Brea, CA · Updated Oct 2026

What a Brea home costs each year

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

Suggestions as you type come from Google; the lookup uses free public map services to find who serves it. Not stored unless you save your house.

Example · a Brea house

$16,645a year · $1,387 a month

Starts at the typical market value, $922,300; your assessed value is often lower. Typical use.

Property tax$10,386
1.135% of $922,300, less $7,000 homeowners' exemption
Electricity and gas$3,556
523 kWh a month $2,729 · 35 therms $827
Water and sewer$799
9 units (CCF) a month on City of Brea: water $50, sewer $13, urban runoff (storm drain) $3 a month
Trash$412
Residential three-cart set (trash, recycle, organics); one monthly rate for residential and mobile homes, $34 a month
Home insurance$1,492
Typical premium $1,492

Shopping for home insurance?

Insurers charge very different prices for the same house and coverage. California's free premium survey lists each insurer's price.

Compare insurers' prices

A Brea house at the typical market value ($922,300) costs about $16,700 a year: $10,390 property tax and charges, $800 water and sewer, $410 trash, $3,560 electricity and gas, $1,490 home insurance. Estimated from public rates, not anyone's actual bill.

Rates checked Oct 28, 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:

Low income: Brea water lifeline discount20% off fixed + tier 1
Brea offers a 20% lifeline discount on the water fixed charge and the 1st tier, 10% on the 2nd tier and 5% on the 3rd tier; there is no discount at the 4th tier.
How: Submit a copy of your current Southern California Edison or Southern California Gas bill showing the D-care or Care rate.
Low income: CARE discount on SCE and SoCalGas30-35% off electric, 20% off gas
Low-income customers enrolled in CARE get a 30-35% discount on their electric bill and 20% on their natural gas bill.
How: Contact SCE or SoCalGas, or apply on their websites.
Income slightly above CARE limits: FERA electric discount18% off electric
Families whose income slightly exceeds the CARE limits may qualify for FERA, an 18% discount on electricity bills.
How: To request an application form, contact your utility company or visit its website.
Claim the $7,000 homeowners' exemption
The Homeowners' Exemption exempts $7,000 of a home's assessed value for an owner who occupies it as their principal place of residence on January 1.
How: Apply for the Homeowners' Exemption.

Adjust to match your bills

What you know

Value before exemptionsUnder Prop 13 your assessed value starts at your purchase price and can rise at most 2% a year, so it is often far below market: use the assessed value on your tax bill.

I live here and have the Homeowners' exemption

Home insurance, a yearFrom your policy. We start at $1,492, NAIC data via 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 house uses 7–12.

Electricity, kWh a month

On your Southern California Edison bill. An electric car adds about 300 kWh.

Gas, therms a month (yearly average)

Money dates

Nov 30in 26 daysRegular assessment appeals in Orange County are filed July 2 to November 30 of each year at 5:00 p.m.
Dec 10in 36 daysFirst property tax installment (due Nov 1) is delinquent after Dec 10: 10% penalty.
Feb 15in 103 daysLast day for a first-time homeowners' exemption claim to get the full exemption for the year.
Apr 10Second property tax installment (due Feb 1) is delinquent after Apr 10: 10% penalty plus $23 per bill.

Who serves this house

Water: City of Brea; Monthly fixed charge of $20.59 for a 5/8", 3/4" or 1" meter plus a four-tier usage rate for single family residential per 100 cubic feet: $3.30 for 1-10 units, $4.31 for 11-20, $5.69 for 21-30 and $6.67 for more than 30. The current water rates went into effect on bills dated June 2023.
Property tax: 1.13% of value; 2026-27 tax year, Orange County (tax rate area 02-001)
Garbage: Republic Services; Republic Services is the City's franchise waste hauler and offers Brea residents a three cart collection system.
Sewer: City of Brea; The City of Brea sets a monthly fixed charge for sewer service.
Electricity: Southern California Edison; Brea is listed among SCE service territory cities.
Gas: SoCalGas; Brea (Orange County) is listed in SoCalGas's serving area.
Schools: Brea-Olinda Unified School District; Brea-Olinda Unified School District bond rates are on this tax rate area in the 2026-27 Orange County rate book.

Pay or manage your bills

Your water

Source: Brea's drinking water is a blend of treated groundwater from Cal Domestic and imported surface water from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.
Report: The City's Water Quality Report is for Reporting Year 2025.

