Property tax in Monterey County, California
In Monterey County, the property tax bill comes from the County of Monterey 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 Monterey County's own pages, checked September 23, 2026.
The median property tax bill in Monterey County, California is $4,910 a year, which is about 0.63% of the county's median home value of $781,000. 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 Monterey County, and how do you pay it?
The bill comes from the County of Monterey Treasurer-Tax Collector. The value it is based on is set by a separate office, the Monterey 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. Online payments are handled by the county's payment vendor, which charges a service fee.
When are property taxes due in Monterey County?
For the 2026-2027 bill, Monterey 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 cost of up to $55 set by state law. Taxes still unpaid after June 30 go into default, and defaulted taxes carry penalties of 1.5% a month until paid, plus a redemption fee.
| Payment | Due | Note |
|---|---|---|
| First installment | November 1, 2026 | The first installment is 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. State law sets these dates for every California county. |
| 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 state law moves the deadline to 5 p.m. or the close of business on the next business day, Monday, April 12, 2027. |
From Monterey County's published schedule, checked September 23, 2026. The county had not posted a calendar labeled for this cycle when we checked, so these dates come from state law and the county's standing schedule; the date on your bill is the one that binds you.
Estimate the property tax on a home in Monterey County
Enter a home's market value for a ballpark at Monterey County's average effective rate of 0.63% (Census). The real bill depends on the home's assessed value, the millage where it sits and any exemptions.
Estimated property tax: $4,920 / year
Property tax in Monterey County at a glance
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median annual property tax | $4,910 |
| Median home value | $781,000 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.63% |
| 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 Monterey County compare in California?
Among California's 58 counties, Monterey County has the 52nd highest effective property-tax rate: 51 rank higher and 6 rank lower. That places it among the least taxed counties in the state. Nationally, it ranks 2134th of 3135 US counties by effective rate. See every California county ranked.
How much do homeowners in Monterey County actually pay?
The median is only the middle bill. Across Monterey County's 68,993 owner-occupied homes, 68.5% pay $3,000 or more a year in property tax, 79.7% pay at least $2,000, and 5.1% pay under $800. Another 4.4% report paying no property tax at all, which usually means an exemption covers the whole bill.
| Annual bill | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $800 | 3,534 | 5.1% |
| $800 to $1,499 | 4,543 | 6.6% |
| $1,500 to $1,999 | 2,860 | 4.1% |
| $2,000 to $2,999 | 7,755 | 11.2% |
| $3,000 or more | 47,231 | 68.5% |
| No property tax paid | 3,070 | 4.4% |
Owners with a mortgage pay a median of $5,574 and owners without one pay $3,732. 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 Monterey County property tax bill compare with local incomes?
The median property tax bill of $4,910 is about 3.9% of the median income of Monterey County homeowner households, $125,231 a year. That compares two middles, so a retiree in a long-held home can pay a far larger share. 52.1% of Monterey 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 Monterey County?
Yes. The median bill went from $3,611 in 2015-2019 to $4,910 in 2020-2024, a 36% rise. Over the same span the median home value moved 51.2%, from $516,600 to $781,000. 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 Monterey County
Monterey County borders 5 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 |
| Fresno County, CA | 0.74% | $2,861 | $388,800 |
| San Luis Obispo County, CA | 0.68% | $5,636 | $824,700 |
| Santa Cruz County, CA | 0.64% | $6,538 | $1,027,500 |
| Monterey County, CA (this county) | 0.63% | $4,910 | $781,000 |
How is a home assessed in Monterey County?
California sets the assessment rules and Monterey County applies them. How California assesses and reappraises homes.
Is there a homestead exemption in Monterey 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 Monterey County. California's exemptions and relief programs in full.
How to appeal your Monterey County property assessment
In Monterey County you appeal to the Monterey 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. How to file. Checked September 23, 2026 against state law, because Monterey County does not restate them on its own pages.
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 Monterey 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 Monterey County
The other local tax: combined state and local rate for this county.
Sources
- Median real estate taxes paid and median home value for Monterey 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.