Local costs · California
What a home costs across California
Property-tax rates, insurance, and closing costs vary widely by county. Below are the state-wide rules that apply everywhere in California, then every county with its own tax rate and insurance range.
Statewide facts
- Home insurance average
- About $1,492 per year for a standard HO-3 policy (NAIC 2022 state average). Individual counties run above or below this based on local hazard risk — see the table below.
- Transfer & recording tax
- County documentary transfer tax: 0.11% of price — negotiableCustom varies: seller customarily pays in Northern CA; negotiated in Southern CA. Many cities (SF, LA, Oakland, Berkeley) levy additional or replacement city transfer taxes.On the $759,500 state median home, the buyer’s customary share is about $418; the seller customarily covers about $418.
- Title insurance
- California uses competitive (filed) rates. Rates are competitive rather than state-set, so we model title and settlement from a national declining-rate curve calibrated to published costs.
- State income tax
- California income tax is modeled at about 2.10% effective for a married household at $100,000 (5.07% filing single). These are modeled effective rates from Tax Foundation 2026 brackets.
All 58 counties in California
Effective property-tax rate (Census ACS) and a typical annual insurance range at the state median home value. Select a county for the full breakdown.
| County | Property tax | Insurance / yr |
|---|---|---|
| Alameda County | 0.78% | $730–$1,620typical $1,120 |
| Alpine County | 0.77% | $2,220–$4,960typical $3,420 |
| Amador County | 0.70% | $2,470–$5,510typical $3,800 |
| Butte County | 0.69% | $1,170–$2,610typical $1,800 |
| Calaveras County | 0.73% | $2,470–$5,510typical $3,800 |
| Colusa County | 0.62% | $980–$2,180typical $1,500 |
| Contra Costa County | 0.83% | $730–$1,620typical $1,120 |
| Del Norte County | 0.61% | $730–$1,620typical $1,120 |
| El Dorado County | 0.70% | $2,100–$4,680typical $3,230 |
| Fresno County | 0.74% | $730–$1,620typical $1,120 |
| Glenn County | 0.64% | $1,120–$2,490typical $1,720 |
| Humboldt County | 0.64% | $730–$1,620typical $1,120 |
| Imperial County | 0.77% | $730–$1,620typical $1,120 |
| Inyo County | 0.74% | $730–$1,620typical $1,120 |
| Kern County | 0.88% | $970–$2,160typical $1,490 |
| Kings County | 0.75% | $730–$1,620typical $1,120 |
| Lake County | 0.73% | $2,260–$5,030typical $3,470 |
| Lassen County | 0.73% | $2,080–$4,640typical $3,200 |
| Los Angeles County | 0.68% | $730–$1,620typical $1,120 |
| Madera County | 0.70% | $1,730–$3,860typical $2,660 |
| Marin County | 0.66%* | $730–$1,620typical $1,120 |
| Mariposa County | 0.61% | $2,470–$5,510typical $3,800 |
| Mendocino County | 0.69% | $1,140–$2,540typical $1,750 |
| Merced County | 0.67% | $730–$1,620typical $1,120 |
| Modoc County | 0.69% | $1,480–$3,290typical $2,270 |
| Mono County | 0.65% | $1,250–$2,780typical $1,920 |
| Monterey County | 0.63% | $910–$2,030typical $1,400 |
| Napa County | 0.69% | $730–$1,640typical $1,130 |
| Nevada County | 0.76% | $2,200–$4,900typical $3,380 |
| Orange County | 0.66% | $730–$1,620typical $1,120 |
| Placer County | 0.84% | $980–$2,190typical $1,510 |
| Plumas County | 0.70% | $2,400–$5,350typical $3,690 |
| Riverside County | 0.78% | $1,720–$3,840typical $2,650 |
| Sacramento County | 0.73% | $730–$1,620typical $1,120 |
| San Benito County | 0.81% | $1,240–$2,760typical $1,900 |
| San Bernardino County | 0.70% | $1,200–$2,670typical $1,840 |
| San Diego County | 0.68% | $1,660–$3,700typical $2,550 |
| San Francisco County | 0.71% | $730–$1,620typical $1,120 |
| San Joaquin County | 0.75% | $730–$1,620typical $1,120 |
| San Luis Obispo County | 0.68% | $990–$2,200typical $1,520 |
| San Mateo County | 0.61% | $730–$1,620typical $1,120 |
| Santa Barbara County | 0.65% | $1,050–$2,350typical $1,620 |
| Santa Clara County | 0.67%* | $730–$1,620typical $1,120 |
| Santa Cruz County | 0.64% | $780–$1,740typical $1,200 |
| Shasta County | 0.69% | $1,840–$4,100typical $2,830 |
| Sierra County | 0.69% | $2,470–$5,510typical $3,800 |
| Siskiyou County | 0.64% | $2,080–$4,640typical $3,200 |
| Solano County | 0.75% | $730–$1,620typical $1,120 |
| Sonoma County | 0.70% | $770–$1,710typical $1,180 |
| Stanislaus County | 0.71% | $730–$1,620typical $1,120 |
| Sutter County | 0.75% | $730–$1,620typical $1,120 |
| Tehama County | 0.62% | $2,100–$4,680typical $3,230 |
| Trinity County | 0.58% | $2,470–$5,510typical $3,800 |
| Tulare County | 0.70% | $730–$1,620typical $1,120 |
| Tuolumne County | 0.66% | $2,470–$5,510typical $3,800 |
| Ventura County | 0.68% | $1,100–$2,450typical $1,690 |
| Yolo County | 0.77% | $730–$1,620typical $1,120 |
| Yuba County | 0.74% | $1,400–$3,130typical $2,160 |
* Property-tax rate is approximate because the county’s Census median is top-coded.
How these numbers are built
Every figure comes from public data or our own math: Census ACS property taxes, NAIC insurance averages scaled by FEMA risk, and researched transfer-tax and title schedules.
Estimates, not advice. See the methodology for sources, vintages, and the honest gaps.