Property Taxes
Property Taxes by City: What Buyers Actually Pay in California and Texas
Updated November 7, 2026
Reviewed by:
Head of Growth at TurboHome
Head Agent, California · CalDRE #01997822
Texas buyers pay roughly twice the rate California buyers do, but on far cheaper homes, so the bills land closer together than the rates suggest. Katy carries the highest median rate in our ten cities at 2.52% (and 3.28% on homes built in 2020 or later), Houston 2.20%, Dallas 2.19% and Fort Worth 2.11% (effective rates on homes that resold), Austin 2.05%; in California, Oakland is the high end at about 1.34%, with San Francisco at 1.18%, Los Angeles 1.19%, San Jose 1.15% and San Diego 1.25% in city tax rate area 08001 (1.03% to 1.28% depending on the tax rate area).
TurboHome Market Analysis · California and Texas · Closings May to October 2026 · Published November 2026
The biggest bills are in San Francisco ($19,219 a year on the $1,625,000 median home) and San Jose ($15,666); the smallest median bill is Houston's ($6,958).
Property tax by city: rates and bills compared
Each row comes from that city's page, sorted by rate from highest to lowest.
| City | Median sale price, May to October 2026 | Property tax rate | Tax on the median home | City page |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Katy, TX | $349,000 | 2.52% | $8,809 | Rates and bills |
| Houston, TX | $316,000 | 2.20% | $6,958 | Rates and bills |
| Dallas, TX | $472,850 | 2.19% (effective, bill divided by price) | $9,395 (listing bill) | Rates and bills |
| Fort Worth, TX | $328,000 | 2.11% (effective, bill divided by price) | $7,159 (listing bill) | Rates and bills |
| Austin, TX | $555,000 | 2.05% | $11,358 | Rates and bills |
| Oakland, CA | $837,500 | 1.34% | $11,215 | Rates and bills |
| San Diego, CA | $950,000 | 1.25% | $11,886 | Rates and bills |
| Los Angeles, CA | $1,152,000 | 1.19% | $13,660 | Rates and bills |
| San Francisco, CA | $1,625,000 | 1.18% | $19,219 | Rates and bills |
| San Jose, CA | $1,363,000 | 1.15% | $15,666 | Rates and bills |
Dallas and Fort Worth show the median tax bill on the listing and the effective rate (that bill divided by the sale price). California bills are the total rate applied to the sale price, before exemptions, parcel taxes and Mello-Roos. San Diego uses the verified rate for city tax rate area 08001; across the city's tax rate areas the bill on the median home runs from $9,794 to $12,180.
Property taxes by region
Bay Area
Los Angeles and Orange County
San Diego County
Dallas-Fort Worth
Greater Houston
California vs Texas: how the systems differ
California taxes a home on its purchase price. Proposition 13 sets the assessed value at what the buyer paid and then limits increases to 2% a year, so a new buyer's bill follows the price while a long-time owner next door can pay far less.
Texas appraises every home at market value each January 1, and the rates are roughly twice California's. The school district homestead exemption takes $140,000 off a homestead's taxable value, and once it is in place the taxable value can rise at most 10% a year (source: The Texas Tribune, October 20, 2026, read November 7, 2026).
Neither state levies a state property tax: the bill goes to counties, cities, school districts and other local agencies.
Methodology
Each city page uses closings of single family homes, condos and townhouses (California also includes tenancies in common) from our MLS feed, closed May 1 through October 31, 2026, compared with May through October 2025 where the year-over-year figures are available. California: the tax is the published total rate for the city's typical tax rate area applied to the sale price; parcel taxes, Mello-Roos and direct assessments are not included, and the actual rate depends on the tax rate area. Texas: Houston, Katy and Austin use the total tax rate reported on each listing; Dallas and Fort Worth use the most recent annual tax amount reported on each listing before exemptions, divided by the sale price, and exclude homes built in 2024 or later because their listed bill usually covers the lot only. Neighborhoods need at least 20 closings. Figures are medians. Each city page cites its rate source and the date it was read. Published November 2026.
Related guides
- California home buying guides
- Texas home buying guides
- HOA fees by city
- Down payment on a house, by city
- How much over asking to offer, by city
- How long it takes to close, by city
- Up and coming neighborhoods, by city
- Best time to buy a house, by city
- New construction vs resale homes, by city
- Answers on commissions and rebates
About the Author
Vinura Abeysundara
Vinura Abeysundara is a real estate and growth professional with experience scaling homebuying platforms across Canada and the United States. Formerly Head of Growth at Zown, he now works with TurboHome and writes about homebuyer savings, flat-fee real estate, commissions, and technology in real estate.
View Vinura on LinkedInAbout Kevin Kretzmer
Head Agent, California
Kevin Kretzmer leads TurboHome's California agent team and reviews California and national buyer guidance for practical brokerage accuracy.
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