California · FIPS 06085 · ACS 2020–2024
Santa Clara County, California property tax rate
Homeowners in Santa Clara County paid a median of $10,000+ a year in real estate taxes on a median home value of $1,490,600 (2020–2024 survey). Taxes came to 0.68% of home value, 3% below the California rate of 0.70% and 28% below the U.S. rate of 0.94%.
- 0.68%Effective tax rate±0.01% margin · California: 0.70%
- $10,000+Median tax per yearCalifornia: $5,124 · U.S.: $3,119
- $1,490,600Median home valueCalifornia: $734,700
- 363,147Owner-occupied homes55% of households own
| Measure | Santa Clara County | California | U.S. | Santa Clara County 2019–2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Effective tax rate | 0.68% | 0.70% | 0.94% | 0.67% | +0.01 pts |
| Median tax, all owners | $10,000+ | $5,124 | $3,119 | $9,766 | n/a |
| Median tax, with a mortgage | $10,000+ | $5,839 | $3,489 | $10,000+ | n/a |
| Median tax, no mortgage | $6,633 | $3,825 | $2,576 | $6,435 | +$198 (+3.1%) |
| Median home value | $1,490,600 | $734,700 | $332,700 | $1,382,800 | +$107,800 (+7.8%) |
| Total taxes paid | $4,433,536,300 | $51,076,257,600 | $360,573,527,500 | $4,156,382,200 |
How Santa Clara County compares
- Per $1,000 of home value, owners here paid about $6.77 a year, against $6.98 statewide and $9.40 nationally.
- Rank in California: 22 of 55 counties from lowest to highest effective rate (among those with reliable estimates). Nationally, 41% of 2,682 counties had a lower rate.
- Homes with a mortgage: 0.76% of value; homes without one: 0.51%. Median bills: $10,000+ and $6,633.
- Compared with the 2019–2023 survey, the effective rate rose (+0.01 pts) and the median tax changed n/a. 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 0.68% ± 0.01% at 90% confidence, from a sample of the 363,147 owner-occupied homes.
California counties with similar rates
| County | Effective rate | Median tax | Median value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mendocino County | 0.67% | $3,545 | $512,200 |
| San Diego County | 0.67% | $5,774 | $854,700 |
| 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 |
| 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.