Alameda, CA · Updated Oct 2026

What a Alameda house pays

Property tax, water, trash and energy from public rates. Look up your address to make it yours, and see how to pay less.

Sent only to free public map services to find who serves it. Not stored unless you save your house.

Example · a Alameda house

$21,681a year · $1,807 a month

Starts at the typical market value, $1,235,700; your assessed value is often lower. Typical use.

Property tax$14,849
1.209% of $1,235,700, less $7,000 homeowners' exemption
Flat charges on the tax bill$1,263
City of Alameda sewer service charge $395 · EBMUD wet weather facilities charge (lot up to 5,000 sq ft) $173 · City water quality & flood protection fee $91 · City urban runoff (stormwater) fee $56 · City of Alameda Health Care District parcel tax $298 · AC Transit Measure VV parcel tax $96 · Peralta Community College Measure E parcel tax $48 · County paramedic service charge (CSA EM-1983-1) $41 · SF Bay Restoration Authority Measure AA $12 · East Bay Regional Park District special tax (CFD A/C-3) $12 · County lead abatement charge (pre-1978 homes) $10 · Household hazardous waste fee $8 · Vector control (CSA VC-1984-1) $6 · Vector & disease control assessment $7 · East Bay regional trails assessment $5 · Mosquito abatement assessment (2008) $3 · Mosquito abatement special tax (Measure K) $2
Electricity and gas$2,205
351 kWh a month $1,062 · 31.72 therms $989 · city utility tax $154
Water and sewer$1,236
5 units (CCF) a month on East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD): water $71, sewer $32 a month
Trash$636
32-gal garbage, $53 a month
Home insurance$1,492
Typical premium $1,492

A Alameda house at the typical market value ($1,235,700) pays about $21,700 a year: $16,110 property tax and charges, $1,240 water and sewer, $640 trash, $2,200 electricity and gas, $1,490 home insurance. Estimated from public rates, not anyone's actual bill.

Rates checked Oct 21, 2026. Insurance: what you enter, or a typical premium until you do. Sources are listed at the bottom.

Ways to pay less

Nothing here applies to every house automatically. These are worth checking:

Switch to the 20-gal garbage cartUp to $132 a year
Your cart costs $53 a month; the smallest costs $42. Worth it if you rarely fill it.
How: Call your garbage hauler.
Seniors 65+ and low-income residents: lower utility users' tax2% off the 7.5% tax
Senior citizens 65 or older and residents who qualify under HUD's low-income guidelines can get a 2% discount on Alameda's utility users' tax.
How: Download the senior or low-income exemption form from the City of Alameda Finance Department page; questions: 510-747-4881 or Finance@AlamedaCA.gov.
Income-qualified households: 25% off AMP electricity25% off
AMP's Energy Assistance Program takes 25% off energy and customer charges (not taxes) for income-qualified residential customers, generally households earning up to 80% of Area Median Income.
How: Apply to Alameda Municipal Power with proof of household income.
Low-income households: EBMUD Customer Assistance Program50% off water service charge
Eligible single-family customers can get 50% off the standard bimonthly water service charge and 50% off home water use (up to 1,050 gallons per person a month), plus 35% off EBMUD wastewater charges. A household of 1-2 qualifies with income of $67,900 or less. Enrollment lasts up to two years.
How: Apply online through EBMUD's CAP application.
One free on-call cleanup pickup a yearFree
ACI offers every residential customer one on-call cleanup per household every twelve months at no extra charge.
How: Call ACI at 510-483-1400 or email info@alamedacountyindustries.com to schedule it.
EBMUD lawn conversion rebateUp to $2.00 per sq. ft.
EBMUD pays up to $2.00 per square foot to convert a lawn to a water-wise garden; landscape rebates for a home are capped at $2,000 in any 24-month period.
How: Apply through EBMUD's rebates page.
Income-qualified households: PG&E CARE on gas20% off gas
CARE gives income-qualified customers a 20% discount on their natural gas bill.
How: Contact PG&E for an application.
100% disabled veterans: property tax exemption$175,298 off assessed value (2025-26)
The Disabled Veterans' Exemption reduces property tax on the principal residence of veterans rated 100% disabled because of a service-connected injury or disease (or paid at the 100% rate for unemployability). For the 2025-2026 assessment year the basic exemption amount is $175,298; a larger low-income exemption also exists.
How: See the Alameda County Assessor's exemptions page.

