Property tax in Orange County, California
In Orange County, the property tax bill comes from the Orange 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 Orange County's own pages, checked September 23, 2026.
The median property tax bill in Orange County, California is $6,330 a year, which is about 0.66% of the county's median home value of $962,600. 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 Orange County, and how do you pay it?
The bill comes from the Orange County Treasurer-Tax Collector. The value it is based on is set by a separate office, the Orange County Assessor Department, 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. Bills are mailed each fall, by November 1, and can be viewed and paid online. Paying online by eCheck is free; credit and debit card payments carry a 2.25% processor fee with a $1.50 minimum. Mailed payments go to County of Orange, Attn: Treasurer-Tax Collector, P.O. Box 1438, Santa Ana, CA 92702-1438.
When are property taxes due in Orange County?
For the FY 2026-27 bill, Orange 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 $23 cost. Taxes still unpaid after June 30 go into tax default, which adds a penalty of 1.5% a month on the unpaid tax plus a $15 redemption fee; an eligible owner can then pay off the defaulted amount over five years, one fifth at a time.
| 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. A payment is on time if it is made online by 11:59 p.m., postmarked by the U.S. Postal Service, or paid at the office before it closes on that day. State law sets these dates for every California county. |
| Second installment | February 1, 2027 | The county lists February 1, 2027 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 same online, postmark and in-office rules apply on that day. |
From Orange 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 Orange County
Enter a home's market value to estimate its annual property tax using Orange County's own assessment rules. This is an estimate; for the exact bill, use the county's official tools linked below.
Estimated property tax: $10,512 / year
| Assessed value | $962,600 |
|---|---|
| Less homestead exemption | -$7,000 |
| Taxable value | $955,600 |
| Tax rate applied | 1.10% |
For your exact bill, Orange County publishes the authoritative tools: official tax estimator, or the Claude Parrish, Orange County Assessor.
Assessment ratio, exemption, and rate from Orange County's certified medium-confidence sources, reviewed 2026-08-30. Millage varies by taxing district and exemptions vary by owner, so treat this as a close estimate, not the exact bill.
Property tax in Orange County at a glance
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median annual property tax | $6,330 |
| Median home value | $962,600 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.66% |
| 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 Orange County compare in California?
Among California's 58 counties, Orange County has the 44th highest effective property-tax rate: 43 rank higher and 14 rank lower. That is on the lower side for California. Nationally, it ranks 2022nd of 3135 US counties by effective rate. See every California county ranked.
How much do homeowners in Orange County actually pay?
The median is only the middle bill. Across Orange County's 610,659 owner-occupied homes, 78.3% pay $3,000 or more a year in property tax, 85.7% pay at least $2,000, and 3.4% pay under $800. Another 3.1% report paying no property tax at all, which usually means an exemption covers the whole bill.
| Annual bill | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $800 | 20,780 | 3.4% |
| $800 to $1,499 | 26,083 | 4.3% |
| $1,500 to $1,999 | 21,181 | 3.5% |
| $2,000 to $2,999 | 45,347 | 7.4% |
| $3,000 or more | 478,238 | 78.3% |
| No property tax paid | 19,030 | 3.1% |
Owners with a mortgage pay a median of $7,033 and owners without one pay $4,599. 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 Orange County property tax bill compare with local incomes?
The median property tax bill of $6,330 is about 4.2% of the median income of Orange County homeowner households, $149,479 a year. That compares two middles, so a retiree in a long-held home can pay a far larger share. 56.4% of Orange 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 Orange County?
Yes. The median bill went from $4,736 in 2015-2019 to $6,330 in 2020-2024, a 33.7% rise. Over the same span the median home value moved 41.7%, from $679,300 to $962,600. 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 Orange County
Orange County borders 4 counties.
| County | Effective rate | Median bill | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riverside County, CA | 0.78% | $4,348 | $557,300 |
| San Bernardino County, CA | 0.7% | $3,538 | $505,000 |
| Los Angeles County, CA | 0.68% | $5,675 | $834,200 |
| San Diego County, CA | 0.68% | $5,774 | $854,700 |
| Orange County, CA (this county) | 0.66% | $6,330 | $962,600 |
How is a home assessed in Orange County?
California sets the assessment rules and Orange County applies them. How California assesses and reappraises homes.
Is there a homestead exemption in Orange 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 Orange County. California's exemptions and relief programs in full.
Orange County does not add relief programs of its own beyond the California ones (checked September 23, 2026).
How to appeal your Orange County property assessment
In Orange County you appeal to the Orange County Assessment Appeals Board (filed through the Clerk of the Board). 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 or escape assessment is due within 60 days of the date on that notice. The Assessor suggests calling its office first to have the value explained. 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 Orange 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 Orange County
The other local tax: combined state and local rate for this county.
Sources
- Median real estate taxes paid and median home value for Orange 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.