office, the Fresno County Assessor-Recorder, 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-Recorder sets the value and the Auditor-Controller/Treasurer-Tax Collector sends the bill and takes the payment; they are separate offices. Annual bills are mailed on or before November 1. Paying online or by phone costs 2.30% by credit card, $3.29 by debit card and $0.50 by eCheck. Mailed payments go to FC TTC, P.O. Box 1192, Fresno, CA 93715-1192.
When are property taxes due in Fresno County?
For the 2026-27 bill, Fresno 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 $10 cost. Taxes still unpaid after June 30 go into tax default, which adds a $15 redemption fee and penalties of 1.5% a month. An owner in default can set up a five-year plan by paying at least 20% of the amount owed plus a $135 setup fee, then at least 20% each year by April 10 while also paying each year's current taxes by April 10.
| Payment | Due | Note |
|---|---|---|
| First installment | November 1, 2026 | The county lists November 1 as the due date, 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 is on time only if it is received or carries a U.S. Postal Service postmark dated on or before that day; the Postal Service now dates mail when it is first machine processed, which can be later than the day you drop it off, so the county suggests asking for a hand stamp at the counter. State law sets these dates for every California county. |
| Second installment | February 1, 2027 | The county lists February 1 as the due date. The last day to pay without penalty is normally April 10, but April 10, 2027 is a Saturday, and both state law and the county move the deadline to 5 p.m. on the next business day, Monday, April 12, 2027. The same postmark rules apply. |
From Fresno 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 Fresno County
Enter a home's market value for a ballpark at Fresno County's average effective rate of 0.74% (Census). The real bill depends on the home's assessed value, the millage where it sits and any exemptions.
Estimated property tax: $2,877 / year
Property tax in Fresno County at a glance
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median annual property tax | $2,861 |
| Median home value | $388,800 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.74% |
| 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 Fresno County compare in California?
Among California's 58 counties, Fresno County has the 15th highest effective property-tax rate: 14 rank higher and 43 rank lower. That is on the higher side for California. Nationally, it ranks 1746th of 3135 US counties by effective rate. See every California county ranked.
How much do homeowners in Fresno County actually pay?
The median is only the middle bill. Across Fresno County's 180,371 owner-occupied homes, 45.3% pay $3,000 or more a year in property tax, 63.4% pay at least $2,000, and 7.5% pay under $800. Another 4.3% report paying no property tax at all, which usually means an exemption covers the whole bill.
| Annual bill | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $800 | 13,452 | 7.5% |
| $800 to $1,499 | 24,519 | 13.6% |
| $1,500 to $1,999 | 20,222 | 11.2% |
| $2,000 to $2,999 | 32,646 | 18.1% |
| $3,000 or more | 81,789 | 45.3% |
| No property tax paid | 7,743 | 4.3% |
Owners with a mortgage pay a median of $3,138 and owners without one pay $2,312. 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 Fresno County property tax bill compare with local incomes?
The median property tax bill of $2,861 is about 2.8% of the median income of Fresno County homeowner households, $101,304 a year. That compares two middles, so a retiree in a long-held home can pay a far larger share. 55.5% of Fresno 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 Fresno County?
Yes. The median bill went from $2,097 in 2015-2019 to $2,861 in 2020-2024, a 36.4% rise. Over the same span the median home value moved 52.5%, from $255,000 to $388,800. Bills rose more slowly than values, which is what assessment caps and falling millage rates do: the county is taxing a smaller share of each home's worth.
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 Fresno County
Fresno County borders 8 counties.
| County | Effective rate | Median bill | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Benito County, CA | 0.81% | $6,441 | $793,400 |
| Kings County, CA | 0.75% | $2,425 | $324,300 |
| Inyo County, CA | 0.74% | $2,576 | $348,700 |
| Fresno County, CA (this county) | 0.74% | $2,861 | $388,800 |
| Madera County, CA | 0.7% | $2,756 | $393,200 |
| Tulare County, CA | 0.7% | $2,318 | $330,100 |
| Merced County, CA | 0.67% | $2,634 | $391,800 |
| Mono County, CA | 0.65% | $4,177 | $639,400 |
| Monterey County, CA | 0.63% | $4,910 | $781,000 |
How is a home assessed in Fresno County?
California sets the assessment rules and Fresno County applies them. How California assesses and reappraises homes.
Is there a homestead exemption in Fresno 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 Fresno County. California's exemptions and relief programs in full.
Fresno County does not add relief programs of its own beyond the California ones (checked September 23, 2026).
How to appeal your Fresno County property assessment
In Fresno County you appeal to the Fresno 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 to Monday, November 30, 2026. An appeal of a supplemental or escape assessment is due within 60 days of the date printed on the notice or the postmark on its envelope, whichever is later, and a calamity reassessment within 6 months of the notice. Applications must be filed in person by 5 p.m. or mailed with a postmark dated no later than the deadline; email and fax are not accepted. Each application carries an $86 nonrefundable fee. The county suggests contacting the Assessor with questions about your value before you file. 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 Fresno 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 Fresno County
The other local tax: combined state and local rate for this county.
Sources
- Median real estate taxes paid and median home value for Fresno 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.