Orange County, California property tax
The median homeowner in Orange County, California pays $6,096 a year in property tax on a home worth $915,500, an effective rate of 0.67%. The national effective rate is 0.98%.
What the rate means here
At 0.67%, Orange County taxes property more lightly than the national 0.98%. This is the case where the rate misleads. Owners pay $6,096 a year, which is what matters, and the low percentage is a function of what housing is worth rather than of restraint by the county.
It ranks #44 of 56 California counties by effective rate, against a statewide 0.71%, and #1,839 nationally. The state runs from 0.91% in Kern County down to 0.54% in Trinity County.
The median home costs 8.05 times the median household income of $113,702, against 3.86 nationally, so housing absorbs an unusually large share of what people here earn. Renters pay 24.82% of median income in gross rent. With 3,164,063 residents this is one of the larger counties in the country, so the medians here average across a genuinely varied housing market and hide a lot of local range.
The rate is derived rather than quoted. How and why.
What that costs at different home values
Arithmetic at the county effective rate, before any exemption or assessment cap.
Housing and income
| Orange County | California | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effective property tax | 0.67% | 0.71% | 0.98% |
| Median tax bill | $6,096 | $4,926 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $915,500 | $695,400 | $303,400 |
| Median gross rent | $2,352 | $1,956 | $1,348 |
| Median household income | $113,702 | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Home price to income | 8.05× | 7.22× | 3.86× |
| Rent as share of income | 24.82% | 24.37% | 20.6% |
| Owner-occupied | 56.45% | 55.79% | 65.02% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 five-year estimates. Population 3,164,063.
Nearby counties of similar size
| County | Rate | Median bill | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego County | 0.70% | $5,542 | $791,600 |
| Riverside County | 0.82% | $4,189 | $510,300 |
| San Bernardino County | 0.70% | $3,346 | $475,000 |
| Santa Clara County | 0.71% | $9,766 | $1,382,800 |
| Alameda County | 0.76% | $8,061 | $1,057,400 |
Orange County property tax: common questions
What is the property tax rate in Orange County, California?
The effective rate is 0.67% of home value, from a median tax bill of $6,096 against a median home value of $915,500. That is 0.31 points below the national 0.98%.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 home in Orange County?
Roughly $2,680 a year at the county effective rate of 0.67%.
Is Orange County expensive compared with the rest of California?
It ranks #44 of 56 California counties by effective property tax rate, and #1839 of 2,826 nationally. That is 0.04 points below the California average of 0.71%.
What does housing cost in Orange County?
The median home is worth $915,500 and median gross rent is $2,352 a month. Median household income is $113,702, which puts the home at 8.05 times annual income and rent at 24.82% of it.