What San Diego County property tax looks like
Among the 30 counties covered here, San Diego County has the 25th highest effective rate and the 8th highest median bill. Every $100,000 of value carries about $700 of tax a year at this rate.
On a $400,000 purchase that comes to roughly $2,800 a year, or $233 a month. Priced at the California average rate instead, the same home would cost $3 a month more in tax.
One office, the Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk, records the deed and reassesses the home at its sale price, so the reassessment that follows a purchase starts from the moment of recording.
Parcel-level values and tax history are published by the San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk.
Example monthly payment at the median home value
Borrowing $633,280 against a $791,600 San Diego County home (20% down, 6.5% for 30 years, illustrative rather than quoted) works out as follows.
| Component | Per month |
|---|---|
| Principal and interest | $4,003 |
| Property tax | $462 |
| Homeowners insurance | $150 |
| Mortgage insurance (PMI) | $0 |
| Total | $4,615 |
Property tax is 10.0% of the $4,615 total, so a lender escrowing it would set aside about $462 each month toward the San Diego County bill.
How reliable this figure is
For San Diego County the Census Bureau reports a 90% margin of error of ±$50 on the $5,542 median tax and ±$4,893 on the $791,600 median value, so the 0.700% rate is a county-wide average rather than the rate on any one bill.
These medians describe today's owners, not today's buyers. How California values and caps a home, including what resets on sale, is set out on the California page.
Counties with a similar rate
Also in California: Los Angeles County (0.694%), Orange County (0.666%), Riverside County (0.821%).
Frequently asked questions
What is the property tax rate in San Diego County, CA?
The effective rate is 0.700%, which is the median real estate tax paid ($5,542) divided by the median home value ($791,600) in the Census Bureau's 2019-2023 estimates.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 home in San Diego County?
At this county's effective rate the figure is about $2,800 a year, or $233 a month. That is $3 a month less than the California average rate of 0.71% would give on the same price.
How much of a San Diego County monthly mortgage payment is property tax?
On a $791,600 home with 20% down at 6.5% over 30 years, property tax is about $462 of a $4,615 total monthly payment, or 10.0%.
Is property tax in San Diego County high compared with the rest of California?
San Diego County's 0.700% is 0.01 percentage points below the 0.71% California average, and its $5,542 median bill ranks 8th of the 30 counties covered here, with the rate ranking 25th.
Source and method
Census American Community Survey, ACS 2019-2023 5-year estimates, released December 2024. For San Diego County: B25103 median tax $5,542, B25077 median value $791,600, B25003 632,194 owner-occupied homes. Formulas are on the methodology page; every result is an estimate, not a quote or tax advice.