California · County property tax · ACS 2024
Sierra County Property Taxes
The median homeowner in Sierra County pays $2,279 a year, an effective rate of 0.69%, notably higher than the U.S. average.
- $2,279
- Median tax / yr · Above-median bill
- 0.69%
- Effective rate · Below-median rate
- +14%
- vs U.S. average
- #36 of 58
- rank in CA
The verdict
Homeowners in Sierra County pay a median $2,279 a year in property tax, an effective rate of 0.69%, more affordable than 61% of U.S. counties (Census ACS 2024).
- $2,279
- Median annual tax bill, 2024
- 0.69%
- Effective rate on median home
- #1228 of 3135
- U.S. counties by tax burden
- +14%
- vs the national average bill
Effective rate is the median property tax bill divided by the median home value ($331,900). U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2024.
Tax affordability score · Sierra County, CA
33/100
5 ACS dimensions · release 2024
Comparative score against U.S. county percentiles on Census ACS medians (effective rate, bill, income share, mortgage gap, home-value/income). Higher means more affordable on those published medians, not a recommendation to buy, sell, appeal, or move, and not your personal tax bill. Missing inputs drop out and redistribute weight. How it is calculated.
Sierra County's effective rate vs U.S. county percentiles (ACS 2024)
Sierra County's median annual property-tax bill vs U.S. counties
Median tax as a share of Sierra County's median household income
Mortgaged vs free-and-clear median bill gap in Sierra County
Median home value relative to Sierra County's median income
Read the chart values
- Rate relief: 62/100 (C+) · 0.69%
- Bill size: 30/100 (F) · $2,279/yr
- Income room: 22/100 (F) · 3.6%
- Mortgage premium: 17/100 (F) · +$766
- Housing pressure: 6/100 (F) · 5.24×
Track this county alongside up to five others. Saved figures refresh when the annual source data changes.
Census Bureau ACS property tax data for California. Population: 2,746. Owner-occupied homes: 879.
The median annual property tax in Sierra County is $2,279, which is 56% lower than the California state average and 14% above the national average. The effective tax rate is 0.69% on a median home value of $331,900. Property taxes represent 3.6% of the median household income in this county.
What This Data Tells Us About Sierra County
Primary signal
The bill sits below the California median
Homeowners in Sierra County pay a median annual property tax of $2,279, notably higher than the national median and far below the California state median. On a $331,900 median home, that works out to an effective rate of 0.69% once the local assessment base and millage are combined.
Decision signal 2
Near the middle of California counties by effective rate
Sierra County ranks #36 of 58 counties in California by effective rate (38% of in-state counties pay a lower rate).
Decision signal 3
The effective rate sits near the national middle
Sierra County's 0.69% effective rate sits near the middle of 3,135 tracked counties (more affordable than 61%).
Decision signal 4
Income and the tax bill sit in the middle band
Property taxes in Sierra County run within the commonly cited 2%-4% national benchmark, at about 3.6% of the $63,355 median household income.
This page is for informational purposes only and is not tax, legal, or financial advice. Figures describe the median homeowner household in Sierra 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.
The rate gave way faster than almost anywhere
Between the 2020 and 2024 releases the median home value in Sierra County rose 44.7%, from $229,400 to $331,900. The effective rate fell 19.5% over the same span, a steeper move than in 81% of U.S. counties.
The median bill still rose 16.5%, to $2,279. Where the rate drops this far and the bill rises anyway, what changed is the value the rate is applied to.
Effective rate is the published median bill divided by the published median home value, so the two multiply back to the bill exactly; the rate's movement here is derived from those two figures rather than read from the rounded published rate. Both are ACS 5-year survey estimates for the median owner-occupied household, compared across non-overlapping releases. They describe what the Census published, not a local policy, assessment, or exemption change.
How to read this county's bill
Bills rose across 2020-2024, from $1,956 to $2,279, a gain of 17%. This is a comparison of published ACS medians, not an explanation of a particular property's assessment or tax bill.
The heaviest band is also the fullest one here: 272 of 879 owner-occupied homes (30.9%) report annual real-estate taxes above $3,000. That band has no upper edge in the source, so the county median understates the burden carried by the plurality rather than describing it.
Both figures cluster near the middle of the national range, and the median bill comes to 3.6% of median household income. Counties like this are the reason a national average exists at all, and also the reason it explains so little.
The share above is the median annual bill divided by median household income, a ratio of two county-level medians rather than a household-by-household figure.
What Sierra County Homeowners Actually Pay
The single largest group of Sierra County homeowners, 272 of 879 owner-occupied homes (30.9%), pays $3,000 or more a year. The median is one point in this spread, not a typical bill.
- Less than $800 4.4% (39)
- $800 to $1,499 26.8% (236)
- $1,500 to $1,999 11.1% (98)
- $2,000 to $2,999 25.9% (228)
- $3,000 or more 30.9% (272)
Census ACS 2024, table B25102. Bands and the no-tax share sum to 100%.
With vs Without Mortgage
Mortgaged homeowners in Sierra County pay a substantially higher bill, 38% more, pointing to a wide home-value gap between the two groups.
How Sierra County compares
Effective property tax rate (median tax ÷ median home value), ACS 2024.
Sierra County's effective rate is higher than 38% of the 58 counties in California - ranking #36 of 58 for property tax burden.
