Property tax in Mendocino County, California
In Mendocino County, the property tax bill comes from the Mendocino County Treasurer-Tax Collector. The FY 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 Mendocino County's own pages, checked September 23, 2026.
The median property tax bill in Mendocino County, California is $3,545 a year, which is about 0.69% of the county's median home value of $512,200. 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 Mendocino County, and how do you pay it?
The bill comes from the Mendocino County Treasurer-Tax Collector. The value it is based on is set by a separate office, the Mendocino County Assessor-County Clerk-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 sets the value and the Treasurer-Tax Collector sends the bill and takes the payment; they are separate offices. Secured bills are mailed by the last working day of October; if yours has not arrived by November 10, call the Tax Collector at (707) 234-6875. The Tax Collector's counter and phones are open 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays. Paying online by electronic check is free; credit cards carry a 2.35% processor fee and Visa debit cards a $3.50 fee.
When are property taxes due in Mendocino County?
For the FY 2026-27 bill, Mendocino 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 $20 cost. Taxes still unpaid on July 1 accrue interest of 1.5% a month on the original tax until paid, plus a $15 state fee; after five years of nonpayment the property can be sold at the county's tax auction.
| Payment | Due | Note |
|---|---|---|
| First installment | November 1, 2026 | The county lists November 1 as the due date, but no penalty applies until after December 10, 2026 (a Thursday), which is the last day to pay without penalty; state law sets the cutoff at 5 p.m. or the close of business, whichever is later. The county warns that since December 24, 2025 the Postal Service may postmark mail a day or two after it is dropped off, so ask for a manual postmark at the post office counter if you mail close to the deadline. 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 state law moves the deadline to the next business day, Monday, April 12, 2027. The county's own pages do not restate this weekend rule. |
From Mendocino 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 Mendocino County
Enter a home's market value for a ballpark at Mendocino 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: $3,534 / year
Property tax in Mendocino County at a glance
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median annual property tax | $3,545 |
| Median home value | $512,200 |
| 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 Mendocino County compare in California?
Among California's 58 counties, Mendocino County has the 32nd highest effective property-tax rate: 31 rank higher and 26 rank lower. That is near the middle for California. Nationally, it ranks 1909th of 3135 US counties by effective rate. See every California county ranked.
How much do homeowners in Mendocino County actually pay?
The median is only the middle bill. Across Mendocino County's 21,500 owner-occupied homes, 53.5% pay $3,000 or more a year in property tax, 73.3% pay at least $2,000, and 7.1% pay under $800. Another 7.2% report paying no property tax at all, which usually means an exemption covers the whole bill.
| Annual bill | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $800 | 1,518 | 7.1% |
| $800 to $1,499 | 1,657 | 7.7% |
| $1,500 to $1,999 | 1,034 | 4.8% |
| $2,000 to $2,999 | 4,248 | 19.8% |
| $3,000 or more | 11,495 | 53.5% |
| No property tax paid | 1,548 | 7.2% |
Owners with a mortgage pay a median of $4,118 and owners without one pay $2,825. 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 Mendocino County property tax bill compare with local incomes?
The median property tax bill of $3,545 is about 4.1% of the median income of Mendocino County homeowner households, $85,958 a year. That compares two middles, so a retiree in a long-held home can pay a far larger share. 61.7% of Mendocino 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 Mendocino County?
Yes. The median bill went from $2,598 in 2015-2019 to $3,545 in 2020-2024, a 36.5% rise. Over the same span the median home value moved 35.7%, from $377,500 to $512,200.
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 Mendocino County
Mendocino County borders 6 counties.
| County | Effective rate | Median bill | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake County, CA | 0.73% | $2,369 | $324,300 |
| Sonoma County, CA | 0.7% | $5,695 | $815,500 |
| Mendocino County, CA (this county) | 0.69% | $3,545 | $512,200 |
| Glenn County, CA | 0.64% | $2,263 | $352,400 |
| Humboldt County, CA | 0.64% | $2,858 | $446,900 |
| Tehama County, CA | 0.62% | $2,118 | $339,600 |
| Trinity County, CA | 0.58% | $1,888 | $325,800 |
How is a home assessed in Mendocino County?
California sets the assessment rules and Mendocino County applies them. How California assesses and reappraises homes.
Is there a homestead exemption in Mendocino 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 Mendocino County. California's exemptions and relief programs in full.
Mendocino County does not add relief programs of its own beyond the California ones (checked September 23, 2026).
How to appeal your Mendocino County property assessment
In Mendocino County you appeal to the Mendocino 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 is Thursday, July 2, 2026 to Monday, November 30, 2026. An appeal of a supplemental assessment is due within 60 days of the mailing date on the notice. Applications need an original signature and the filing fee shown on the form, and must be delivered in person or by mail to the Clerk of the Board at 501 Low Gap Road, Room 1010, Ukiah; scanned or emailed applications are not accepted. 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 Mendocino 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 Mendocino County
The other local tax: combined state and local rate for this county.
Sources
- Median real estate taxes paid and median home value for Mendocino 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.