Property Tax in Ventura County, California
In Ventura County, California, the typical homeowner pays $5,326 a year in property taxes on a home worth a median of $768,400. 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 Ventura County numbers mean
A median is the middle household: half of owner-occupied households in Ventura County pay more than $5,326, 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 Ventura 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 Ventura County
| Measure | Ventura County |
|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid per year | $5,326 |
| Median home value | $768,400 |
| Derived effective rate* | 0.69% |
| Equivalent monthly tax | $444 |
| Tax per $100,000 of value (derived) | $693 |
| Illustrative tax on a $400,000 home (derived rate) | $2,772 |
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.
Ventura County at a glance
- Median tax rank in California: #16 of 58 counties
- Median home value rank in California: #14 of 58
- Population rank in California: #12 of 58 (838,259 residents)
- Population density rank: #14 of 58 (455 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in California: #26 of 58 (1,840 sq mi, 1.2% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $444; per $1,000 of home value: $0.69
How Ventura County compares
Set against its state, Ventura County's median bill of $5,326 is about 8% higher than the California median ($4,926). Against the country as a whole it is about 79% higher than the US median ($2,969). That places the county #16 of 58 California counties ranked by median taxes paid.
Remember what drives the ranking: bills follow home values as much as rates. Ventura County's median home, at $768,400, ranks #14 by value in California, while its derived rate of 0.69% compares with a derived US figure of 0.98%.
Some extra context for Ventura County: the median bill works out to about $444 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $693 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 838,259 people — the #12 most populous county in California, spread over 1,840 square miles, a density of about 455 people per square mile. Its median home value, $768,400, ranks #14 among the state's 58 counties with data.
Nationally, Ventura County's median bill of $5,326 ranks #108 of 3133 counties with published data — inside the top 3% of counties by tax paid. The county accounts for about 2.1% of California's population, its median home value is about 10% above the state median, and at the derived rate the median home would hand over roughly 6.93% of its value in tax across a decade. Within the state, the distance from Ventura County to the most expensive county, Marin County ($10,001), is $4,675 a year.
Counties nearest Ventura County in the California ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Luis Obispo County, CA | $5,475 | $777,200 | 0.70% |
| Los Angeles County, CA | $5,438 | $783,300 | 0.69% |
| Santa Barbara County, CA | $4,870 | $735,700 | 0.66% |
| Monterey County, CA | $4,782 | $723,100 | 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. Ventura County's medians imply a derived rate of 0.69%; applied illustratively, a $400,000 home would owe about $2,772 a year, or around $231 a month spread evenly. Individual properties depart from the illustration in both directions.
Checking your assessment in Ventura 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 Ventura 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 Ventura County, California?
The median real estate tax paid in Ventura County, California is $5,326 per year, on a median home value of $768,400 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Ventura County, California?
The derived effective rate is 0.69% — the median bill ($5,326) expressed as a share of the median home value ($768,400). No authority sets a rate this way; it exists to make counties with different home prices comparable.
How does Ventura County compare with the rest of California?
Ventura County ranks #16 of 58 California counties with published data by median taxes paid. Its median bill of $5,326 is about 8% higher than the California median of $4,926.
How are property taxes calculated in Ventura 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 Ventura County is $5,326 of tax on a $768,400 median home value.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Ventura County, California?
Yes — appeals are handled locally. Start with the Ventura 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.