Property Tax in Kings County, California
In Kings County, California, the typical homeowner pays $2,295 a year in property taxes on a home worth a median of $305,700. The figures on this page are the Census Bureau's published medians (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023), shown exactly as released.
What the Kings County numbers mean
A median is the middle household: half of owner-occupied households in Kings County pay more than $2,295, and half pay less. Your own bill is set by your home's assessed value, the exemptions you qualify for, and the local taxing districts your property sits in — so individual bills vary widely around the median.
Dividing the median tax by the median home value gives a derived effective rate of 0.75% for Kings County. It is an estimate built from two survey medians, not the county's official rate, but it is a fair way to compare the local tax burden with other counties where home values are very different.
Kings County by the numbers
| Measure | Kings County | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid | $2,295 | $4,926 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $305,700 | $695,400 | $303,400 |
| Derived effective rate* | 0.75% | 0.71% | 0.98% |
| Median tax per month | $191 | $410 | $247 |
*Estimate derived from Census medians (tax ÷ value), not an official rate.
Kings County at a glance
- Median tax rank in California: #49 of 58 counties
- Median home value rank in California: #53 of 58
- Population rank in California: #33 of 58 (152,830 residents)
- Population density rank: #30 of 58 (110 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in California: #34 of 58 (1,390 sq mi, 0.9% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $191; per $1,000 of home value: $0.75
How Kings County compares
Set against its state, Kings County's median bill of $2,295 is about 53% lower than the California median ($4,926). Against the country as a whole it is about 23% lower than the US median ($2,969). That places the county #49 of 58 California counties ranked by median taxes paid.
Remember what drives the ranking: bills follow home values as much as rates. Kings County's median home, at $305,700, ranks #53 by value in California, while its derived rate of 0.75% compares with a derived US figure of 0.98%.
Some extra context for Kings County: the median bill works out to about $191 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $751 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 152,830 people — the #33 most populous county in California, spread over 1,390 square miles, a density of about 110 people per square mile. Its median home value, $305,700, ranks #53 among the state's 58 counties with data.
Zooming out: of 3133 counties nationwide with published Census figures, only 835 record a higher median tax bill than Kings County — it sits in the top 27% nationally. The county holds roughly 0.4% of California's people. Its homes are worth less than the state norm (median $305,700 versus $695,400), and a decade at the derived rate of 0.75% adds up to about 7.51% of the median home's value in tax. The cheapest county in the state, Modoc County, medians $1,445 — $850 less than Kings County per year.
Counties nearest Kings County in the California ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plumas County, CA | $2,360 | $327,400 | 0.72% |
| Imperial County, CA | $2,348 | $279,500 | 0.84% |
| Lake County, CA | $2,295 | $316,800 | 0.72% |
| Tulare County, CA | $2,213 | $303,000 | 0.73% |
Kings County and its population peers
For a like-for-like sense of scale, compare Kings County with its national population peers: the counties nearest to its 152,830 residents, listed in the table below with their own Census medians. Of the 9 counties in that group, Kings County's median bill of $2,295 is #7 of 9.
| County | Population | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penobscot County, ME | 153,571 | $2,435 | $193,800 | 1.26% |
| Berrien County, MI | 153,411 | $2,357 | $211,400 | 1.11% |
| Scott County, MN | 152,957 | $4,195 | $393,500 | 1.07% |
| Cumberland County, NJ | 152,915 | $5,048 | $205,600 | 2.46% |
| Sandoval County, NM | 151,538 | $2,147 | $282,300 | 0.76% |
| Coweta County, GA | 150,071 | $2,482 | $321,900 | 0.77% |
| Rowan County, NC | 148,487 | $1,411 | $216,100 | 0.65% |
| Orange County, NC | 147,292 | $4,105 | $428,500 | 0.96% |
The closest population match is Cumberland County, New Jersey (152,915 residents), where the median real estate tax paid is $5,048 on a median home value of $205,600 — $2,753 less than Kings County pays.
Kings County's nearest population neighbours within California are Imperial County (179,319 residents, median tax $2,348 on a median value of $279,500); Madera County (158,790 residents, median tax $2,575 on a median value of $367,700); Napa County (136,070 residents, median tax $5,840 on a median value of $838,800); Humboldt County (135,418 residents, median tax $2,731 on a median value of $418,800). Comparing them is a reminder that even inside one state's rules, the bill follows local home values and local district rates more than anything decided at the state level.
How the tax is worked out
Think of the final bill as three ingredients: the assessed value of the property, the exemptions subtracted from it, and the combined rate of every district the property sits in. Kings County's medians imply a derived rate of 0.75%; applied illustratively, a $400,000 home would owe about $3,004 a year, or around $250 a month spread evenly. Individual properties depart from the illustration in both directions.
Illustrative bills in Kings County at the derived rate
The derived rate of 0.75% is only an estimate built from medians, but applying it to different home values gives a sense of scale for Kings County — and a quick way to compare with the state derived rate of 0.71% and the US figure of 0.98%:
| Home value | Illustrative tax / year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| $150,000 | $1,126 | $94 |
| $250,000 | $1,878 | $156 |
| $350,000 | $2,628 | $219 |
| $500,000 | $3,755 | $313 |
| $750,000 | $5,632 | $469 |
Illustration only: real bills are computed from the assessed value, exemptions, and the combined rates of the property's actual taxing districts.
Checking your assessment in Kings County
Most successful appeals are won on facts, not arguments. Start with the property record card held by the Kings County assessor: wrong square footage, an extra room, or a missing homestead exemption are common and fixable. Next, line your assessed value up against recent sales of genuinely similar homes nearby. Many disputes end at an informal conversation with the assessor's office; if yours does not, file the formal appeal with the review board named on your notice before its deadline, evidence attached, and keep paying the bill in the meantime so penalties do not build up.
More California counties
Frequently asked questions
What is the median property tax in Kings County, California?
The median real estate tax paid in Kings County, California is $2,295 per year, on a median home value of $305,700 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Kings County, California?
Dividing Kings County's median tax bill ($2,295) by its median home value ($305,700) gives a derived effective rate of 0.75%. This is an estimate computed from two Census survey medians — it is not the county's official tax rate.
How does Kings County compare with the rest of California?
Kings County ranks #49 of 58 California counties with published data by median taxes paid. Its median bill of $2,295 is about 53% lower than the California median of $4,926.
How are property taxes calculated in Kings County, California?
The assessor estimates your property's market value; exemptions (such as a homestead exemption) reduce the taxable amount; and the result is multiplied by the combined rates of the local taxing districts — county, municipality, school district and any special districts. In Kings County, the median outcome of that process is a bill of $2,295 on a median home value of $305,700.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Kings County, California?
Yes. Request your property record card from the Kings County assessor's office and check it for errors, then compare your assessed value with recent sales of similar homes. If it still looks too high, file a formal appeal with the local review board named on your assessment notice before the deadline printed on the notice — windows are short, often 30 to 90 days.