Adjust to match your bills

What you knowTrash cartThe price is set by the size of your gray garbage cart and includes your recycling and organics carts.

Value before exemptionsEnter your assessed value from your tax bill: under Prop 13 it is often well below what the house would sell for. Not included: AUSD's Measure E parcel tax, $0.585 per square foot of building a year (about $880 for 1,500 sq ft). Owners 65+ and SSI/SSDI recipients can apply for an exemption.

I live here and have the Homeowners' exemption

Home insurance, a yearFrom your policy. We start at $1,492, California statewide average, NAIC data for 2022 as published by the Insurance Information Institute (California figures from the California Department of Insurance).

Earthquake insurance, a yearSeparate from home insurance. Most owners don't have it.

Your use

Water, units a month

On your water bill. 1 unit (CCF) is 748 gallons. A typical Alameda house uses about 5.

Electricity, kWh a month

On your Alameda Municipal Power (AMP) bill. An electric car adds about 300 kWh.

Gas, therms a month (yearly average)

Money dates

Dec 10in 48 daysLast day to pay the first installment of secured property taxes without penalty; also the deadline for late homeowners' and veterans' exemption claims.
Feb 15in 115 daysDeadline to file the homeowners', veterans' and disabled veterans' exemption claims.
Apr 10Last day to pay the second installment of secured property taxes without penalty.
Jul 2 – Sep 15Window to file an assessment appeal with the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors.

Who serves this house

Water: East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD); EBMUD rates effective July 1, 2026: a $28.60 monthly service charge for a 5/8 or 3/4 inch meter ($57.20 on a bimonthly bill) plus $8.40 per unit (CCF) for the first 7 units a month, $9.74 from 7 to 16 units and $11.49 above 16 units for single-family homes. Most homes are billed every two months
Property tax: 1.21% of value; 2024-25 tax year, Alameda County (City of Alameda rates)
Garbage: Alameda County Industries (ACI); The City's franchised hauler. One quarterly rate, set by the size of your garbage cart, covers garbage, recycling and organics collection.
Sewer: EBMUD and the City of Alameda; EBMUD treats Alameda's wastewater; the City of Alameda's own sewer service charge is billed on the annual property tax roll.
Electricity: Alameda Municipal Power; The City of Alameda's not-for-profit electric utility; its rates are approved by the City's Public Utilities Board.
Gas: PG&E; Alameda is in PG&E's gas service territory.
Schools: Alameda Unified School District; Alameda Unified School District bonds and Peralta Community College District bonds are part of the property tax rate.

Pay or manage your bills

Your water

Source: EBMUD's main supply is snow and rain in the Mokelumne River watershed in the Sierra Nevada, carried 90 miles by aqueduct to East Bay treatment plants and reservoirs.
PFAS: EBMUD has finished its initial PFAS monitoring under the new rules, and all results so far have met the standards.

