Buyer Tools
Accurately estimate your monthly housing costs in California
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California's Prop 13 limits the base property tax rate to 1% of assessed value. At purchase, assessed value equals the purchase price. It can increase by at most 2% per year after that. On top of the base rate, local bonds and assessments typically bring the total to 1.1%-1.3%.
Mello-Roos is a California-specific Community Facilities District (CFD) tax that funds infrastructure like schools, roads, and parks in newer developments. Common in areas like Chino Hills and Irvine, it can add 0.3%-1.0% to your tax rate. Established cities like Arcadia and San Gabriel typically don't have it. This tax is included in your property tax bill.
Most online calculators use generic tax rate estimates (e.g. Redfin defaults to 1.25%), but actual rates vary significantly by location. Our calculator extracts the real tax rate from each property's actual tax records, already including all local assessments and Mello-Roos, giving you the most accurate monthly cost estimate.
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