California Property Tools

Santa Cruz County Property Tax

The average property-tax rate in Santa Cruz County is about 1.1% of assessed value (Board of Equalization county average, 2024-25) — the 1% Proposition 13 base levy plus each area's voter-approved debt. That's close to the statewide average of about 1.11%, making it the 32nd-highest of California's 58 counties (the 27th-lowest). On a $500,000 assessed value that's roughly $5,485 a year. Estimate your own bill below, or jump to due dates & where to pay or assessed value by city.

Santa Cruz County property tax: the short answers

  • Due dates (2026–27). First installment due Sunday, November 1, 2026, pay by 5 p.m. Thursday, December 10, 2026; second due Monday, February 1, 2027, pay by 5 p.m. Monday, April 12, 2027 (April 10 is a Saturday). Santa Cruz County's statement on 2026–27 bills: “On or before November 1, 2026 (§2609 notice); site: online and being mailed.”
  • Where to pay. Online at ttc.co.santa-cruz.ca.us/TaxBills (search by parcel number or address); fees as the county lists them: e-check free, card 2.29% credit. No bill yet? Call (831) 454-2510 for a duplicate; a missing bill does not excuse a late payment (§2610.5).
  • Typical bill. The county's average single-family home is assessed at about $704,242 (Board of Equalization, 2025), which at the 1.097% county average comes to about $7,726 a year before Mello-Roos and direct charges. A new buyer pays on the purchase price instead.
  • Your rate depends on where you are. Across Santa Cruz County's 410 Tax Rate Areas the ad-valorem rate runs from 1.03% to 1.22% (2026/2027 rate book); see what is in your rate, or the rate by ZIP code.
  • Look up a parcel. Santa Cruz County Assessor for assessed value and exemptions; the tax collector's portal above for the bill itself.
What are you trying to do?

What did you pay when you acquired the property?

$

Only the year is needed — Proposition 13 compounds on each January 1, so the month of purchase doesn't change the factored value.

1975–2026

Worth about $70–$90 a year at typical rates. It is not automatic: file form BOE-266 once with the county assessor, by February 15 for the full amount (80% if filed by December 10). How it works · The form

How Santa Cruz 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 that assessed value times the ad-valorem rate — the 1% base plus voter-approved bonds — which is why Santa Cruz County's average works out to about 1.1%. Because the bonds differ by Tax Rate Area, two homes in the same county can pay slightly different rates.

What changed in Santa Cruz County's rates for 2026-27

Comparing the county's 2026-27 rate book with 2025-26, Tax Rate Area by Tax Rate Area, the parcel-weighted median ad-valorem rate fell from 1.1401% to 1.1287% (−0.0114 points). Rates went up for 3.0% of the county's 97,175 parcels in rated areas and down for 97.0%. The 1% Proposition 13 base never moves; what moved is the voter-approved debt on top of it, which each agency recalculates every year from the bonds it must repay and the assessed value that repays them.

  • CABRILLO COL GO DS 1998 Series D: 0.0046% → 0.0014% (−0.0032), on about 94,821 parcels — community college district bonds.
  • 2012 C PAJARO VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT BOND: 0.0089% → 0.0012% (−0.0078), on about 30,568 parcels — school district facilities bonds.
  • 2022 A SANTA CRUZ CITY HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT BOND: 0.0280% → 0.0240% (−0.0039), on about 39,013 parcels — school district facilities bonds.

Every Tax Rate Area's move, the levies behind it and the other counties with a 2026-27 book are on California property tax rate changes for 2026-27 →

What's on a property tax bill

Ad-valorem tax (1% base + voter-approved debt) · Mello-Roos special taxes, where a parcel is in a Community Facilities District (how long they last) · fixed direct assessments (lighting, sewer, etc.). Only the first is value-based; the 1.1% rate covers that part.

Learn the rules behind the rate: how California property tax is calculated, Proposition 13, Mello-Roos, and what triggers a reassessment.

Want your exact rate, not the county average? See what's in your Santa Cruz County property tax → — browse by city and Tax Rate Area, or look up your parcel, for the itemized ad-valorem breakdown.

The 1.1% figure is a county average; the actual ad-valorem rate differs by Tax Rate Area. See the Santa Cruz County property tax rate by ZIP code → for the typical rate, home value, and bill in each ZIP.

Some Santa Cruz County communities also pay a Mello-Roos special tax — see the Santa Cruz County CFD district list → with each district's bond debt and delinquency.

Santa Cruz County property tax by the numbers

How much is property tax in Santa Cruz County? For an existing owner the average single-family home is assessed near $704,242, so at the county's 1.097% average rate (Board of Equalization county average, 2024-25) the implied bill is about $7,726 a year (a mean across all existing owners, not a median). A new buyer is taxed on the purchase price instead — use the calculator above. The figures below are the county-level activity behind that rate.