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How these numbers are made

Individual bills are confidential in California, so we calculate yours from public rates and what you tell us.
Water: the City's current rate page (rates in effect on bills dated June 2023): $20.59 a month for a 5/8-inch, 3/4-inch or 1-inch meter plus $3.30, $4.31, $5.69 and $6.67 per 100 cubic feet in the four tiers (10, 20 and 30 units). The City publishes no typical use, so the starting water use is our own assumption. The City's 2022 rate study projected higher charges for later years; we found no adopted newer schedule, so we use the page's rates. Sewer and urban runoff are separate monthly charges on the City bill ($13.31 and $2.98).
Trash: Republic Services' $34.34 a month for the residential three-cart set, from the City's page (rates as of July 1, 2026). How the City bills it was not stated.
Property tax: 2026-27 Orange County rate of 1.13474% for tax rate area 02-001 (1% levy + Brea paramedics override + Brea-Olinda USD and North Orange County CCD bonds + MWDOC), less the $7,000 homeowners' exemption. Other Brea tax rate areas (some with La Habra or Fullerton school bonds) total 1.15 or more; 02-002 to 02-005 and 02-008 have the same 1.13474%. The starting value is the ACS 2020-2024 median value of owner-occupied housing units; your assessed value is often far lower. Mello-Roos and other direct charges that only some parcels carry are not included. We could not find an official source that names Brea in the Orange County Sanitation District's regional sewer fee (a yearly charge on the tax bill elsewhere in north Orange County), so it is not included; if it applies to your bill, add it.
Electricity: SCE's standard Domestic rate of $0.38865 per kWh plus the $24.15 Base Services Charge at 523 kWh. Gas: SoCalGas's August 2026 average non-CARE bill at 35 therms. City franchise fees were not separately sourced. Insurance starts at the 2022 California average.
Nothing here is legal, tax or insurance advice.

Sources

How Brea compares

A typical Brea house against the 285 California cities we cover, using the same default numbers as the total above.

Per year	Brea	Median	Where it falls
Property tax rate	1.13%	1.13%	higher than 155 of the other 284 California cities we cover
Water	$603	$927	lower than 238 of the other 284 California cities we cover
Sewer and utility-bill fees	$195	$596	lower than 170 of the other 196 California cities we cover
Trash	$412	$452	lower than 165 of the other 267 California cities we cover
Electricity and gas	$3,556	$3,421	higher than 176 of the other 284 California cities we cover
Home insurance	$1,492	$1,492	lower than 1 of the other 272 California cities we cover
Total	$16,645	$14,432	higher than 193 of the other 284 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. Water

The fact: Water here costs about $603 a year at typical use, lower than 238 of the other 284 California cities we cover.

Ask: "Water here costs about $603 a year at typical use, lower than 238 of the other 284 California cities we cover. What drives that cost, and would you change anything?"

2. Sewer and utility-bill fees

The fact: Sewer and flat utility-bill charges here come to about $195 a year, lower than 170 of the other 196 California cities we cover. Some cities bill sewer on the property tax bill instead, which is not counted here.

Ask: "Sewer and flat utility-bill charges here cost about $195 a year, lower than 170 of the other 196 California cities we cover. What drives that cost, and would you change anything?"

See who is running in your city →

Common questions about Brea house costs

What is the property tax rate in Brea?

About 1.13% of the value before exemptions a year (2026-27 tax year, Orange County (tax rate area 02-001)), plus flat charges on the same bill.

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

About $5,594 a year on $500,000 of the value before exemptions with the homeowners' exemption.

How much is the water bill in Brea?

About $67 a month for water and sewer at typical use (9 units, or 6,732 gallons a month) on City of Brea.

How much does trash pickup cost in Brea?

$34 a month for a house.

When is property tax due in Brea?

Dec 10: First property tax installment (due Nov 1) is delinquent after Dec 10: 10% penalty. Apr 10: Second property tax installment (due Feb 1) is delinquent after Apr 10: 10% penalty plus $23 per bill.

Where can I get help paying utility bills in Brea?

Low income: CARE discount on SCE and SoCalGas: Low-income customers enrolled in CARE get a 30-35% discount on their electric bill and 20% on their natural gas bill. Contact SCE or SoCalGas, or apply on their websites.

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

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