San Luis Obispo County, California property tax
The median homeowner in San Luis Obispo County, California pays $5,475 a year in property tax on a home worth $777,200, an effective rate of 0.70%. The national effective rate is 0.98%.
What the rate means here
At 0.70%, San Luis Obispo County taxes property more lightly than the national 0.98%. Rate and bill part company here. The percentage is below national, the house is worth $777,200, and the bill lands at $5,475 anyway.
It ranks #30 of 56 California counties by effective rate, against a statewide 0.71%, and #1,742 nationally. The state runs from 0.91% in Kern County down to 0.54% in Trinity County.
The median home costs 8.32 times the median household income of $93,398, against 3.86 nationally, so housing absorbs an unusually large share of what people here earn. Renters pay 24.4% of median income in gross rent. At 281,486 residents the county is large enough that its median blends several distinct housing markets.
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
| San Luis Obispo County | California | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effective property tax | 0.70% | 0.71% | 0.98% |
| Median tax bill | $5,475 | $4,926 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $777,200 | $695,400 | $303,400 |
| Median gross rent | $1,899 | $1,956 | $1,348 |
| Median household income | $93,398 | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Home price to income | 8.32× | 7.22× | 3.86× |
| Rent as share of income | 24.4% | 24.37% | 20.6% |
| Owner-occupied | 61.9% | 55.79% | 65.02% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 five-year estimates. Population 281,486.
Nearby counties of similar size
| County | Rate | Median bill | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merced County | 0.68% | $2,487 | $368,400 |
| Santa Cruz County | 0.62% | $6,305 | $1,015,200 |
| Marin County | 0.72% | $10,001 | $1,390,000 |
| Yolo County | 0.77% | $4,567 | $593,800 |
| Butte County | 0.69% | $2,819 | $408,700 |
San Luis Obispo County property tax: common questions
What is the property tax rate in San Luis Obispo County, California?
The effective rate is 0.70% of home value, from a median tax bill of $5,475 against a median home value of $777,200. That is 0.28 points below the national 0.98%.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 home in San Luis Obispo County?
Roughly $2,800 a year at the county effective rate of 0.70%.
Is San Luis Obispo County expensive compared with the rest of California?
It ranks #30 of 56 California counties by effective property tax rate, and #1742 of 2,826 nationally. That is 0.01 points below the California average of 0.71%.
What does housing cost in San Luis Obispo County?
The median home is worth $777,200 and median gross rent is $1,899 a month. Median household income is $93,398, which puts the home at 8.32 times annual income and rent at 24.4% of it.