Santa Clara County, California property tax
Typical rate, yearly bill and how it compares. Census survey 2020-2024.
The Census survey records the median bill in Santa Clara County only as "$10,000 or more", so the typical rate shown here is a floor. Real bills on a median home are likely higher.
How Santa Clara County compares
Property tax in Santa Clara County, in plain words
Homeowners in Santa Clara County pay a typical 0.67% of their home's value in property tax each year. On the median home, worth about $1,490,600, that comes to $10,000 or more a year. That rate is about the same as the California figure of 0.70% and below the national figure of 0.94%.
It ranks 42nd highest of 58 counties in California by rate, and 1996th of about 3,100 nationwide. Homes here cost more than the state median of $734,700, so bills run higher even at a similar rate.
Owners with a mortgage report a typical bill of $10,000 or more, and owners without one $6,633. The gap usually reflects newer buyers paying tax on higher, more recent values, while long-time owners often have caps, senior exemptions or freezes.
California also has a state income tax (1% to 13.3%), which you can weigh alongside property tax when comparing places. The typical bill equals about 6.1% of the county's median household income of $164,281.
Common questions
What is the property tax rate in Santa Clara County?
The typical effective rate is about 0.67% of a home's market value per year, based on what owners report paying in the Census American Community Survey. The rates printed on bills are set by each taxing body and applied to assessed value after exemptions.
How much is property tax on a typical home in Santa Clara County?
About $10,000 or more a year on the median home worth $1,490,600.
Why is my bill different from this estimate?
These are county-wide figures. Your exact bill depends on your home's assessed value, your city, school district and special districts, and the exemptions you claim, such as a homestead or senior exemption.
Can I lower my Santa Clara County property tax?
Make sure you have claimed every exemption you qualify for, and check your assessment notice each year. If the assessed value looks too high compared with recent sales of similar homes, you can appeal it. Our guide to appeals walks through the steps.
Is California a high property tax state?
California's typical rate of 0.70% ranks 35th highest of the 50 states and DC. The typical bill there is $5,124 a year.
How to appeal your assessment · How to read your bill · Where these numbers come from