

This reduces the assessed value by $7,000, saving you at least $70 per year. Homeowners in California can claim a $7,000 exemption on their primary residence. The same is true of homeowners in areas that have experienced rapid price growth in recent years, such as San Francisco and San Jose. This means that, for homeowners who have been in their house for a long time, assessed value is often lower than market value.

Remember, there's a 2% cap on these increases. From there, the assessed value increases every year according to the rate of inflation, which is the change in the California Consumer Price Index. So when you buy a home, the assessed value is equal to the purchase price. This compares well to the national average, which currently sits at 1.07% How Property Taxes in California WorkĬalifornia property taxes are based on the purchase price of the property. The average effective property tax rate in California is 0.73%.

These two rules combine to keep California’s overall property taxes below the national average, which in turn keeps your bills low. And secondly, it restricts increases in assessed value to 2% per year. The law has two important features.įirst, it limits general property taxes (not including those collected for special purposes) to 1% of a property’s market value. Property taxes in California are limited by Proposition 13, a law approved by California voters in 1978. California Property Taxes Photo credit: ©/DustyPixe
