Property Tax in Monterey County, California
The median real estate tax bill in Monterey County, California is $4,782 per year, and the median home is worth $723,100. 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 Monterey County numbers mean
A median is the middle household: half of owner-occupied households in Monterey County pay more than $4,782, 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 0.66% for Monterey 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.
Monterey County by the numbers
| Measure | Monterey County | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid | $4,782 | $4,926 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $723,100 | $695,400 | $303,400 |
| Derived effective rate* | 0.66% | 0.71% | 0.98% |
| Median tax per month | $398 | $410 | $247 |
*Estimate derived from Census medians (tax ÷ value), not an official rate.
Monterey County at a glance
- Median tax rank in California: #18 of 58 counties
- Median home value rank in California: #17 of 58
- Population rank in California: #21 of 58 (435,834 residents)
- Population density rank: #25 of 58 (133 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in California: #17 of 58 (3,281 sq mi, 2.1% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $398; per $1,000 of home value: $0.66
How Monterey County compares
Of the 58 California counties with published data, 17 have a higher median property tax bill than Monterey County's $4,782, putting the county at #18 in the state. Its bill is about the same as the state median of $4,926 and about 61% 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 0.66%, versus 0.98% derived nationally, and the median home value ranks #17 within California.
Some extra context for Monterey County: the median bill works out to about $398 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $661 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 435,834 people — the #21 most populous county in California, spread over 3,281 square miles, a density of about 133 people per square mile. Its median home value, $723,100, ranks #17 among the state's 58 counties with data.
Nationally, Monterey County's median bill of $4,782 ranks #142 of 3133 counties with published data — inside the top 5% of counties by tax paid. The county accounts for about 1.1% of California's population, its median home value is about 4% above the state median, and at the derived rate the median home would hand over roughly 6.61% of its value in tax across a decade. Within the state, the distance from Monterey County to the most expensive county, Marin County ($10,001), is $5,219 a year.
Counties nearest Monterey County in the California ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ventura County, CA | $5,326 | $768,400 | 0.69% |
| Santa Barbara County, CA | $4,870 | $735,700 | 0.66% |
| Yolo County, CA | $4,567 | $593,800 | 0.77% |
| El Dorado County, CA | $4,510 | $640,500 | 0.70% |
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. Monterey County's medians imply a derived rate of 0.66%; applied illustratively, a $400,000 home would owe about $2,644 a year, or around $220 a month spread evenly. Individual properties depart from the illustration in both directions.
Checking your assessment in Monterey 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 Monterey 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.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the median property tax in Monterey County, California?
The median real estate tax paid in Monterey County, California is $4,782 per year, on a median home value of $723,100 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Monterey County, California?
Dividing Monterey County's median tax bill ($4,782) by its median home value ($723,100) gives a derived effective rate of 0.66%. This is an estimate computed from two Census survey medians — it is not the county's official tax rate.
How does Monterey County compare with the rest of California?
Monterey County ranks #18 of 58 California counties with published data by median taxes paid. Its median bill of $4,782 is about the same as the California median of $4,926.
How are property taxes calculated in Monterey 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 Monterey County is $4,782 of tax on a $723,100 median home value.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Monterey County, California?
You can. Pull your property record card from the Monterey County assessor, verify its details, and compare the assessed value against similar homes that sold recently. If the value still seems too high, submit a formal appeal to the board named on your notice before the stated deadline — usually a 30-to-90-day window.