What is San Francisco's property tax rate?

California's base rate is 1% of assessed value under Proposition 13, but voter-approved bonds and special assessments push San Francisco's effective rate to roughly 1.18%. This tool defaults to 1.18% and lets you override it if your bill differs.

Is property tax based on market value?

No. Under Prop 13 the taxable base is your assessed value, which is the purchase price plus a capped 2% annual inflation adjustment. It can be far below current market value if you have owned for many years.

What is the homeowners' exemption?

California offers a $7,000 reduction in assessed value for an owner-occupied primary residence. At a 1.18% effective rate that saves about $83 per year. Tick the box only if the home is your principal residence.

Why does my actual bill differ from this estimate?

Bills include direct charges such as Mello-Roos, school parcel taxes, and sewer or refuse fees that are flat dollar amounts, not percentages. This tool estimates the ad valorem (value-based) portion only.

When are San Francisco property taxes due?

Secured property taxes are paid in two installments: the first is due November 1 and delinquent after December 10, the second is due February 1 and delinquent after April 10 of the following year.

San Francisco Property Tax Estimator

San Francisco property tax is built on California’s Proposition 13 system: a 1% base rate applied to your assessed value, topped up by voter-approved bonds and local assessments that bring the effective rate to about 1.18%. This estimator applies that rate to your assessed value and accounts for the homeowners’ exemption so you can budget a realistic annual bill.

How it works

The ad valorem portion of the bill is a flat percentage of taxable assessed value, after any exemption:

taxable value = assessed value − exemption (7000 if primary residence)
annual tax    = taxable value × effective rate
monthly       = annual tax / 12

Under Prop 13 the assessed value is your purchase price plus a maximum 2% annual increase, which is why long-time owners often pay far less than a recent buyer of an identical home. The effective rate moves slightly each year as bonds are added or retired, so override the default if your tax bill shows a different total rate.

Example and tips

A home assessed at $1,200,000 as a primary residence has a taxable value of $1,193,000 after the $7,000 exemption. At a 1.18% effective rate that is about $14,077 per year, or roughly $1,173 per month. Remember this covers only the value-based portion: check your bill for fixed direct charges such as parcel taxes and sewer fees, which are added on top and are not percentages of value.