By Paarth Shah, REALTOR® · August 10, 2026 · Sacramento
The base rate is 1 percent of assessed value. That comes from Proposition 13 and it applies everywhere in California. What varies is what gets stacked on top.
Sacramento County publishes the actual numbers each year in its Compilation of Tax Rates by Code Area. For 2025-26, most City of Sacramento parcels served by Sacramento Unified sit at a total ad valorem rate of 1.1454 percent: the 1 percent countywide rate, plus 0.1246 percent for Sacramento Unified bonds and 0.0208 percent for Los Rios College bonds.
Other parts of the city land differently. Tax rate areas in the Elk Grove Unified portion total 1.0457 percent. Natomas Unified areas total 1.1424 percent. Parts of North Sacramento served by Robla Elementary and Twin Rivers reach 1.2369 percent. So for the City of Sacramento, roughly 1.05 to 1.25 percent is the honest range.
Then come direct levies. These are flat dollar charges rather than percentages, covering things like lighting, drainage, and Mello-Roos community facilities districts. Newer subdivisions carry the most of them. Elk Grove has infrastructure CFDs (East Franklin capped at $840 per single family home, Poppy Ridge at $965), plus separate police services and maintenance services CFDs, plus an Elk Grove Unified school CFD. They stack. Natomas, Folsom, Rancho Cordova, and Lincoln over in Placer County have their own versions. In heavier CFD neighborhoods an all-in effective cost of 1.4 to 1.8 percent of value is common. Do not assume, look up the parcel.
Example: a $525,000 home in a City of Sacramento, Sacramento Unified tax rate area
The rate matters less than the assessed value
Prop 13 resets assessed value to the purchase price when a property changes hands, then caps annual increases at 2 percent. A neighbor who bought in 1998 may be assessed at $180,000 while you are assessed at $700,000 on the same street, paying nearly the same rate on a very different number. This is why the seller's current tax figure on a listing is close to meaningless to a buyer. Budget off your purchase price, and expect a supplemental bill after closing that trues up the difference.
Dates and where to check
The first installment is due November 1 and delinquent after December 10. The second is due February 1 and delinquent after April 10. Late payments carry a 10 percent penalty. Look up any parcel's bill and its itemized direct levies at the county's e-PropTax site: https://eproptax.saccounty.gov
If you want the actual number on a specific address before you write an offer, send it to paarth@brokerbela.com and I will pull the parcel and its levies.
Proposition 13 sets a 1 percent base rate on assessed value, and voter-approved bonds bring most City of Sacramento parcels to roughly 1.05 to 1.25 percent for 2025-26. Direct levies and Mello-Roos assessments are added on top, which can push newer subdivisions well higher.
Sources
This is general market commentary, not financial, investment, or legal advice; figures are as of publication and can change. Verify specifics, including any school assignments, ratings, or boundaries, independently. Bela Realty & Investments is committed to Equal Housing Opportunity and does not steer clients toward or away from any neighborhood on the basis of a protected characteristic.