Property tax in Riverside County, California
The median property tax bill in Riverside County, California is $4,348 a year, which is about 0.78% of the county's median home value of $557,300. 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.
Estimate the property tax on a home in Riverside County
Enter a home's market value to estimate its annual property tax using Riverside County's own assessment rules. This is an estimate; for the exact bill, use the county's official tools linked below.
Estimated property tax: $6,329 / year
| Assessed value | $557,300 |
|---|---|
| Less homestead exemption | -$7,000 |
| Taxable value | $550,300 |
| Tax rate applied | 1.15% |
For your exact bill, Riverside County publishes the authoritative tools: official tax estimator, or the Peter Aldana, Riverside County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder (assessment & exemptions); Matthew Jennings, Riverside County Treasurer-Tax Collector (billing & collection).
Assessment ratio, exemption, and rate from Riverside County's certified high-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 Riverside County at a glance
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median annual property tax | $4,348 |
| Median home value | $557,300 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.78% |
| 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 Riverside County compare in California?
Among California's 58 counties, Riverside County has the 6th highest effective property-tax rate: 5 rank higher and 52 rank lower. That places it among the most heavily taxed counties in the state. Nationally, it ranks 1630th of 3135 US counties by effective rate. See every California county ranked.
How much do homeowners in Riverside County actually pay?
The median is only the middle bill. Across Riverside County's 535,986 owner-occupied homes, 65% pay $3,000 or more a year in property tax, 78.1% pay at least $2,000, and 5.6% 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 | 29,813 | 5.6% |
| $800 to $1,499 | 33,896 | 6.3% |
| $1,500 to $1,999 | 30,497 | 5.7% |
| $2,000 to $2,999 | 70,062 | 13.1% |
| $3,000 or more | 348,195 | 65% |
| No property tax paid | 23,523 | 4.4% |
Owners with a mortgage pay a median of $4,747 and owners without one pay $3,347. 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 Riverside County property tax bill compare with local incomes?
The median property tax bill of $4,348 is about 4% of the median income of Riverside County homeowner households, $109,791 a year. That compares two middles, so a retiree in a long-held home can pay a far larger share. 69.1% of Riverside 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 Riverside County?
Yes. The median bill went from $3,337 in 2015-2019 to $4,348 in 2020-2024, a 30.3% rise. Over the same span the median home value moved 59.2%, from $350,100 to $557,300. 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 Riverside County
Riverside County borders 5 counties, 1 of them across the state line.
| County | Effective rate | Median bill | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riverside County, CA (this county) | 0.78% | $4,348 | $557,300 |
| Imperial County, CA | 0.77% | $2,394 | $309,600 |
| San Bernardino County, CA | 0.7% | $3,538 | $505,000 |
| San Diego County, CA | 0.68% | $5,774 | $854,700 |
| Orange County, CA | 0.66% | $6,330 | $962,600 |
| La Paz County, AZ | 0.64% | $873 | $135,800 |
How is a home assessed in Riverside County?
California sets the assessment rules and Riverside County applies them. How California assesses and reappraises homes.
Is there a homestead exemption in Riverside 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 Riverside County. California's exemptions and relief programs in full.
When are property taxes due in Riverside County?
Secured property tax is billed in two installments: the first is due November 1 (delinquent after December 10) and the second is due February 1 (delinquent after April 10), with a 10% penalty after each. Billed and collected by the county tax collector.
California splits the bill into 2 installments. That is the California rule. Riverside County issues and collects the bill, so the dates printed on your statement are the ones that bind you.
How to appeal your Riverside County property assessment
You contest the assessed value with the County Assessment Appeals Board. The filing deadline is typically July 2 to September 15 (or November 30 in some counties). That is the California rule; Riverside County sets the exact dates and forms. The California appeal process step by step.
California rules from primary state sources, reviewed September 7, 2026; sources on the California page.
Work out your own numbers
-
How much house can I afford?
Your income, debts and down payment against the 28/36 rule lenders actually use, with Riverside County's tax rate to hand.
-
Mortgage calculator
Monthly payment with principal, interest, tax and insurance, plus what an extra payment saves you.
-
California income tax
Brackets, standard deduction and what California actually taxes.
-
Sales tax in Riverside County
The other local tax: combined state and local rate for this county.
Sources
- Median real estate taxes paid and median home value for Riverside 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.