Property Tax in Marin County, California
In Marin County, California, the typical homeowner pays $10,001 a year in property taxes on a home worth a median of $1,390,000. 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 Marin County numbers mean
A median is the middle household: half of owner-occupied households in Marin County pay more than $10,001, 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 0.72% for Marin 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.
The key figures for Marin County
| Measure | Marin County |
|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid per year | $10,001 |
| Median home value | $1,390,000 |
| Derived effective rate* | 0.72% |
| Equivalent monthly tax | $833 |
| Tax per $100,000 of value (derived) | $719 |
| Illustrative tax on a $400,000 home (derived rate) | $2,876 |
For context, the California medians are $4,926 of tax on $695,400 of value, and the US medians are $2,969 on $303,400. *Derived figures are estimates from Census medians, not official rates.
Marin County at a glance
- Median tax rank in California: #1 of 58 counties
- Median home value rank in California: #2 of 58
- Population rank in California: #26 of 58 (258,765 residents)
- Population density rank: #13 of 58 (497 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in California: #55 of 58 (520 sq mi, 0.3% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $833; per $1,000 of home value: $0.72
How Marin County compares
Set against its state, Marin County's median bill of $10,001 is about 103% higher than the California median ($4,926). Against the country as a whole it is about 237% higher than the US median ($2,969). That places the county #1 of 58 California counties ranked by median taxes paid.
Remember what drives the ranking: bills follow home values as much as rates. Marin County's median home, at $1,390,000, ranks #2 by value in California, while its derived rate of 0.72% compares with a derived US figure of 0.98%.
Some extra context for Marin County: the median bill works out to about $833 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $719 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 258,765 people — the #26 most populous county in California, spread over 520 square miles, a density of about 497 people per square mile. Its median home value, $1,390,000, ranks #2 among the state's 58 counties with data.
Nationally, Marin County's median bill of $10,001 ranks #1 of 3133 counties with published data — inside the top 1% of counties by tax paid. The county accounts for about 0.7% of California's population, its median home value is about 100% above the state median, and at the derived rate the median home would hand over roughly 7.19% of its value in tax across a decade. Within the state, the distance from Marin County to the most expensive county, Marin County ($10,001), is $0 a year.
Counties nearest Marin County in the California ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Clara County, CA | $9,766 | $1,382,800 | 0.71% |
| San Francisco County, CA | $9,412 | $1,380,500 | 0.68% |
How the tax is worked out
The bill is built in stages. First the assessor puts a market value on the property. Exemptions — a homestead exemption above all — then reduce the taxable amount. Finally the combined local rate is applied. To see the scale: at the county's derived rate of 0.72%, each $100,000 of value corresponds to about $719 of tax a year, and a $400,000 home to roughly $2,876. Real bills use the official assessment and district rates, not this derived figure, so treat the example as a sense of scale only.
Checking your assessment in Marin 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 Marin 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 Marin County, California?
The median real estate tax paid in Marin County, California is $10,001 per year, on a median home value of $1,390,000 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Marin County, California?
The derived effective rate is 0.72% — the median bill ($10,001) expressed as a share of the median home value ($1,390,000). No authority sets a rate this way; it exists to make counties with different home prices comparable.
How does Marin County compare with the rest of California?
By median taxes paid, Marin County stands at #1 among the 58 California counties the Census publishes figures for. Its $10,001 median bill is about 103% higher than the state median ($4,926), and 0 counties in the state record a higher median.
How are property taxes calculated in Marin County, California?
Three steps produce the bill: an assessment of market value by the local assessor, a reduction for exemptions you qualify for (a homestead exemption is the common one), and multiplication by the combined rates of the county, municipality, school district and any special districts covering the property. The median result in Marin County is $10,001 of tax on a $1,390,000 median home value.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Marin County, California?
Yes — appeals are handled locally. Start with the Marin County assessor's property record card for your home, correct any factual errors, and back your case with comparable recent sales. Formal appeals go to the review board named on your assessment notice and must be filed by its deadline, typically within 30 to 90 days.