Other CA cities

How these numbers are made

Garbage: ACI's City of Alameda single-family rates for July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027 (quarterly: $125.35 for a 20-gallon garbage cart, $158.23 for 32, $259.97 for 64 and $363.09 for 96, recycling and organics included), divided by 3 for a monthly figure, plus the 30-cent monthly StopWaste regulatory fee that starts July 1, 2026. The grandfathered 10-gallon rate is not shown.
Water: EBMUD Schedule A from July 1, 2026, monthly-billing column: $28.60 service charge for a 5/8 or 3/4 inch meter, $8.40 per unit for the first 7 units, $9.74 to 16 units and $11.49 above (bimonthly bills use 14 and 32 units, the same thing per month). Alameda is at sea level, so we assume no elevation surcharge. The page starts at 5 units a month, EBMUD's median single-family use. Sewer: EBMUD wastewater (July 1, 2026): $10.94 service + $11.38 strength + $0.20 Bay pollution prevention fee = $22.52 a month, plus $1.97 per unit of water up to 9 units. The City of Alameda's sewer service charge ($32.91 a month in 2026/27, from the City's 2025 sewer rate ordinance) is on the property tax bill, so it is counted with the tax bill's flat charges ($394.92 a year), along with EBMUD's $173.48 wet weather facilities charge for lots up to 5,000 sq ft ($270.94 for 5,001-10,000 sq ft).
Property tax: the 2024-25 rates for the City of Alameda from the City's FY 2025 financial report (1% general levy plus City 0.0205%, Alameda Unified bonds 0.1236%, East Bay Regional Park 0.0013%, BART 0.0148%, Peralta bonds 0.0394% and County GO bond 0.0089%, 1.2085% in all), less the $7,000 homeowners' exemption. Alameda County's online tax rate search shows 2026-27 rates for the main Alameda tax rate area (21-000) of 1.2150% in all (County GO bond 0.0083%, Alameda Unified bonds 0.1291%, Peralta bonds 0.0395%, BART 0.0163%, East Bay Regional Park 0.0018%, City 0.0200%); we could not cite them because that service answers only search-form requests, not a plain download. Flat charges on the tax bill, from the list of direct charges the county shows for single-family parcels in the City ($1,263.49 a year in all): City sewer $394.92, EBMUD wet weather $173.48, Health Care District parcel tax $298, AC Transit Measure VV $96, City water quality and flood protection fee $91.31 (FY 2026-27 as proposed to the Council in June 2026), City urban runoff fee about $56 (unchanged since 2005), Peralta Measure E $48 (runs through 2027-28), county paramedic charge $41.40 and vector charges $5.92 and $6.57 (2025-26, the latest we could download), Measure AA $12, park district CFD $12, lead abatement $10 (homes built before 1978), household hazardous waste $7.80, regional trails $5.44, mosquito $2.90 and $1.75. Not included: AUSD's Measure E parcel tax, which is $0.585 per square foot of building a year (0.585 x 1,500 = $877.50, about $880, for a 1,500 sq ft house), because we found no source for a typical Alameda house size.
The starting home value is the Census ACS 2020-2024 median market value of owner-occupied homes ($1,235,700); under Prop 13 an owner who bought years ago has a lower assessed value and pays much less. Enter the assessed value from your tax bill.
Electricity: Alameda Municipal Power schedule D-1 (July 1, 2026): $24.27 customer charge, $0.13934 per kWh in Tier I and $0.26723 above, each plus the $0.00030 state Energy Resources Surcharge. Tier I for gas-heated homes is 211 kWh in summer and 253 in winter, six billing periods each, which averages 232 kWh a month (homes with permanent electric heat get 258 and 473). The City's 7.5% utility users' tax is added to electricity and gas (AMP applies it to all charges except the surcharge). Typical use is AMP's 2024 residential average from EIA, about 351 kWh a month.
Gas: PG&E G-1 (Oct. 1, 2026) $2.42480 and $2.92792 per therm plus the $0.12103 public purpose surcharge, baseline territory T (PG&E's tariff puts the westerly part of Alameda County south to Oakland's southern boundary in T; it does not name the City of Alameda, which lies in that area), weighted 7 summer, 3 off-peak and 2 on-peak months, about 28.4 therms a month. Typical gas use is California's 2024 residential average (EIA, about 32 therms a month). Insurance is the 2022 California average homeowners premium (NAIC via the Insurance Information Institute) until you enter your own.
Nothing here is legal, tax or insurance advice.

