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County tax profile · 2026 · Census ACS + IRS data

Property Tax & Income in San Benito County, California

San Benito County has an effective property tax rate of 0.81%. On the median home value of $793,400, that's roughly $6,441 per year. Median household income is $114,394.

Effective Property Tax Rate1
0.81%
median tax $6,441 ÷ median home $793,400
Median Home Value1
$793,400
owner-occupied
Median Household Income1
$114,394
per-capita $45,103
Est. Annual Tax on Median Home1
$6,441
at 0.81% effective rate

What you'll pay, at a glance

Property taxes are the largest local tax most homeowners pay. The effective rate measures the real tax bill as a share of home value — a more useful number than the nominal “mill rate,” because assessment practices vary county to county.

MetricSan Benito CountyCalifornia (state context)
Effective property tax rate10.81%0.70%
Median home value1$793,400—
State income tax3top rate 13.30%top rate 13.30%
State sales tax39.03% combined9.03% combined

How this is calculated

The effective property tax rate is the median real-estate tax bill divided by the median home value — both for owner-occupied homes, from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS 5-year estimates)1. Median income is also from the ACS1. Federal and state income-tax figures use IRS2 and Tax Foundation3 data.

About San Benito County, CA

Buying in San Benito County means weighing a higher-than-average tax rate against what that money buys. The county's effective property tax rate of 0.812% sits above California's 0.698% median and edges past the national figure of 0.794%, ranking it fourth among the state's 58 counties. On a median home value of $793,400, that rate produces an annual real-estate tax bill of $6,441. Households here earn a median of $114,394, with per-capita income at $45,103, so the yearly tax equals roughly 5.6% of typical household earnings. Whether that feels affordable depends on the home you choose; Hollister, the county's largest city, anchors much of its housing stock, while San Juan Bautista and Paicines offer smaller alternatives. The trade-off is clear: pricier housing plus a tax rate above both benchmarks.

Frequently asked questions

What is the property tax rate in San Benito County, CA?
The effective rate is 0.81% — meaning the median tax bill equals about 0.81% of the median home value.
How much are property taxes on a median home?
On the median home ($793,400), the estimated annual bill is about $6,441.
Is San Benito County's rate high or low?
Compare it to the state median of 0.70% and the national average near 1.1%.
How does the effective rate differ from my mill rate?
A mill rate is the nominal levy per $1,000 of assessed value. The effective rate reflects what you actually pay after exemptions and assessments — it's the median tax bill as a share of median home value, so it better predicts your real cost.
Will a reassessment raise my tax bill?
Not necessarily. If your home's assessed value rises, your bill can go up, but only if the mill rate and exemptions stay flat. Contact the San Benito County assessor's office to review your current assessment.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment?
Yes. Most counties allow an appeal when you believe the assessed value exceeds the market value. File with the San Benito County assessor within the local deadline, typically with comparable sales as evidence.
Sources
[1] U.S. Census Bureau — ACS 5-Year (2023) — Median home value (B25077), median real-estate taxes (B25103), median household income (B19013), per-capita income (B19301).
[2] IRS — Statistics of Income — County income, AGI, and real-estate taxes paid.
[3] Tax Foundation — State income, sales, corporate, and estate/inheritance tax rates.