Where Sierra County sits among every U.S. county
Effective property tax rate (median tax ÷ median home value)
0.69% Among the most affordable more affordable than 61% of 3,135 U.S. counties
Show national distribution
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
Same rate as California, a smaller bill
The effective rate here sits within 1% of the California median, yet the median bill runs 56% below it. When the rate matches and the cheque does not, the difference is in what is being taxed, not how heavily: the same percentage applied to cheaper housing produces $2,279 here. That is why comparing counties on rate alone can invert the answer a homeowner actually cares about.
Sierra County vs Benchmarks
| Metric | Sierra County | California Avg | U.S. Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Annual Tax Above-median bill | |||
| Effective Tax Rate Below-median rate | |||
| Median Home Value | |||
| Tax as % of income Heavy income burden | 3.6% | - | - |
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.
Sierra County stamps QUIET · MID - still check the parcel card
On Sierra County's published figures (QUIET · MID), a $331,900 median home carries a $2,279 median bill, so every 10% off an assessed value is worth about $228 a year at the same rate. Whether an appeal is worth filing depends on your own parcel. Use our free Appeal Savings Estimator to run your own numbers, then read our step-by-step appeal guide for the procedure in California.
Property Tax History · QUIET · MID
| Year | Median Tax (vs prior release) | Effective Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $2,279 -12.0% | 0.69% |
| 2023 | $2,590 +6.7% | 0.78% |
| 2022 | $2,428 +26.2% | 0.84% |
| 2021 | $1,924 -1.6% | 0.83% |
| 2020 | $1,956 | 0.85% |
Each row is a separate ACS 5-year release, and consecutive releases share four of their five survey years. The percentage beside each bill is therefore movement in the published estimate against the previous release, not a single year's tax change. The two releases largely describe the same households. For change over time, compare releases that do not overlap.
Tax Burden
Tax Affordability Score
An effective rate well below the national average of 0.92% puts Sierra 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 Sierra County or any other county.
Counties with similar tax profiles
On effective rate, Sierra County sits nearest Indian River County (FL), Cherokee County (GA), Gordon County (GA).
On published median-tax change, the nearest matches are Schenectady County (NY), Emmet County (IA), Houghton County (MI).
How peers are chosen
These are the nearest cross-state matches in the published Census data, not neighboring counties or recommendations. Peers are rebuilt with each data release; see the calculation method.
Similar effective rates
Similar published median-tax changes, 2020–2024
What tax filers report in Sierra County
Of the 1,290 federal returns filed from Sierra County in 2022, 100 (7.8% of filers) itemised and reported real estate taxes on Schedule A, averaging $4,270 each. The largest group was filers with adjusted gross income of $100-200k, who accounted for 50% of the county's reporting returns.
Two things this does not say. The amount is what filers reported, recorded before the $10,000 cap on combined state and local tax deductions applies, so it is not the amount deducted. And the share is of everyone who files a return, not of homeowners: most filers now take the standard deduction, so a minority itemise at all. Source: IRS Statistics of Income county data, tax year 2022.
Other Counties in California
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Sierra County property tax compare to the national average? ▼
What is the tax affordability score for Sierra County? ▼
What is the average property tax in Sierra County, California? ▼
Are property taxes increasing in Sierra County? ▼
What percentage of income goes to property taxes in Sierra County? ▼
What to do with Sierra County's numbers
- Inside California, Sierra County's $2,279 median bill runs low versus the state median - check peer counties before assuming the lowest bill is the best move. California overview →
- Sierra County ranks #36 of 58 California counties by effective rate - on the lower-burden half of the state ACS set. California overview →
- If Sierra County's assessment looks high versus the $331,900 typical home, check California's filing window and evidence rules before the notice deadline passes. How to appeal →
Effective-rate definition
Effective rate is the county median tax divided by the county median home value ($331,900); your parcel's assessed value, exemptions, and local levies determine your actual bill. U.S. Census Bureau ACS · 2024.
Nationwide peers by effective rate & median bill
Two PlainPropertyTax-derived comparison paths for Sierra County, both outside California so the link neighborhoods are not the same-state geography lattice. Axes stay disjoint: median-bill peers exclude the effective-rate peer set.
Similar effective rate
Nearest out-of-state counties by ACS effective rate. This county: 0.69%.
Similar median bill
Nearest out-of-state counties by ACS median annual tax. This county: $2,279/yr. Rate peers are excluded so the two link sets stay distinct.
Read with Sierra County
Nearest ABS(median_tax) ACS peers for Sierra County (QUIET · MID), replacing the old fixed Keep exploring strip.
QUIET MID
Hidalgo County, TX
ABS(median_tax) peer · tied with Sierra County at $2,279/yr; rate 1.62% vs Sierra County 0.69%.
Merrick County, NE
ABS(median_tax) peer · $2,280/yr (near-tied bill ABS $1); rate 1.30% vs Sierra County 0.69%.
Carbon County, MT
ABS(median_tax) peer · $2,281/yr (near-tied bill ABS $2); rate 0.54% vs Sierra County 0.69%.
Carroll County, IL
ABS(median_tax) peer · $2,277/yr (near-tied bill ABS $2); rate 1.99% vs Sierra County 0.69%.
California county set
State ACS overview for every published California county rate and median bill.
Assessment cycle basics
Sierra County stamps QUIET · MID - how assessed value and millage become the ACS median bill.
Data vintage and method
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.
Share and download this county card
Editorial standards and provenance
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 Sierra County. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-08-09.