Property Tax in San Mateo County, California
In San Mateo County, California, the typical homeowner pays $9,167 a year in property taxes on a home worth a median of $1,494,500. 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 San Mateo County numbers mean
A median is the middle household: half of owner-occupied households in San Mateo County pay more than $9,167, 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 0.61% for San Mateo 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 San Mateo County
| Measure | San Mateo County |
|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid per year | $9,167 |
| Median home value | $1,494,500 |
| Derived effective rate* | 0.61% |
| Equivalent monthly tax | $764 |
| Tax per $100,000 of value (derived) | $613 |
| Illustrative tax on a $400,000 home (derived rate) | $2,452 |
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.
San Mateo County at a glance
- Median tax rank in California: #4 of 58 counties
- Median home value rank in California: #1 of 58
- Population rank in California: #15 of 58 (745,100 residents)
- Population density rank: #5 of 58 (1,661 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in California: #56 of 58 (448 sq mi, 0.3% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $764; per $1,000 of home value: $0.61
How San Mateo County compares
Set against its state, San Mateo County's median bill of $9,167 is about 86% higher than the California median ($4,926). Against the country as a whole it is about 209% higher than the US median ($2,969). That places the county #4 of 58 California counties ranked by median taxes paid.
Remember what drives the ranking: bills follow home values as much as rates. San Mateo County's median home, at $1,494,500, ranks #1 by value in California, while its derived rate of 0.61% compares with a derived US figure of 0.98%.
Some extra context for San Mateo County: the median bill works out to about $764 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $613 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 745,100 people — the #15 most populous county in California, spread over 448 square miles, a density of about 1,661 people per square mile. Its median home value, $1,494,500, ranks #1 among the state's 58 counties with data.
Zooming out: of 3133 counties nationwide with published Census figures, only 21 record a higher median tax bill than San Mateo County — it sits in the top 1% nationally. The county holds roughly 1.9% of California's people. Its homes are worth more than the state norm (median $1,494,500 versus $695,400), and a decade at the derived rate of 0.61% adds up to about 6.13% of the median home's value in tax. The cheapest county in the state, Modoc County, medians $1,445 — $7,722 less than San Mateo County per year.
Counties nearest San Mateo 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% |
| Alameda County, CA | $8,061 | $1,057,400 | 0.76% |
| Contra Costa County, CA | $6,903 | $830,800 | 0.83% |
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. San Mateo County's medians imply a derived rate of 0.61%; applied illustratively, a $400,000 home would owe about $2,452 a year, or around $204 a month spread evenly. Individual properties depart from the illustration in both directions.
Checking your assessment in San Mateo County
Believe your assessment is too high? The practical order of attack is: obtain your record card and audit it line by line; collect comparable recent sales in San Mateo County; ask the assessor's office to correct anything plainly wrong; and, if the value still seems off, lodge a formal appeal ahead of the deadline printed on your assessment notice. Windows are short — often 30 to 90 days — and late appeals are usually rejected outright, however strong the case.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the median property tax in San Mateo County, California?
The median real estate tax paid in San Mateo County, California is $9,167 per year, on a median home value of $1,494,500 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in San Mateo County, California?
Dividing San Mateo County's median tax bill ($9,167) by its median home value ($1,494,500) gives a derived effective rate of 0.61%. This is an estimate computed from two Census survey medians — it is not the county's official tax rate.
How does San Mateo County compare with the rest of California?
San Mateo County ranks #4 of 58 California counties with published data by median taxes paid. Its median bill of $9,167 is about 86% higher than the California median of $4,926.
How are property taxes calculated in San Mateo 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 San Mateo County, the median outcome of that process is a bill of $9,167 on a median home value of $1,494,500.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in San Mateo County, California?
Yes. Request your property record card from the San Mateo 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.