Cost to Own
United States › California › Exemptions Programs 2 Avg effective rate 0.714%
Money that stays yours only if you claim it Most of these take a single filing with the county assessor. Homeowners who never file simply pay the full bill, every year, forever.

Statewide relief programs

Property Tax Exemptions in California

These are the major statewide programs. Counties and cities often layer their own on top, and dollar amounts change with legislation, so each entry tells you what the program is and who it is for, and the official California source carries the current numbers.

What you may be able to claim

Homeowners' Exemption Who: Owner-occupied primary residences. Modest reduction in assessed value; must be claimed once with the county assessor. Most eligible Californians who never filed are leaving it unclaimed.
Prop 13 / Prop 19 base transfers Who: All owners; 55+, disabled and disaster victims for transfers. Assessed value grows at most 2% a year while you own; qualifying owners can move that protected base to a new home.

Current amounts, income limits and forms: official California property tax site. Filing itself happens at your county assessor's office.

Common questions

What property tax exemptions does California offer?

California offers 2 major statewide relief programs: Homeowners' Exemption; Prop 13 / Prop 19 base transfers. Details and current amounts are on the official state site, and claims go through your county assessor.

Do property tax exemptions renew automatically?

Some do, many do not. Homestead-type filings usually persist once made, while income-tested programs typically require an annual application. The safe habit is one call to the county assessor each year.

How much can an exemption save?

It depends on the program, your home's value and the current statutory amounts, which change. On this site's data, the average California homeowner pays an effective 0.714% of home value in property tax each year, any exemption comes off that bill.

Keep going

Down payment help in California · Every California county's full ownership cost · The state's lowest-tax counties