California property tax rates by county

California · #35 of 52 · 58 counties

0.70%state benchmark

Median annual property tax $5,124 · median home value $734,700

Below the U.S. benchmark 0.94%. First installment due Nov 1, Second installment due Feb 1. Payment dates ↓

Same house, different county

Apply each county's benchmark rate to a $734,700 home, the California median: about $6,480 a year in Kern County (0.88%) versus $4,484 in San Mateo County (0.61%) — $1,996 a year apart for the same house. Counties with at least 20,000 people.

Where most California residents live

County	Rate	Median tax	Of income
Los Angeles County#38 of 56	0.68%	$5,675	6.3%
San Diego County#40 of 56	0.68%	$5,774	5.4%
Orange County#43 of 56	0.66%	$6,330	5.4%
Riverside County#5 of 56	0.78%	$4,348	4.7%
San Bernardino County#28 of 56	0.70%	$3,538	4.1%

Of income = median annual property tax ÷ median household income (all households, owners and renters), ACS 2020–2024 5-year. A real bill depends on the assessed value and exemptions, not only the rate.

Counties, highest rate first

Find a county in this state

When it's due in California

All states

First installment	Due Nov 1 Late after Dec 10 under state law — the exact cutoff time, weekend/holiday carry-over and this year's date are on your bill.
Second installment	Due Feb 1 Late after Apr 10 under state law — the exact cutoff time, weekend/holiday carry-over and this year's date are on your bill.
Late penalty	10% penalty on 1st installment after Dec 10 5pm; 10% penalty plus $10 cost on 2nd installment after Apr 10 5pm; 1.5%/month redemption fee after June 30 (Cal. Rev. & Tax. Code §§ 2617, 2618, 4103)
Appeal window	July 2 to September 15 (or November 30 depending on county notification) to Assessment Appeals Board (Cal. Rev. & Tax. Code § 1603)

First installment delinquent after 5:00 p.m. Dec 10; second installment delinquent after 5:00 p.m. Apr 10. Default date June 30. Regular annual schedule; tax year: fiscal year July 1 - June 30, bills mailed Oct/Nov. Source: Cal. Rev. & Tax. Code §§ 2605, 2607, 2617, 2618, rules checked 2026-09-19. Confirm the amount and deadline on your official tax bill.

Benchmark = median real estate taxes paid ÷ median home value, ACS 2020–2024 5-year. Counties where the Census reports a range ("less than $200", "$10,000 or more") get no rate.