$704,242
Average single-family assessed value (2025)
across 64,833 single-family parcels — a Proposition 13 basis, not a sale price; at the county's 1.097% average rate (BOE, 2024-25) that is an implied $7,726/yr bill
$65B
Net assessed value on the roll (2025-26)
+6.0% in a year, +67.0% over ten and +231.7% since 2000-01 (BOE Table 5), across 100,011 secured-roll parcels and assessments (+0.8% since 2015-16), about $633,671 of locally assessed value each (BOE Table D) — Proposition 13 values, not market values; all 58 counties compared
3,684
Ownership transfers (2025)
2,598 single-family — each can trigger a one-time supplemental bill; plus 1,366 new-construction assessments
308
Proposition 8 decline-in-value reductions (2025)
148 single-family — temporary cuts when market value drops below the assessed value. How Prop 8 works →
248
Assessment appeals filed (FY 2024-25)
134 residential, 68 commercial. How to appeal →
421
Disaster (calamity) reassessments (2025)
parcels given a temporary reduction after fire, flood or other damage. Disaster relief rules →
171 / 160
Prop 19 exclusions granted: parent-child / 55+, disabled or disaster (FY 2024-25)
171 of 249 parent-child claims and 160 of 157 senior / disabled / disaster claims were granted — claims processed that year, including trailing legacy Prop 58/193 and 60/90/110 filings. Prop 19 by county →
3
Mello-Roos districts reporting to CDIAC (2024-25)
$61 million in bond debt, about $5.5 million a year in special taxes, 2% unpaid. Every Santa Cruz County CFD →
12,796
FAIR Plan policies in force (Sept 30, 2025)
+532% since 2021; 4% of insured homes were on the FAIR Plan in 2022 (CDI); 7.3% 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 them on the policyholder (CDI, by county). FAIR Plan by county and ZIP →
22.9%
Homes in a High or Very High fire hazard zone
of 106,150 homes (2020): 18.8% under the state map in force since 2024, 4.1% under the 2025 local recommendations. Zones by county, city and ZIP →
56¢ schools
Where each property-tax dollar goes (2024-25)
11¢ county, 5¢ cities, 27¢ special districts and other agencies (rounded shares; may not sum to exactly 100¢). All 58 counties and the statewide trend →

Sources: California State Board of Equalization (assessors' workload tables, Table E1 single-family values, property-tax allocation), the California Debt and Investment Advisory Commission (Mello-Roos roster), the California FAIR Plan Association (policies in force by county) and CAL FIRE / OSFM fire hazard severity zones weighted by 2020 housing units. County aggregates only, no parcel or owner identities; counts are filings processed and can lag the event year. Verify with the Santa Cruz County Assessor before relying on them.

Due dates & where to pay

Santa Cruz 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, and a bill still unpaid on July 1 becomes tax-defaulted; after five years in default the county may sell it at auction (see the California tax sale calendar). Boats, aircraft and business equipment are billed separately on the unsecured roll, due in one payment by August 31. Pay or look up a parcel through the Santa Cruz County Treasurer-Tax Collector. Portal links, fees and missing-bill numbers for every county are on one look-up-and-pay page.

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.

Ways to lower your bill

  • The $7,000 Homeowners' Exemption for owner-occupants (~$70/yr) — not the same as the homestead exemption, which protects home equity from creditors and changes no tax.
  • Senior programs — Property Tax Postponement (62+, income-qualified; the state pays the bill at 5% simple interest) and a Proposition 19 base-year transfer (55+).
  • A Proposition 8 decline-in-value review if the market drops below your assessed value.
  • Appealing your assessment if it looks too high — the regular filing window in Santa Cruz County runs July 2 to November 30 (2026); only the assessed value can be appealed, not the rate or the flat charges.

Selling in Santa Cruz County: the transfer tax

A sale also pays a one-time documentary transfer tax of $1.10 per $1,000 of the price (net of any loan the buyer takes over) to the county (Revenue and Taxation Code §11911), $1,100 on a $1,000,000 sale. In Santa Cruz County, Santa Cruz adds its own city transfer tax on top. Estimate it for any sale with the California transfer tax calculator; the documentary transfer tax guide covers who pays and the exemptions.

Santa Cruz County assessed value by city

The size of the property-tax base in each of Santa Cruz County's 4 incorporated cities: the total assessed value of all property inside the city limits on the 2025 roll, how fast it is growing, and its share of the county's $65.5 billion total. Dividing by each city's population shows how much taxable property stands behind each resident: from $379k in Capitola down to $113k in Watsonville. About 57.8% of the county's assessed value lies outside any city, in unincorporated areas.

