Property Tax in Los Angeles County, California
The median real estate tax bill in Los Angeles County, California is $5,438 per year, and the median home is worth $783,300. Both figures are the US Census Bureau's survey medians for owner-occupied households (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What the Los Angeles County numbers mean
A median is the middle household: half of owner-occupied households in Los Angeles County pay more than $5,438, 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 0.69% for Los Angeles 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.
Los Angeles County by the numbers
| Measure | Los Angeles County | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid | $5,438 | $4,926 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $783,300 | $695,400 | $303,400 |
| Derived effective rate* | 0.69% | 0.71% | 0.98% |
| Median tax per month | $453 | $410 | $247 |
*Estimate derived from Census medians (tax ÷ value), not an official rate.
Los Angeles County at a glance
- Median tax rank in California: #15 of 58 counties
- Median home value rank in California: #11 of 58
- Population rank in California: #1 of 58 (9,848,406 residents)
- Population density rank: #3 of 58 (2,426 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in California: #11 of 58 (4,060 sq mi, 2.6% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $453; per $1,000 of home value: $0.69
How Los Angeles County compares
Of the 58 California counties with published data, 14 have a higher median property tax bill than Los Angeles County's $5,438, putting the county at #15 in the state. Its bill is about 10% higher than the state median of $4,926 and about 83% higher than the national median of $2,969.
Rates and values pull in opposite directions: an expensive housing market can produce big bills at ordinary rates. Here the derived rate is 0.69%, versus 0.98% derived nationally, and the median home value ranks #11 within California.
Some extra context for Los Angeles County: the median bill works out to about $453 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $694 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 9,848,406 people — the #1 most populous county in California, spread over 4,060 square miles, a density of about 2,426 people per square mile. Its median home value, $783,300, ranks #11 among the state's 58 counties with data.
Zooming out: of 3133 counties nationwide with published Census figures, only 103 record a higher median tax bill than Los Angeles County — it sits in the top 3% nationally. The county holds roughly 25.1% of California's people. Its homes are worth more than the state norm (median $783,300 versus $695,400), and a decade at the derived rate of 0.69% adds up to about 6.94% of the median home's value in tax. The cheapest county in the state, Modoc County, medians $1,445 — $3,993 less than Los Angeles County per year.
Counties nearest Los Angeles County in the California ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego County, CA | $5,542 | $791,600 | 0.70% |
| San Luis Obispo County, CA | $5,475 | $777,200 | 0.70% |
| Ventura County, CA | $5,326 | $768,400 | 0.69% |
| Santa Barbara County, CA | $4,870 | $735,700 | 0.66% |
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. Los Angeles County's medians imply a derived rate of 0.69%; applied illustratively, a $400,000 home would owe about $2,776 a year, or around $231 a month spread evenly. Individual properties depart from the illustration in both directions.
Checking your assessment in Los Angeles County
If your bill looks wrong, work through these steps:
1. Get your property record card from the assessor and check the basics — living area, lot size, bedrooms, condition, and any exemptions you should have.
2. Compare your assessed value with recent sale prices of similar homes in Los Angeles County.
3. Talk to the assessor's office informally first; clear errors are often fixed without a hearing.
4. If needed, file a formal appeal with the local review board before the deadline on your assessment notice, with your evidence attached.
5. Keep paying the bill as issued while the appeal runs, unless your notice says otherwise — unpaid taxes accrue penalties regardless of an appeal.
More California counties
Frequently asked questions
What is the median property tax in Los Angeles County, California?
The median real estate tax paid in Los Angeles County, California is $5,438 per year, on a median home value of $783,300 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Los Angeles County, California?
On a derived basis, 0.69%: the county's median tax bill of $5,438 divided by its median home value of $783,300. Because it is calculated from two survey medians, read it as a comparison estimate rather than an official rate.
How does Los Angeles County compare with the rest of California?
By median taxes paid, Los Angeles County stands at #15 among the 58 California counties the Census publishes figures for. Its $5,438 median bill is about 10% higher than the state median ($4,926), and 14 counties in the state record a higher median.
How are property taxes calculated in Los Angeles 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 Los Angeles County, the median outcome of that process is a bill of $5,438 on a median home value of $783,300.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Los Angeles County, California?
Yes. Request your property record card from the Los Angeles 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.