Sources

How Alameda compares

A typical Alameda house against the 110 California cities we cover, using the same default numbers as the total above.

Per year	Alameda	Median	Where it falls
Property tax rate	1.21%	1.13%	higher than 88 of the other 109 California cities we cover
Water	$847	$955	lower than 68 of the other 109 California cities we cover
Sewer and utility-bill fees	$388	$584	lower than 52 of the other 76 California cities we cover
Trash	$636	$438	higher than 87 of the other 101 California cities we cover
Electricity and gas	$2,205	$3,556	lower than 107 of the other 109 California cities we cover
Home insurance	$1,492	$1,492	in the middle of 108 other California cities we cover
Total	$21,681	$15,240	higher than 95 of the other 109 California cities we cover

Cities bill differently (some put trash on the tax bill, some cover more services), so a higher number isn't necessarily worse. The property tax rate is compared instead of dollars because house values differ.

Questions to ask your candidates

Each one starts from a number above. Any candidate can answer them.

1. Property tax rate

The fact: Alameda's property tax rate is 1.21%, higher than 88 of the other 109 California cities we cover. The rate adds up every agency on the bill, not only the city.

Ask: "Property tax in Alameda is 1.21%, higher than 88 of the other 109 California cities we cover. What should that money pay for first, and would you change anything about how it is set?"

2. Trash

The fact: Trash pickup here costs about $636 a year for the standard cart, higher than 87 of the other 101 California cities we cover. Where trash is billed through the tax bill or a separate hauler, it is not counted here.

Ask: "Trash pickup here costs about $636 a year for the standard cart, higher than 87 of the other 101 California cities we cover. What drives that cost, and would you change anything about the service or the price?"

3. Electricity and gas

The fact: Electricity and gas for a typical house here cost about $2,205 a year, lower than 107 of the other 109 California cities we cover. Rates are set mostly by the utility and the state.

Ask: "Electricity and gas here cost about $2,205 a year for a typical house, lower than 107 of the other 109 California cities we cover. Which parts of that can the city influence, and what would you do about them?"

See who is running in your city →

Common questions about Alameda house costs

What is the property tax rate in Alameda?

About 1.21% of the value before exemptions a year (2024-25 tax year, Alameda County (City of Alameda rates)), plus flat charges on the same bill (City of Alameda sewer service charge $395, EBMUD wet weather facilities charge (lot up to 5,000 sq ft) $173, City water quality & flood protection fee $91, City urban runoff (stormwater) fee $56).

How much is property tax on a $500,000 house in Alameda?

About $7,221 a year on $500,000 of the value before exemptions with the homeowners' exemption, including $1,263 of flat charges.

How much is the water bill in Alameda?

About $103 a month for water and sewer at typical use (5 units, or 3,740 gallons a month) on East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD).

How much does trash pickup cost in Alameda?

$42 to $121 a month, depending on the trash cart size (20-gal garbage, 32-gal garbage, 64-gal garbage, 96-gal garbage).

When is property tax due in Alameda?

Dec 10: Last day to pay the first installment of secured property taxes without penalty; also the deadline for late homeowners' and veterans' exemption claims. Apr 10: Last day to pay the second installment of secured property taxes without penalty.

Can seniors lower their property tax or bills in Alameda?

Yes. Seniors 65+ and low-income residents: lower utility users' tax: Senior citizens 65 or older and residents who qualify under HUD's low-income guidelines can get a 2% discount on Alameda's utility users' tax.

Where can I get help paying utility bills in Alameda?

Seniors 65+ and low-income residents: lower utility users' tax: Senior citizens 65 or older and residents who qualify under HUD's low-income guidelines can get a 2% discount on Alameda's utility users' tax. Download the senior or low-income exemption form from the City of Alameda Finance Department page; questions: 510-747-4881 or Finance@AlamedaCA.gov.

How much does a house in Alameda cost to run each year?

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