California · FIPS 06087 · ACS 2020–2024
Santa Cruz County, California property tax rate
Homeowners in Santa Cruz County paid a median of $6,538 a year in real estate taxes on a median home value of $1,027,500 (2020–2024 survey). Taxes came to 0.60% of home value, 14% below the California rate of 0.70% and 36% below the U.S. rate of 0.94%.
- 0.60%Effective tax rate±0.03% margin · California: 0.70%
- $6,538Median tax per yearCalifornia: $5,124 · U.S.: $3,119
- $1,027,500Median home valueCalifornia: $734,700
- 58,079Owner-occupied homes60% of households own
| Measure | Santa Cruz County | California | U.S. | Santa Cruz County 2019–2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Effective tax rate | 0.60% | 0.70% | 0.94% | 0.61% | −0.01 pts |
| Median tax, all owners | $6,538 | $5,124 | $3,119 | $6,305 | +$233 (+3.7%) |
| Median tax, with a mortgage | $7,434 | $5,839 | $3,489 | $7,178 | +$256 (+3.6%) |
| Median tax, no mortgage | $4,595 | $3,825 | $2,576 | $4,345 | +$250 (+5.8%) |
| Median home value | $1,027,500 | $734,700 | $332,700 | $1,015,200 | +$12,300 (+1.2%) |
| Total taxes paid | $432,426,700 | $51,076,257,600 | $360,573,527,500 | $417,137,100 |
How Santa Cruz County compares
- Per $1,000 of home value, owners here paid about $6.03 a year, against $6.98 statewide and $9.40 nationally.
- Rank in California: 6 of 55 counties from lowest to highest effective rate (among those with reliable estimates). Nationally, 31% of 2,682 counties had a lower rate.
- Homes with a mortgage: 0.64% of value; homes without one: 0.52%. Median bills: $7,434 and $4,595.
- Compared with the 2019–2023 survey, the effective rate fell (−0.01 pts) and the median tax changed +$233 (+3.7%). 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 0.60% ± 0.03% at 90% confidence, from a sample of the 58,079 owner-occupied homes.
California counties with similar rates
| County | Effective rate | Median tax | Median value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mariposa County | 0.58% | $2,377 | $387,900 |
| Inyo County | 0.59% | $2,576 | $348,700 |
| Santa Barbara County | 0.59% | $5,103 | $790,700 |
| Siskiyou County | 0.60% | $1,973 | $309,500 |
| Napa County | 0.60% | $5,995 | $869,500 |
| Glenn County | 0.61% | $2,263 | $352,400 |
| Tuolumne County | 0.62% | $2,864 | $433,200 |
| Humboldt County | 0.62% | $2,858 | $446,900 |
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.