Santa Cruz County, California property tax
The median homeowner in Santa Cruz County, California pays $6,305 a year in property tax on a home worth $1,015,200, an effective rate of 0.62%. The national effective rate is 0.98%.
What the rate means here
At 0.62%, Santa Cruz County taxes property more lightly than the national 0.98%. A low rate on an expensive house is not the bargain it looks like. The median bill is still $6,305, because 0.62% of $1,015,200 is not a small number.
It ranks #53 of 56 California counties by effective rate, against a statewide 0.71%, and #2,004 nationally. The state runs from 0.91% in Kern County down to 0.54% in Trinity County.
The median home costs 9.29 times the median household income of $109,266, against 3.86 nationally, so housing absorbs an unusually large share of what people here earn. Renters pay 23.85% of median income in gross rent. At 266,021 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
| Santa Cruz County | California | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effective property tax | 0.62% | 0.71% | 0.98% |
| Median tax bill | $6,305 | $4,926 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $1,015,200 | $695,400 | $303,400 |
| Median gross rent | $2,172 | $1,956 | $1,348 |
| Median household income | $109,266 | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Home price to income | 9.29× | 7.22× | 3.86× |
| Rent as share of income | 23.85% | 24.37% | 20.6% |
| Owner-occupied | 59.98% | 55.79% | 65.02% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 five-year estimates. Population 266,021.
Nearby counties of similar size
| County | Rate | Median bill | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marin County | 0.72% | $10,001 | $1,390,000 |
| San Luis Obispo County | 0.70% | $5,475 | $777,200 |
| Merced County | 0.68% | $2,487 | $368,400 |
| Yolo County | 0.77% | $4,567 | $593,800 |
| Butte County | 0.69% | $2,819 | $408,700 |
Santa Cruz County property tax: common questions
What is the property tax rate in Santa Cruz County, California?
The effective rate is 0.62% of home value, from a median tax bill of $6,305 against a median home value of $1,015,200. That is 0.36 points below the national 0.98%.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 home in Santa Cruz County?
Roughly $2,480 a year at the county effective rate of 0.62%.
Is Santa Cruz County expensive compared with the rest of California?
It ranks #53 of 56 California counties by effective property tax rate, and #2004 of 2,826 nationally. That is 0.09 points below the California average of 0.71%.
What does housing cost in Santa Cruz County?
The median home is worth $1,015,200 and median gross rent is $2,172 a month. Median household income is $109,266, which puts the home at 9.29 times annual income and rent at 23.85% of it.