San Diego County Property Tax
Property tax in San Diego County is about 1.1643% of assessed value — the 1% Proposition 13 base levy plus each area's voter-approved debt — roughly 1.0611% to 1.2511% across most Tax Rate Areas. Many newer communities also carry Mello-Roos special taxes on top of that. The figures below come from the San Diego County Assessor / SanGIS roll and the Auditor & Controller's current tax rates. For your own number, estimate your bill by ZIP with the San Diego County calculator.
Ad-valorem rates only (they exclude Mello-Roos and fixed direct assessments); shown as a typical range for each area, not your exact parcel.
Property tax by city in San Diego County
Typical figures for existing owners, by city. “Typical home value” is the median single-family assessed value (a Proposition 13 base-year value, not a buyer's price). Value, rate and bill are each the parcel-weighted average of the city's ZIP-level single-family medians (SanGIS assessor data retrieved September 2026; 2025-26 rates), so the bill can differ slightly from value × rate.San Diego, Carlsbad, Chula Vista, Escondido and San Marcos (†) have their own pages and reuse those pages' figures — the median single-family parcel in the city at the city's median rate, shown to two decimals as on those pages — so the site shows one number per city. For a more local number, see the property tax rate by ZIP code.
| City | Typical rate | Rate range | Typical home value | Typical annual tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego† | 1.25% | 1.07–1.25% | $557,767 | $6,972 |
| Chula Vista† | 1.18% | 1.17–1.19% | $542,379 | $6,400 |
| Oceanside | 1.1221% | 1.1104–1.1295% | $478,166 | $5,365 |
| Escondido† | 1.12% | 1.06–1.14% | $558,226 | $6,252 |
| El Cajon | 1.1711% | 1.1641–1.181% | $529,263 | $6,198 |
| Carlsbad† | 1.08% | 1.08% | $907,145 | $9,797 |
| Vista | 1.1295% | 1.1225–1.1425% | $506,664 | $5,723 |
| San Marcos† | 1.14% | 1.11–1.14% | $656,536 | $7,485 |
| La Mesa | 1.196% | 1.1711–1.2866% | $526,143 | $6,293 |
| Fallbrook | 1.0732% | 1.0457–1.0732% | $624,684 | $6,704 |
| Spring Valley | 1.1801% | 1.1641–1.181% | $438,964 | $5,180 |
| Poway | 1.1281% | 1.1281% | $717,026 | $8,089 |
| Encinitas | 1.0753% | 1.0753% | $901,072 | $9,689 |
| Santee | 1.1713% | 1.1643–1.1713% | $488,083 | $5,717 |
| Ramona | 1.057% | 1.057% | $554,221 | $5,858 |
Sources: San Diego County Assessor / SanGIS 2025 secured roll (values, parcel types), San Diego County Auditor & Controller 2025/2026 tax rates. City figures are single-family typicals aggregated (SFR-parcel-weighted) across the city's ZIP codes, ad-valorem only.
Other San Diego County cities (typical total rate in each city's most common Tax Rate Area): Oceanside 1.12%, El Cajon 1.17%, Vista 1.13%, La Mesa 1.20%, Ramona 1.06%, Fallbrook 1.07%, Spring Valley 1.18%, Santee 1.17%, Encinitas 1.08%, Poway 1.13%, Lakeside 1.19%, Solana Beach 1.06%. Browse every city's Tax Rate Areas and their itemized bonds on what's in your San Diego County property tax.
How San Diego County property tax is calculated
California taxes property under Proposition 13: your assessed value is generally set when you buy, then rises no more than 2% a year until the property changes hands or is newly built. The annual bill is the assessed value times the ad-valorem rate — the 1% base plus voter-approved bonds — and then any parcel-specific charges are added.
What's on a San Diego tax bill
Ad-valorem tax (1% base + voter-approved debt) · Mello-Roos special taxes, where the parcel is in a Community Facilities District · fixed direct assessments (lighting, landscaping, vector control, etc.). Only the first is value-based; the rate figures here cover that part.
Want to see the actual line items for your area? Look up what's in your San Diego property tax → — every ad-valorem levy by agency and Tax Rate Area, now itemized by bond.
Curious what the “voter-approved debt” part funds? See the bond measures on your San Diego property tax bill → — every GO bond by measure letter, election year, and rate.
Learn the rules behind the rate in our statewide guides: Proposition 13, Mello-Roos, and what triggers a reassessment.