CityAssessed value (2025 roll)1-year changeSince 2013Share of countyPer resident
Santa Cruz$14.3 billion+6.0%+97.0%21.8%$231k
Watsonville$5.75 billion+3.1%+80.8%8.8%$113k
Scotts Valley$4.02 billion+5.4%+94.4%6.1%$345k
Capitola$3.54 billion+7.2%+89.0%5.4%$379k

Assessed value = the whole city's roll (homes, businesses, land and state-assessed utility property together) as reported by the Board of Equalization (Table 11), a Proposition 13 basis — not a typical home value, a tax rate or a bill. Growth reflects reassessment on sale, new construction, the annual inflation factor (capped at 2%), Proposition 8 decline-in-value cuts and their restoration, disaster losses, and any change in city boundaries. Share of county uses the county's total assessed value (Table 10); the two tables' bases differ slightly. Per resident divides the city's roll by its July 1, 2025 Census population estimate (Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025); a high figure means a lot of commercial, industrial or second-home value per inhabitant, not a high tax bill. Santa Cruz County does not publish its parcel roll in bulk, so the per-home figure on this page is the Board of Equalization's average single-family assessment (the “Typical bill” line above, about $7,726 a year) rather than a roll median — use the county rate and the calculator above for your own estimate.

Neighboring counties' property tax rates

Santa Cruz County averages about 1.1%. Of the 4 counties that border it, 0 average less, 3 more and 1 about the same:

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the property tax rate in Santa Cruz County?

Santa Cruz County's average property tax rate is about 1.1% of assessed value (California Board of Equalization, 2024-25) — the 1% Proposition 13 base levy plus each area's voter-approved debt. That's close to the statewide average of about 1.11%. Your parcel's exact rate depends on its Tax Rate Area; Mello-Roos and fixed direct assessments, where they apply, are billed on top.

How much is property tax in Santa Cruz County?

Multiply your assessed value by about 1.1%. On a $500,000 assessed value that's roughly $5,485 a year. The county's average single-family assessed value is about $704,242 (Board of Equalization, 2025), which at the county's 1.097% average rate (BOE county average, 2024-25) works out to an implied bill near $7,726 a year for an existing owner. Under Proposition 13 your assessed value is generally what you paid when you bought, rising no more than 2% a year — use the calculator above for your own number.

When are Santa Cruz County property taxes due?

For 2026–27: the first installment is due Sunday, November 1, 2026 and must be paid by 5 p.m. Thursday, December 10, 2026; the second is due Monday, February 1, 2027 and must be paid by 5 p.m. Monday, April 12, 2027 (April 10 falls on a Saturday). Santa Cruz County's published statement on 2026–27 bills: "On or before November 1, 2026 (§2609 notice); site: online and being mailed." 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. These deadlines are set by California state law (Revenue & Taxation Code §§2605–2606 and §§2617–2619) and are the same in every county; confirm the exact dates on your bill and the county tax collector's website.

How do I look up or pay my Santa Cruz County property tax?

Look up and pay on the Santa Cruz County Treasurer-Tax Collector's portal at ttc.co.santa-cruz.ca.us/TaxBills — search by Assessor's Parcel Number (APN, printed on any prior bill) or, on most portals, by address; it shows both installments, penalties and payment history. Fees as the county publishes them: e-check free; card 2.29% credit. If your bill has not arrived, call (831) 454-2510 for a duplicate — not receiving a bill does not excuse a late payment (Revenue and Taxation Code §2610.5). 2026–27 bills: On or before 2026-11-01 (§2609 notice); site: online and being mailed. Every county's portal, fees and missing-bill number are on one page: californiapropertytools.com/california-property-tax-lookup-and-pay/#santa-cruz.

How can I lower my Santa Cruz County property tax?

Claim the $7,000 Homeowners' Exemption if you occupy the home; check the senior Property Tax Postponement and, if you're 55+, a Proposition 19 base-year transfer; if the market has fallen below your assessed value, request a Proposition 8 decline-in-value review; and appeal your assessment if it looks too high.

Official Santa Cruz County offices

Look up your parcel, exact rate, and bill directly with the county:

Learn More

California Property Tax Rate by CountyCompare all 58 counties' average rates.California Property Tax CalculatorEstimate your Prop 13 assessed value and annual tax.Proposition 13 ExplainedBase-year value, the 2% cap, and reassessment.Senior Property Tax ExemptionsPostponement, Prop 19 transfers, and more.

Rate source: California State Board of Equalization county-average property tax rate (2024-25) — total ad-valorem levies divided by net assessed value. This is a county average; your parcel's rate depends on its Tax Rate Area, and Mello-Roos or fixed direct assessments are extra. Educational estimate, not an official bill — confirm figures with the Santa Cruz County Assessor and Treasurer-Tax Collector.