How much is property tax in California?

Two honest answers. The state's average effective rate is about 0.71% — roughly $2,485 on a $350,000 home — but a recent buyer pays closer to 1.15% of the purchase price once voter-approved additions are counted: about $3,945 a year on the same house after the homeowner's exemption. Which number applies depends on when the home was acquired.

What is Proposition 13?

The 1978 ballot measure that caps California's base property tax at 1% of a home's acquired value and limits assessed-value growth to 2% a year while you own it. It is why the state's average rate is among America's lowest and why identical houses can carry very different bills — the tax reflects the purchase date, not the current market.

Why is my neighbor's property tax bill half of mine?

Almost certainly acquisition timing. Under Prop 13 their assessed value has grown at most 2% a year since they bought, while yours started at a recent, higher market price. Two identical homes on one street can differ by thousands of dollars a year for no reason other than when each was purchased.

What is the California homeowner's exemption?

A $7,000 reduction in assessed value for an owner-occupied primary residence — about $80 a year at typical rates. It requires a one-time filing with the county assessor, and many eligible owners never file. If you bought recently, check that your escrow and the assessor both have it in place.

What is Proposition 19?

The current rules letting homeowners 55 and older carry their low, long-held assessed base value to a replacement home anywhere in California, subject to value adjustments. It exists to loosen the lock-in effect of Prop 13 — without it, downsizing or moving counties meant accepting a full reassessment at market price.

What are Mello-Roos fees in California?

Special taxes levied by community facilities districts — mostly newer developments — to fund schools, roads and infrastructure. They are not part of the 1% base rate, but they arrive on the same tax bill and in newer communities can add hundreds of dollars a month. Always check the parcel's district charges before buying; the rate field in this calculator does not include them.

California Property Tax Calculator

California property tax runs on rules no other state shares. Proposition 13, passed in 1978, caps the base rate at 1% of a home's acquired value and limits assessed-value growth to 2% a year for as long as you own the home. The result is a state where the average effective rate is just 0.71% — among America's lowest — while a buyer purchasing today pays roughly 1.1% to 1.3% of the purchase price, because their assessment starts at the market price rather than a decades-old one.

The calculator loads a 1.15% preset on a $350,000 purchase — a realistic all-in figure for a recent California buyer after the homeowner's exemption — with the sections below explaining Prop 13's mechanics, why your bill and your neighbor's can be worlds apart on identical houses, and the add-ons (Mello-Roos, supplemental bills) that move the real number.

Home value

Market value — what it would sell for, not your purchase price from years ago.

State (loads its effective rate)

Effective tax rate

Loaded from the selection — override with your county's actual rate (last year's bill ÷ value).

Exemption

Homestead and similar exemptions remove part of the value from taxation — many states offer 20-50% to owner-occupants.

Annual property tax

$3,944.50

1.15% effective rate on $343,000.00 taxable value.

Monthly escrow: $328.71
Effective vs statutory: why this rate

Starting values are set for a typical california scenario — change any field to match yours. Need the plain version? Property Tax Calculator.

Prop 13: the 1% base and the 2% cap

Under Proposition 13, every property is taxed at 1% of its acquisition value, plus voter-approved local additions that typically bring the all-in charge to 1.1-1.3% of purchase price. While you own the home, the assessed value can rise no more than 2% a year — regardless of the market. The consequence is that a home's tax bill is a function of when it was bought, not what it is worth today:

The same house, two owners, one street
Buyer	Purchase price	Assessed value 2026	Annual bill (≈1.1%)
Bought 1997 for $200,000	$200,000	≈$355,000 (2%/yr cap)	≈$3,900
Bought 2026 for $800,000	$800,000	$800,000 (acquired value)	≈$9,200

Illustration of the 2% cap compounding from a 1997 base over 29 years. Identical houses, identical services — the bill differs by a factor of more than two because of acquisition timing alone.

Why the 0.71% state average is not your rate

The Tax Foundation's effective rate for California — total taxes paid divided by total home value — lands around 0.71%, one of the lowest figures in the country. But almost nobody shopping for a house today pays 0.71%. The average is dragged down by the majority of California homes that last changed hands years or decades ago and sit on assessments frozen far below market.

That is why this page's preset is 1.15% rather than 0.71%: it models a recent buyer's reality — the 1% base plus typical voter-approved additions, minus the homeowner's exemption. If you are estimating a purchase, the preset is the honest starting point. If you are a long-time owner, your actual effective rate is probably far below it, and last year's bill divided by your home's market value is the figure to enter.

The exemptions and add-ons that move the bill

The homeowner's exemption removes $7,000 of assessed value for an owner-occupied primary residence — about $80 a year at the 1.15% preset. Small, but it requires a one-time filing with the county assessor that many owners miss.
Proposition 19 lets homeowners 55 and older transfer their old, low assessed base to a replacement home anywhere in the state, within value limits — the mobility valve for the lock-in effect Prop 13 creates.
Mello-Roos and special-district charges are not part of the 1% rate but appear on the same tax bill, and in newer developments they can add hundreds per month. They are set by district, not by formula, so check the parcel before buying.
Expect a supplemental tax bill in your first year: when the county reassesses at your purchase price mid-cycle, the increase above the seller's capped value arrives as a separate, one-time bill that escrow often misses.

Frequently asked questions

How much is property tax in California?: Two honest answers. The state's average effective rate is about 0.71% — roughly $2,485 on a $350,000 home — but a recent buyer pays closer to 1.15% of the purchase price once voter-approved additions are counted: about $3,945 a year on the same house after the homeowner's exemption. Which number applies depends on when the home was acquired.
What is Proposition 13?: The 1978 ballot measure that caps California's base property tax at 1% of a home's acquired value and limits assessed-value growth to 2% a year while you own it. It is why the state's average rate is among America's lowest and why identical houses can carry very different bills — the tax reflects the purchase date, not the current market.
Why is my neighbor's property tax bill half of mine?: Almost certainly acquisition timing. Under Prop 13 their assessed value has grown at most 2% a year since they bought, while yours started at a recent, higher market price. Two identical homes on one street can differ by thousands of dollars a year for no reason other than when each was purchased.
What is the California homeowner's exemption?: A $7,000 reduction in assessed value for an owner-occupied primary residence — about $80 a year at typical rates. It requires a one-time filing with the county assessor, and many eligible owners never file. If you bought recently, check that your escrow and the assessor both have it in place.
What is Proposition 19?: The current rules letting homeowners 55 and older carry their low, long-held assessed base value to a replacement home anywhere in California, subject to value adjustments. It exists to loosen the lock-in effect of Prop 13 — without it, downsizing or moving counties meant accepting a full reassessment at market price.
What are Mello-Roos fees in California?: Special taxes levied by community facilities districts — mostly newer developments — to fund schools, roads and infrastructure. They are not part of the 1% base rate, but they arrive on the same tax bill and in newer communities can add hundreds of dollars a month. Always check the parcel's district charges before buying; the rate field in this calculator does not include them.