Look up your parcel's Tax Rate Area
Enter your San Diego County parcel number (APN / AIN) to find its Tax Rate Area and an estimated ad-valorem bill at that area's rate.
Due dates & where to pay
San Diego County property taxes are paid in two installments: first due November 1 (delinquent after December 10) and second due February 1 (delinquent after April 10). A 10% penalty applies after each delinquency date. Pay or look up a parcel through the San Diego County Treasurer-Tax Collector by parcel number (APN). See the full California due-date schedule for penalties and related deadlines.
These deadlines are set by California state law (Revenue & Taxation Code §§ 2605, 2606, 2617 and 2701) and are the same in every county — this is general education, not a county-by-county check. If a delinquency date falls on a weekend or legal holiday, it moves to the next business day. Always confirm the exact dates and amounts on your own tax bill and your county tax collector's website. See the full California property tax due-date calendar for the dated 2026–27 schedule, penalties, and when bills are mailed.
Home insurance in San Diego County
Property tax is not the only cost that follows the property. Three public figures for San Diego County, each a county aggregate from the FAIR Plan, the Department of Insurance (CDI) or the Office of the State Fire Marshal:
- 59,063 FAIR Plan policies in force on Sept 30, 2025 (+379% since 2021); 2.2% of insured homes were on the FAIR Plan in 2022 (CDI). FAIR Plan by county and ZIP →
- 26% of 1,228,057 homes (2020) are in a High or Very High fire hazard zone: 5.6% under the state map in force since 2024, 20.4% under the 2025 local recommendations. Zones by county, city and ZIP →
- 9.5% of voluntary-market policies that came up for renewal in 2023 were non-renewed, counting both the insurer's and the policyholder's non-renewals (CDI puts 75–80% of non-renewals on the policyholder). Non-renewal rates by county and ZIP →
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is property tax in San Diego County?
The ad-valorem property tax is about 1.1643% of assessed value — the 1% Proposition 13 base plus voter-approved debt — running roughly 1.0611% to 1.2511% across the county's Tax Rate Areas. In the city of San Diego the median single-family home is assessed near $557,767 (an existing owner's Prop 13 value), for a yearly tax around $6,972, before any Mello-Roos or fixed direct assessments — see the San Diego city page.
What is the property tax rate in San Diego County?
The rate is the constitutional 1% base plus each area's voter-approved debt, which varies by Tax Rate Area. Across the county the ad-valorem total runs roughly from 1.0611% to 1.2511%, with a median near 1.1643%. Coastal cities like Carlsbad and Encinitas tend to sit at the lower end; newer master-planned communities can also carry Mello-Roos special taxes on top.
When are San Diego County property taxes due?
The first installment is due November 1 and delinquent after December 10; the second is due February 1 and delinquent after April 10. A 10% penalty applies after each delinquency date. The San Diego County Treasurer-Tax Collector bills and collects. These deadlines are set by California state law (Revenue & Taxation Code §§2605–2606 and §§2617–2619) and are the same statewide; if a date falls on a weekend or holiday it moves to the next business day. Confirm the exact dates on your own tax bill.
How do I pay or look up my San Diego property tax?
Pay online or look up a parcel through the San Diego County Treasurer-Tax Collector by parcel number (APN / AIN). You can also pay by mail or in person. Your bill lists the ad-valorem rate plus any Mello-Roos and fixed direct assessments as separate line items.
Does San Diego County have Mello-Roos?
Yes, commonly in newer master-planned areas — Otay Ranch (Chula Vista), 4S Ranch, San Marcos, Santee, and parts of Carlsbad, among others. Mello-Roos is a special tax for a Community Facilities District, billed on top of the 1% base rate and not based on your home's value. Older, established neighborhoods are less likely to have it. Check the parcel's tax bill for the line item.
Why is my San Diego property tax higher than my neighbor's?
Two reasons. Under Proposition 13 your taxable value generally follows what you paid when you bought, so a recent buyer usually has a higher assessed value than a long-time owner next door. And a home inside a Mello-Roos district pays a special tax that a nearby home outside the district does not.
Learn More
Educational estimates only, not an official bill. Rates are ad-valorem only (excluding Mello-Roos and fixed direct assessments) and shown as an area range, not your parcel's exact Tax Rate Area. Assessed values are existing-owner Proposition 13 figures, not a buyer's price. Confirm current figures with the San Diego County Assessor, Auditor & Controller, and Treasurer-Tax Collector.