California Property Tax Rate by County
The average California property tax rate is about 1.106% of assessed value. It starts at the 1% Proposition 13 base, and each county adds its own voter-approved debt on top — so the total rate varies. Below is the official average effective rate for all 58 counties from the State Board of Equalization (2024-25), ranging from about 1% (Modoc) to 1.248% (Kern), plus how each tax dollar is allocated.
Average effective ad-valorem rate (total levies ÷ net assessed value); your parcel's rate depends on its Tax Rate Area, and Mello-Roos and direct assessments are extra.
Tip: select any county name in the table below to open its own page — with a rate breakdown, a county-specific calculator, due dates, and links to the county Assessor and Tax Collector.
Showing 58 of 58 counties.
| County | Average rate | Schools | County | Cities | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alameda | 1.22% | 44% | 14% | 18% | 25% |
| Alpine | 1.03% | 28% | 61% | 0% | 10% |
| Amador | 1.013% | 62% | 31% | 5% | 2% |
| Butte | 1.114% | 60% | 9% | 4% | 27% |
| Calaveras | 1.075% | 68% | 18% | 1% | 13% |
| Colusa | 1.096% | 62% | 26% | 5% | 7% |
| Contra Costa | 1.151% | 52% | 11% | 8% | 29% |
| Del Norte | 1.037% | 66% | 18% | 1% | 16% |
| El Dorado | 1.058% | 51% | 22% | 2% | 25% |
| Fresno | 1.213% | 66% | 11% | 11% | 12% |
| Glenn | 1.1% | 72% | 19% | 5% | 4% |
| Humboldt | 1.093% | 65% | 18% | 2% | 15% |
| Imperial | 1.171% | 59% | 14% | 6% | 21% |
| Inyo | 1.05% | 61% | 29% | 1% | 10% |
| Kern | 1.248% | 58% | 23% | 5% | 13% |
| Kings | 1.07% | 54% | 22% | 6% | 19% |
| Lake | 1.115% | 57% | 20% | 1% | 22% |
| Lassen | 1.018% | 71% | 20% | 4% | 5% |
| Los Angeles | 1.181% | 47% | 20% | 14% | 19% |
| Madera | 1.122% | 74% | 13% | 2% | 11% |
| Marin | 1.133% | 61% | 17% | 9% | 13% |
| Mariposa | 1.031% | 70% | 25% | 0% | 6% |
| Mendocino | 1.152% | 63% | 23% | 1% | 12% |
| Merced | 1.074% | 63% | 22% | 6% | 10% |
| Modoc | 1% | 65% | 27% | 4% | 5% |
| Mono | 1.113% | 41% | 30% | 4% | 25% |
| Monterey | 1.099% | 64% | 14% | 6% | 16% |
| Napa | 1.104% | 68% | 21% | 9% | 2% |
| Nevada | 1.052% | 56% | 13% | 8% | 23% |
| Orange | 1.064% | 61% | 5% | 10% | 23% |
| Placer | 1.068% | 63% | 16% | 8% | 13% |
| Plumas | 1.095% | 67% | 19% | 1% | 14% |
| Riverside | 1.173% | 47% | 9% | 6% | 38% |
| Sacramento | 1.155% | 56% | 14% | 10% | 21% |
| San Benito | 1.204% | 67% | 10% | 2% | 22% |
| San Bernardino | 1.127% | 40% | 9% | 5% | 45% |
| San Diego | 1.171% | 62% | 12% | 11% | 15% |
| San Francisco | 1.174% | 30% | 0% | 57% | 13% |
| San Joaquin | 1.122% | 58% | 19% | 8% | 15% |
| San Luis Obispo | 1.09% | 64% | 23% | 7% | 6% |
| San Mateo | 1.123% | 62% | 11% | 9% | 18% |
| Santa Barbara | 1.068% | 62% | 17% | 5% | 16% |
| Santa Clara | 1.193% | 62% | 15% | 9% | 14% |
| Santa Cruz | 1.097% | 56% | 11% | 5% | 27% |
| Shasta | 1.104% | 64% | 10% | 6% | 19% |
| Sierra | 1% | 34% | 52% | 1% | 13% |
| Siskiyou | 1.045% | 69% | 21% | 6% | 4% |
| Solano | 1.179% | 48% | 16% | 12% | 24% |
| Sonoma | 1.139% | 62% | 20% | 5% | 13% |
| Stanislaus | 1.117% | 72% | 12% | 6% | 10% |
| Sutter | 1.089% | 67% | 15% | 8% | 10% |
| Tehama | 1.055% | 69% | 24% | 4% | 3% |
| Trinity | 1.04% | 64% | 32% | 0% | 4% |
| Tulare | 1.1% | 61% | 17% | 6% | 16% |
| Tuolumne | 1.074% | 66% | 28% | 1% | 5% |
| Ventura | 1.116% | 53% | 15% | 8% | 24% |
| Yolo | 1.114% | 57% | 9% | 15% | 20% |
| Yuba | 1.097% | 69% | 19% | 2% | 9% |
“Schools / County / Cities / Other” show how each property-tax dollar is allocated in that county. Rows may not sum to exactly 100% due to rounding.
These are county averages. Every county has its own page — select its name above for a rate breakdown, a county-specific calculator, due dates, and links to the county Assessor and Tax Collector. Los Angeles and Sacramento go further, with parcel-level Tax Rate Area and Mello-Roos lookups. Or estimate your own bill with the California property tax calculator →
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average property tax rate in California?
California's constitutional base rate is 1% of assessed value under Proposition 13, and voter-approved debt is added on top. Across the 58 counties the average effective ad-valorem rate is about 1.106%, ranging from roughly 1% in Modoc County to 1.248% in Kern County (2024-25, from the State Board of Equalization).
Why do property tax rates differ by county?
The 1% Proposition 13 base is the same statewide, but each county's voters approve different amounts of bond debt (schools, cities, and special districts), which is added to the base rate. Counties with more approved bonds have higher average rates. Within a county the rate also varies by Tax Rate Area.
Which California county has the highest property tax rate?
By average effective rate, Kern County is near the top at about 1.248%, and Modoc County is near the bottom at about 1%. These are county averages; your parcel's rate depends on its Tax Rate Area, and Mello-Roos or special assessments can push a specific bill higher.
Is California property tax really 1%?
The 1% is the Proposition 13 general levy — the floor, not the whole bill. Voter-approved debt is added on top (bringing most counties into the low-to-mid 1.1% range), and some parcels also carry Mello-Roos special taxes and fixed direct assessments that are billed separately.
Learn More
Source: California State Board of Equalization — county average property tax rate (assessment year 2024-25). Rates are county-average effective ad-valorem rates and exclude Mello-Roos and fixed direct assessments. Your parcel's actual rate depends on its Tax Rate Area. Educational information, not an official bill.