Santa Cruz County property tax
Homeowners in Santa Cruz County, California typically pay about 0.64% of their home's value in property tax each year — a median bill of $6,538 on a median home value of $1,027,500.
Typical effective rate
0.64%
higher than 68% of U.S. counties
Median tax paid
$6,538
per year
Median home value
$1,027,500
In CA
#51
of 58 ranked counties
At a glance
- Effective rate 0.64% — 32% lower than the U.S. median of 0.94%, and 9% lower than the California median of 0.70%.
- With vs. without a mortgage — median tax $7,434 for mortgaged homes, $4,595 for homes owned outright.
- State ranking — 51st highest effective rate of 58 ranked California counties; nationally it sits around the 32th percentile.
Estimate a bill for Santa Cruz County
Apply this county's typical effective rate (0.64%) to a home value of your choice.
Frequently asked questions
What is the property tax rate in Santa Cruz County, CA?
The typical effective property-tax rate in Santa Cruz County is 0.64% of a home's value per year, based on median taxes paid ($6,538) divided by the median home value ($1,027,500) in the Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimates. This is a typical burden for comparison, not a statutory mill rate.
How much is property tax on a typical home in Santa Cruz County?
The median owner-occupied home in Santa Cruz County is valued at $1,027,500, and the median real estate tax paid is $6,538 per year. Homes with a mortgage have a median tax of $7,434, versus $4,595 for homes without one.
How does Santa Cruz County compare to the rest of California?
Santa Cruz County's effective rate is 9% lower than the California median, ranking 51st of 58 ranked counties in the state.
Compare nearby California counties
Counties ranked closest to Santa Cruz County by in-state effective rate. Open the comparison tool or see all California counties.
| In-state | County | Effective rate | Median tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| 48 | Glenn County | 0.64% | $2,263 |
| 49 | Humboldt County | 0.64% | $2,858 |
| 50 | Siskiyou County | 0.64% | $1,973 |
| 52 | Monterey County | 0.63% | $4,910 |
| 53 | Tehama County | 0.62% | $2,118 |
| 54 | Colusa County | 0.62% | $2,426 |
Official data & resources for Santa Cruz County
- Santa Cruz County Census profile (data.census.gov) — housing, value and tax figures for this county.
- Table B25103 for Santa Cruz County — median real estate taxes paid (the source for the tax figures above).
- Table B25077 for Santa Cruz County — median home value.
- Federal forms & is property tax deductible? — IRS Pub 530, Schedule A and the SALT cap, plus your state tax agency.
Finding your exact bill
Your county or municipal assessor (sometimes called the appraisal district, property appraiser, or tax collector) sets the assessed value and the exact millage that produces your bill. Search for "[county name] [state] assessor" or "property tax" on an official .gov site.
Figures on this page are Census survey medians for the whole county (2020–2024 5-year), not an assessment of any individual property. Rates, exemptions and assessment practices vary by municipality and school district within a county.