California Property Tax Calculator
Estimate California property tax by county using the latest effective rates — compare counties and the 0.7% state average.
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How to use this calculator
- 1
Enter your home value.
- 2
Choose your county, or the California state average.
- 3
If you know your own effective rate, enter it to override the selection.
- 4
Read the estimated annual and monthly property tax.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average property tax rate in California?
The average effective property tax rate on owner-occupied homes in California is 0.7%, which ranks 32 of 50 states from highest to lowest. The US average is 0.9%, so California is $200 lower per $100,000 of value; the median state is 0.79%.
How much is property tax on a $300,000 home in California?
At the 0.7% California average the estimate is $2,100 a year, or $175 a month. At the US average rate the same home would be $2,700, which is $600 more than the California estimate.
Which California county has the highest property tax rate?
Among the large counties listed here, Contra Costa County has the highest effective rate at 0.83% and Orange County the lowest at 0.67%. That is $3,324 against $2,664 a year on a $400,000 home.
How does California compare with the other big states on this site?
Of the eight largest state pages, California ranks 8th by effective rate. New Jersey is highest at 1.88% and Florida lowest at 0.78%; California is at 0.7%.
How is property tax calculated in California?
California's Proposition 13 sets the base property tax at 1% of assessed value and limits how fast assessed value can rise each year, which is why long-time owners often pay much less than the market value would suggest. Local bonds and special assessments are added on top.
Why can my real bill differ from this estimate?
Even within California, listed county rates run from 0.67% in Orange County to 0.83% in Contra Costa County, and city, school district, exemptions, assessment caps and reassessments change what you owe. The county numbers are medians, so a rate you work out from your own California bill will be closer.
Which California county is closest to the state average rate?
San Diego County, at 0.7% against the 0.7% state average. California's state figure and this county differ by less than 0.01 percentage points.
Can I enter my own property tax rate for California?
Yes. Take the California tax you paid, divide it by the home's market value and enter the percentage in the own-rate box; it overrides the county or state selection.
California property tax — 0.7% average effective rate
California property tax at $150,000 to $750,000
Applying the 0.7% California rate, the estimate runs from $1,050 a year ($88 a month) on a $150,000 home to $5,250 a year ($438 a month) on a $750,000 home. A $500,000 California home comes to $3,500, or $292 a month if the tax is collected through escrow.
| Home value | Per year | Per month | Versus US average |
|---|---|---|---|
| $150,000 | $1,050 | $88 | −$300 per year per year |
| $300,000 | $2,100 | $175 | −$600 per year per year |
| $500,000 | $3,500 | $292 | −$1,000 per year per year |
| $750,000 | $5,250 | $438 | −$1,500 per year per year |
Where California sits against the national 0.9% average
California's average effective property tax rate is 0.7%, which puts it 32nd of 50 states when the table is sorted from highest to lowest. That is 0.2 percentage points under the 0.9% US average, or $200 less per $100,000 of value each year. Across the 50 states the median rate is 0.79%; California sits 0.09 percentage points below it, 1.18 percentage points under the highest (Illinois and New Jersey, 1.88%) and 0.41 percentage points over the lowest (Hawaii, 0.29%).
| Benchmark | Effective rate | Per $100,000 | On $300,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| California average | 0.7% | $700 | $2,100 |
| US average | 0.9% | $900 | $2,700 |
| Median of 50 states | 0.79% | $790 | $2,370 |
| Highest (Illinois and New Jersey) | 1.88% | $1,880 | $5,640 |
| Lowest (Hawaii) | 0.29% | $290 | $870 |
10 large California counties, 0.67% to 0.83%
Contra Costa County has the highest effective rate in the table at 0.83% and Orange County the lowest at 0.67%, a gap of 0.16 percentage points. On a $400,000 home that is $3,324 a year in Contra Costa against $2,664 in Orange, a difference of $660. 7 of the 10 listed counties are above the 0.7% state average and 3 are at or below it; San Diego County (0.7%) is the closest to it. The county with the lowest median home value, San Bernardino County at $475,000, sits mid-table by rate (0.7%, 6 of 10). The priciest county, Santa Clara County ($1,382,800), is at 0.71%, ranked 5 of 10.
| County | Median home value | Median property tax paid | Effective rate | Tax on $400,000 | Per month on $400,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contra Costa County | $830,800 | $6,903 | 0.83% | $3,324 | $277 |
| Riverside County | $510,300 | $4,189 | 0.82% | $3,284 | $274 |
| Alameda County | $1,057,400 | $8,061 | 0.76% | $3,049 | $254 |
| Sacramento County | $498,900 | $3,768 | 0.76% | $3,021 | $252 |
| Santa Clara County | $1,382,800 | $9,766 | 0.71% | $2,825 | $235 |
| San Bernardino County | $475,000 | $3,346 | 0.7% | $2,818 | $235 |
| San Diego County | $791,600 | $5,542 | 0.7% | $2,800 | $233 |
| Los Angeles County | $783,300 | $5,438 | 0.69% | $2,777 | $231 |
| San Francisco County | $1,380,500 | $9,412 | 0.68% | $2,727 | $227 |
| Orange County | $915,500 | $6,096 | 0.67% | $2,664 | $222 |
What 0.7% means per $100,000 of California home value
At the California average every $100,000 of value carries about $700 of tax a year, or $58 a month. Using county rates the same $100,000 slice costs $666 in Orange County and $831 in Contra Costa County. Among the eight largest state pages, California is the lowest, with New Jersey at 1.88% and Florida at 0.78% as the two ends. Each $50,000 of value changes the California estimate by $350 a year.
What the California estimate does and does not cover
This page multiplies a home value by an effective rate, so the California answer is an estimate from averages and 10 county medians, not a bill. Assessed value, exemptions, caps, local levies, assessment ratios and appeals decide a real bill and are not modelled; the $660 county gap on a $400,000 house shows how much local detail matters. If you know your California effective rate, enter it to override the selection. Rates are the Tax Foundation 2026 tables built from 2024 American Community Survey data, so they are only as current as that label, and your county assessor or tax collector sets the actual bill.
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Results are estimates for informational purposes only and do not constitute professional financial, medical, legal, or technical advice. Read full disclaimer →