Property tax in Santa Clara County, California
In Santa Clara County, the property tax bill comes from the County of Santa Clara Department of Tax and Collections. 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 Santa Clara County's own pages, checked September 23, 2026.
The median property tax bill in Santa Clara County, California is $10,000+ a year, which is at least 0.67% of the county's median home value of $1,490,600. The Census stops counting at $10,000: it reports only that the median bill here is $10,000 or more, so the true bill and rate are higher than shown. Because the figure is capped, it cannot be placed above or below the typical California county (0.7%) or 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 Santa Clara County, and how do you pay it?
The bill comes from the County of Santa Clara Department of Tax and Collections. The value it is based on is set by a separate office, the County of Santa Clara Office of the Assessor, 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 Department of Tax and Collections sends the bill and takes the payment; they are separate offices. Bills are mailed in October. Paying online by eCheck is free; card payments carry a 2.22% fee with a $1.49 minimum. City and district charges, including many school district parcel taxes and City of San Jose garbage and sewer charges, appear on the same county bill. Many school districts, and a few cities and special districts, offer parcel tax exemptions to owners 65 and older or on disability benefits; you apply to the district or agency, not the county.
When are property taxes due in Santa Clara County?
For the 2026-2027 bill, Santa Clara 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. Some of the county's own answers also put the $20 cost on a late first installment, but state law adds that cost only after the second installment is delinquent. Taxes still unpaid at 5 p.m. on June 30 go into default, which adds a redemption fee and penalties of 1.5% a month until paid.
| 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. Online payments count if made before midnight Pacific time that day, and a mailed payment counts if it carries a U.S. Postal Service postmark dated on or before that day; a private postage meter date does not count. 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 the county extends the deadline to the next business day, Monday, April 12, 2027. The same online and postmark rules apply. |
From Santa Clara 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 Santa Clara County
Enter a home's market value to estimate its annual property tax using Santa Clara County's own assessment rules. This is an estimate; for the exact bill, use the county's official tools linked below.
Estimated property tax: $17,656 / year
| Assessed value | $1,490,600 |
|---|---|
| Less homestead exemption | -$7,000 |
| Taxable value | $1,483,600 |
| Tax rate applied | 1.19% |
For your exact bill, Santa Clara County publishes the authoritative tools: official tax estimator, or the Office of the Assessor, County of Santa Clara.
Assessment ratio, exemption, and rate from Santa Clara 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 Santa Clara County at a glance
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median annual property tax | $10,000+ |
| Median home value | $1,490,600 |
| Effective tax rate | at least 0.67% |
| 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 Santa Clara County compare in California?
Among California's 58 counties, Santa Clara County has the 42nd highest effective property-tax rate: 41 rank higher and 16 rank lower. Nationally, it ranks 1981st of 3135 US counties by effective rate. Both ranks use the capped $10,000 bill, so the county's true rate, and its true rank, may be higher still. See every California county ranked.
How much do homeowners in Santa Clara County actually pay?
The median is only the middle bill. Across Santa Clara County's 363,147 owner-occupied homes, 85.7% pay $3,000 or more a year in property tax, 90.3% pay at least $2,000, and 2.4% pay under $800. Another 2.7% report paying no property tax at all, which usually means an exemption covers the whole bill.
| Annual bill | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $800 | 8,680 | 2.4% |
| $800 to $1,499 | 10,099 | 2.8% |
| $1,500 to $1,999 | 6,451 | 1.8% |
| $2,000 to $2,999 | 16,859 | 4.6% |
| $3,000 or more | 311,187 | 85.7% |
| No property tax paid | 9,871 | 2.7% |
Owners with a mortgage pay a median of $10,000+ and owners without one pay $6,633. At least one of those medians hits the Census cap, so the gap between them cannot be measured here. Census table B25103.
Property tax in counties next to Santa Clara County
Santa Clara County borders 6 counties.
| County | Effective rate | Median bill | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Benito County, CA | 0.81% | $6,441 | $793,400 |
| Alameda County, CA | 0.78% | $8,474 | $1,090,100 |
| Stanislaus County, CA | 0.71% | $3,216 | $450,100 |
| Merced County, CA | 0.67% | $2,634 | $391,800 |
| Santa Clara County, CA (this county) | at least 0.67% | $10,000+ | $1,490,600 |
| Santa Cruz County, CA | 0.64% | $6,538 | $1,027,500 |
| San Mateo County, CA | 0.61% | $9,519 | $1,559,600 |
How is a home assessed in Santa Clara County?
California sets the assessment rules and Santa Clara County applies them. How California assesses and reappraises homes.
Is there a homestead exemption in Santa Clara 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 Santa Clara County. California's exemptions and relief programs in full.
Santa Clara County does not add relief programs of its own beyond the California ones (checked September 23, 2026).
How to appeal your Santa Clara County property assessment
In Santa Clara County you appeal to the Santa Clara County Assessment Appeals Board or Value Hearing Officer (filed with the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors). The deadline: For the regular annual assessment, file between July 2 and September 15. The 2026 window ran from July 2 to Tuesday, September 15, 2026; the next runs from July 2 to Wednesday, September 15, 2027. An appeal of a supplemental assessment or roll correction is due within 60 days of the date on that notice. Before filing, an owner can ask the Assessor for a free informal review by August 1 of the assessment year. Since June 1, 2026 the county charges a nonrefundable $290 processing fee per parcel for homes, vacant land and farmland, which may be waived for applicants on public assistance. 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 Santa Clara 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 Santa Clara County
The other local tax: combined state and local rate for this county.
Sources
- Median real estate taxes paid and median home value for Santa Clara 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.