California Property Taxes
Property tax rates for all 58 counties.
U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2019-2023Average Annual Tax
$4,230
Average Rate
0.70%
Average Home Value
$604,112
County tax atlas
California property tax burden by county
Compare effective tax rates, median annual bills, home values, and tax scores in one state-scaled map. Pin any county, switch layers, then use the lens controls to isolate low-rate counties, high-tax clusters, or higher-value markets with moderate tax burden.
Counties
58/58
Avg rate
0.70%
Avg bill
$4,230
Avg home
$604,112
Atlas layers use U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates. Effective tax rate is median real estate taxes paid divided by median home value. These estimates are for comparison and planning context, not property-specific tax advice.
At a Glance
Average Annual Tax
$4,230
National avg $2,690
Average Effective Rate
0.70%Medium
Based on median tax / median home value
Average Home Value
$604,112
National avg $281,900
Counties
58
Browse all counties below
California Property Tax Calculator
Estimate your property tax for any county in California. Select a county and enter your home value.
Select a county above to estimate your California property tax.
Estimates based on U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates. Actual taxes vary by exemptions, assessments, and local levies.
State Overview
Property Taxes in California
California taxes below the national average
California's average effective property tax rate of 0.714% sits well below the national median of 1.03%, making it a relatively low-tax state despite sky-high home values. This ranks California in the bottom third nationally—homeowners here pay less in taxes on their properties than most Americans, even though those properties are worth nearly double the national median home value of $281,900.
Huge variation across California counties
Effective tax rates span from Trinity County's modest 0.539% to Kern County's 0.912%—a 70% spread that reflects California's diverse mix of urban, rural, and coastal communities. Median tax bills range even more dramatically: Modoc County residents pay just $1,445 annually while Marin County homeowners pay $10,001, a difference of nearly $8,600 that depends heavily on local property values and assessment practices.
Median homeowner pays $4,045 yearly
A typical California homeowner with a property worth $569,022—more than double the national median—pays $4,045 in annual property taxes, a burden softened by the state's low effective rate. Because California's median home value towers over the national average, most residents still write bigger property tax checks than the national median of $2,690, even at this lower rate.
Bay Area and coastal counties dominate tax bills
The Bay Area's Marin ($10,001), Santa Clara ($9,766), and San Francisco ($9,412) counties claim three of the nation's highest median property tax bills, reflecting stratospheric home values in California's most expensive metros. Rural northern counties like Modoc ($1,445), Trinity ($1,772), and Lassen ($1,868) show dramatically lower bills, though their effective rates are comparable—the gap is pure property value difference, not higher taxes.
Low-tax state with expensive properties
California is a tax bargain by national standards—your effective rate is 30% below average—but sky-high home prices mean you'll likely pay more in absolute dollars than homeowners in most states. This paradox rewards buyers in rural and inland counties while still offering relative savings even in expensive coastal metros compared to what similar-priced homes would cost elsewhere.
Highest Property Tax Rates
All California Counties
Think your property tax is too high?
Ownwell helps homeowners appeal and lower their property taxes.
Sponsored
Data updated: March 2026
Data from U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates. Effective tax rate is calculated as median property tax divided by median home value.
Estimates are informational only and are not tax, legal, financial, or assessment appeal advice. Verify parcel-specific amounts with the county assessor or tax collector.