California · FIPS 06081 · ACS 2020–2024
San Mateo County, California property tax rate
Homeowners in San Mateo County paid a median of $9,519 a year in real estate taxes on a median home value of $1,559,600 (2020–2024 survey). Taxes came to 0.63% of home value, 9% below the California rate of 0.70% and 33% below the U.S. rate of 0.94%.
- 0.63%Effective tax rate±0.02% margin · California: 0.70%
- $9,519Median tax per yearCalifornia: $5,124 · U.S.: $3,119
- $1,559,600Median home valueCalifornia: $734,700
- 154,607Owner-occupied homes58% of households own
| Measure | San Mateo County | California | U.S. | San Mateo County 2019–2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Effective tax rate | 0.63% | 0.70% | 0.94% | 0.61% | +0.03 pts |
| Median tax, all owners | $9,519 | $5,124 | $3,119 | $9,167 | +$352 (+3.8%) |
| Median tax, with a mortgage | $10,000+ | $5,839 | $3,489 | $10,000+ | n/a |
| Median tax, no mortgage | $6,502 | $3,825 | $2,576 | $6,267 | +$235 (+3.7%) |
| Median home value | $1,559,600 | $734,700 | $332,700 | $1,494,500 | +$65,100 (+4.4%) |
| Total taxes paid | $1,947,174,400 | $51,076,257,600 | $360,573,527,500 | $1,833,570,300 |
How San Mateo County compares
- Per $1,000 of home value, owners here paid about $6.33 a year, against $6.98 statewide and $9.40 nationally.
- Rank in California: 12 of 55 counties from lowest to highest effective rate (among those with reliable estimates). Nationally, 35% of 2,682 counties had a lower rate.
- Homes with a mortgage: 0.70% of value; homes without one: 0.50%. Median bills: $10,000+ and $6,502.
- Compared with the 2019–2023 survey, the effective rate rose (+0.03 pts) and the median tax changed +$352 (+3.8%). 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 0.63% ± 0.02% at 90% confidence, from a sample of the 154,607 owner-occupied homes.
California counties with similar rates
| County | Effective rate | Median tax | Median value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glenn County | 0.61% | $2,263 | $352,400 |
| Tuolumne County | 0.62% | $2,864 | $433,200 |
| Humboldt County | 0.62% | $2,858 | $446,900 |
| Monterey County | 0.63% | $4,910 | $781,000 |
| San Luis Obispo County | 0.64% | $5,636 | $824,700 |
| Orange County | 0.64% | $6,330 | $962,600 |
| Sonoma County | 0.65% | $5,695 | $815,500 |
| Tehama County | 0.65% | $2,118 | $339,600 |
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.