California · County property tax · ACS 2024
San Mateo County Property Taxes
The median homeowner in San Mateo County pays $9,519 a year, an effective rate of 0.61%, far above the U.S. average.
- $9,519
- Median tax / yr
- 0.61%
- Effective rate
- +378%
- vs U.S. average
- #57 of 58
- rank in CA
The verdict
Homeowners in San Mateo County pay a median $9,519 a year in property tax, an effective rate of 0.61%, more affordable than 70% of U.S. counties.
- $9,519
- Median annual tax bill, 2024
- 0.61%
- Effective rate on median home
- #932 of 3135
- U.S. counties by tax burden
- +378%
- vs the national average bill
Effective rate is the median property tax bill divided by the median home value ($1,559,600). U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2024.
Census Bureau ACS property tax data for California. Owner-occupied homes: 154,607.
The median annual property tax in San Mateo County is $9,519, which is 86% higher than the California state average and 378% above the national average. The effective tax rate is 0.61% on a median home value of $1,559,600. Property taxes represent 6.0% of the median household income in this county.
What This Data Tells Us About San Mateo County
Homeowners in San Mateo County pay a median annual property tax of $9,519, far above the national median and far above the California state median. On a $1,559,600 median home, that works out to an effective rate of 0.61% once the local assessment base and millage are combined.
Property taxes in San Mateo County run a bit above the commonly cited 2%-4% national benchmark, at about 6.0% of the $158,855 median household income. Since 2023, the published ACS median estimate has ticked up 3.8%, from $9,167 to $9,519. This compares two release estimates; it does not identify a local policy, assessment, exemption, or household-bill cause.
This page is for informational purposes only and is not tax, legal, or financial advice. Figures describe the median homeowner household in San Mateo County as reported to the Census Bureau, your own bill can differ based on your parcel's assessed value, exemptions, special districts, and municipal overlays. Always consult your county assessor, tax collector, or a qualified professional before making decisions that depend on these numbers.
With vs Without Mortgage
Mortgaged homeowners in San Mateo County pay a substantially higher bill, 54% more, pointing to a wide home-value gap between the two groups.
How San Mateo County compares
Effective property tax rate (median tax ÷ median home value), ACS 2024.
San Mateo County's effective rate is higher than 2% of the 58 counties in California - ranking #57 of 58 for property tax burden.
Where San Mateo County sits among every U.S. county
Effective property tax rate (median tax ÷ median home value)
0.61% Among the most affordable more affordable than 70% of 3,135 U.S. counties
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more U.S. counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2024
San Mateo County vs Benchmarks
| Metric | San Mateo County | California Avg | U.S. Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Annual Tax | $9,519 | $5,124 | $1,993 |
| Effective Tax Rate | 0.61% | 0.70% | 0.92% |
| Median Home Value | $1,559,600 | $734,700 | $227,791 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates. Tax-burden differences across rows reflect millage decisions, assessment-ratio practices, and the residential-vs-commercial mix of each tax base.
Think your San Mateo County property tax bill is too high?
A successful appeal can lower your assessed value by 10-25%, cutting your annual tax bill by hundreds or thousands of dollars. Use our free Appeal Savings Estimator to project savings on your specific home, then read our step-by-step appeal guide for the exact procedure in California.
Property Tax History
| Year | Median Tax | Effective Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $9,519 +3.8% | 0.61% |
| 2023 | $9,167 +6.1% | 0.61% |
| 2022 | $8,637 +11.4% | 0.60% |
| 2021 | $7,756 +9.5% | 0.63% |
| 2020 | $7,083 | 0.61% |
Tax Burden
Tax Affordability Score
An effective rate well below the national average of 0.92% puts San Mateo County in the "Very Affordable" band for property tax burden.
How this score is calculated: a 1-10 scale derived mechanically from the ratio of this county's effective rate to the national average effective rate (0.92%) - a ratio at or below 0.5× scores 10, a ratio at or above 2.0× scores 1, with a linear scale between. It is a factual comparison of Census figures only, not a recommendation, quality rating, or endorsement of San Mateo County or any other county.
Other Counties in California
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average property tax in San Mateo County, California? ▼
How does San Mateo County property tax compare to the national average? ▼
What percentage of income goes to property taxes in San Mateo County? ▼
Are property taxes increasing in San Mateo County? ▼
What this means in San Mateo County
How to use San Mateo County's property-tax numbers, for budgeting, comparison, or an appeal.
- At San Mateo County's 0.61% effective rate, a $1,559,600 home implies about $9,519/yr, plug in your own home's value to estimate your bill. Estimate your bill
- San Mateo County ranks #57 of 58 counties in California by effective rate, compare it against the rest of the state before you judge your bill. California overview
- If your assessed value looks high relative to San Mateo County's typical home, you may have grounds to appeal, most jurisdictions have a filing window each year. How to appeal
Effective rate is the county median tax divided by the county median home value ($1,559,600); your parcel's assessed value, exemptions, and local levies determine your actual bill. U.S. Census Bureau ACS · 2024.
Data as of 2024. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates.
Property tax data reflects median amounts paid by homeowners. Effective rates are calculated as median tax divided by median home value.
PlainPropertyTax is rendered directly from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on the Census ACS county-level record for San Mateo County. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-09.