California · FIPS 06073 · ACS 2020–2024
San Diego County, California property tax rate
Homeowners in San Diego County paid a median of $5,774 a year in real estate taxes on a median home value of $854,700 (2020–2024 survey). Taxes came to 0.67% of home value, 4% below the California rate of 0.70% and 29% below the U.S. rate of 0.94%.
- 0.67%Effective tax rate±0.01% margin · California: 0.70%
- $5,774Median tax per yearCalifornia: $5,124 · U.S.: $3,119
- $854,700Median home valueCalifornia: $734,700
- 639,138Owner-occupied homes55% of households own
| Measure | San Diego County | California | U.S. | San Diego County 2019–2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Effective tax rate | 0.67% | 0.70% | 0.94% | 0.69% | −0.02 pts |
| Median tax, all owners | $5,774 | $5,124 | $3,119 | $5,542 | +$232 (+4.2%) |
| Median tax, with a mortgage | $6,375 | $5,839 | $3,489 | $6,119 | +$256 (+4.2%) |
| Median tax, no mortgage | $4,129 | $3,825 | $2,576 | $3,929 | +$200 (+5.1%) |
| Median home value | $854,700 | $734,700 | $332,700 | $791,600 | +$63,100 (+8.0%) |
| Total taxes paid | $4,439,041,900 | $51,076,257,600 | $360,573,527,500 | $4,186,511,100 |
How San Diego County compares
- Per $1,000 of home value, owners here paid about $6.70 a year, against $6.98 statewide and $9.40 nationally.
- Rank in California: 18 of 55 counties from lowest to highest effective rate (among those with reliable estimates). Nationally, 40% of 2,682 counties had a lower rate.
- Homes with a mortgage: 0.71% of value; homes without one: 0.56%. Median bills: $6,375 and $4,129.
- Compared with the 2019–2023 survey, the effective rate fell (−0.02 pts) and the median tax changed +$232 (+4.2%). The two 5-year surveys share four years of responses, so year-to-year moves are small and partly noise.
- Margin of error: the effective rate is 0.67% ± 0.01% at 90% confidence, from a sample of the 639,138 owner-occupied homes.
California counties with similar rates
| County | Effective rate | Median tax | Median value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mendocino County | 0.67% | $3,545 | $512,200 |
| Colusa County | 0.67% | $2,426 | $393,400 |
| Merced County | 0.67% | $2,634 | $391,800 |
| Los Angeles County | 0.67% | $5,675 | $834,200 |
| Santa Clara County | 0.68% | $10,000+ | $1,490,600 |
| Modoc County | 0.68% | $1,561 | $224,700 |
| Ventura County | 0.69% | $5,574 | $822,700 |
| Plumas County | 0.69% | $2,537 | $360,200 |
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates, table-based summary file: B25090 (aggregate real estate taxes), B25082 (aggregate home value), B25103 (median real estate taxes), B25077 (median home value) and B25003 (tenure); files dated January 29, 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates, same tables (files dated October 31, 2024), for the comparison column.
- Geography names: Census Bureau Geos20245YR.txt (file dated January 22, 2026).
Effective rate = total real estate taxes paid by owner-occupied homes ÷ their total value, as reported by owners to the Census Bureau. It is not a millage rate. Your bill depends on your assessed value, exemptions (such as homestead) and local levies.