California City, CA · Updated Oct 2026

What a California City 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 California City house

$9,926a year · $827 a month

Starts at the typical market value, $278,000; your assessed value is often lower. Typical use.

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 California City house at the typical market value ($278,000) costs about $9,900 a year: $3,270 property tax and charges, $1,030 water and sewer, $520 trash, $3,610 electricity and gas, $1,490 home insurance. Estimated from public rates, not anyone's actual bill.

Rates checked Oct 29, 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 35-gallon trash cart (with recycling and organics carts) cartUp to $78 a year
Your cart costs $43 a month; the smallest costs $37. Worth it if you rarely fill it.
How: Log into your My WM account or chat with WM Customer Support online.
Income-qualified: SCE CARE rate32.5% off the electric bill
Through SCE's CARE program, qualifying households receive 32.5% off their electric bills and a Base Services Charge of about $6 a month.
How: Apply with SCE's CARE/FERA online application.
Income-qualified: SoCalGas CARE20% off the gas bill
You may qualify for 20% off your monthly natural gas bill through SoCalGas's CARE program if you or another person in your household receives benefits such as Medi-Cal or CalFresh.
How: Apply for CARE with SoCalGas.
Residents on CARE: 20% off trash20% off the trash rate
Residents experiencing financial hardship who are enrolled in CARE through their electric or gas utility may also qualify for a 20% discount on residential trash service.
How: Email a copy of your utility bill showing CARE enrollment to wmcserv@wm.com.
Smaller trash cart: up to 20% offUp to 20% off
By switching your 96 gallon trash cart to a 64 or 35 gallon cart, you can receive up to a 20% discount on your monthly trash rate.
How: Log into your My WM account or chat with Customer Support online.
Three free bulk item pickups a year
Residents receive up to three free bulk item pickups per year.
How: Schedule at least 48 hours before your regular collection day at home.wm.com/california-city.

Adjust to match your bills

What you knowTrash cartWM rate schedule effective July 1, 2026; the service guide lists the standard 96-gallon three-cart service at $43.24 a month.

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 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 California City house uses about 10.

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 30, 2026in 26 daysLast day to file a 2026 regular assessment appeal in Kern County (filing period July 2 to November 30, 2026).
Dec 10in 36 daysFirst property tax installment (due Nov 1) becomes delinquent December 10; 10% penalty if not paid by then.
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) becomes delinquent April 10; 10% penalty if not paid by then.

Who serves this house

Water: City of California City; Monthly 3/4-inch meter base $30 with the first 6 units included; one unit is 100 cubic feet. Rates effective July 1, 2020, per the city's May 2026 fee schedule.
Property tax: 1.21% of value; 2025-26 tax year, Kern County (California City tax rate area 011-010)
Garbage: WM (Waste Management); WM and the City of California City present the residential waste, recycling and organics service guide.
Electricity: Southern California Edison; SCE's baseline allocation table lists California City in baseline region 14.
Gas: SoCalGas; SoCalGas's list of cities it serves includes California City, Kern County.

Pay or manage your bills

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How these numbers are made

Property tax uses Kern County's 2025-26 rates for tax rate area 011-010 (the largest California City area by secured value): the 1% levy plus AVEK, Mojave Unified and Kern Community College bond rates, total 1.208364%. Kern's 2026-27 rate book was not yet published. No flat per-parcel line for this area appears in the county rate book, so none is included; your bill may differ.
Starting value is the Census median market value; Prop 13 assessed values are often lower.
Water is the 3/4-inch meter base of $30 a month (first 6 units included) plus tiers per 100 cubic feet; sewer is the $40.00 flat residential charge. The city's May 2026 fee schedule still shows July 1, 2020 rates, and a water and wastewater rate study was under way as of February 10, 2026.
Trash is WM's July 1, 2026 residential schedule (three-cart service). Electricity is SCE Schedule D; Tier 1 allowance is the region 14 baseline weighted over 4 summer and 8 winter months (about 436 kWh a month). Gas and insurance are SoCalGas and California statewide averages.
Nothing here is legal, tax or insurance advice.

Sources

How California City compares

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

Per year	California City	Median	Where it falls
Property tax rate	1.21%	1.13%	higher than 241 of the other 284 California cities we cover
Water	$552	$927	lower than 246 of the other 284 California cities we cover
Sewer and utility-bill fees	$480	$596	lower than 128 of the other 196 California cities we cover
Trash	$519	$452	higher than 178 of the other 267 California cities we cover
Electricity and gas	$3,608	$3,421	higher than 210 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	$9,926	$14,432	lower than 259 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. Property tax rate

The fact: California City's property tax rate is 1.21%, higher than 241 of the other 284 California cities we cover. The rate adds up every agency on the bill, not only the city.

Ask: "Property tax in California City is 1.21%, higher than 241 of the other 284 California cities we cover. What should that money pay for first, and would you change anything about how it is set?"

2. Water

The fact: Water here costs about $552 a year at typical use, lower than 246 of the other 284 California cities we cover.

Ask: "Water here costs about $552 a year at typical use, lower than 246 of the other 284 California cities we cover. What drives that cost, and would you change anything?"

See who is running in your city →

Common questions about California City house costs

What is the property tax rate in California City?

About 1.21% of the value before exemptions a year (2025-26 tax year, Kern County (California City tax rate area 011-010)), plus flat charges on the same bill.

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

About $5,957 a year on $500,000 of the value before exemptions with the homeowners' exemption.

How much is the water bill in California City?

About $86 a month for water and sewer at typical use (10 units, or 7,480 gallons a month) on City of California City.

How much does trash pickup cost in California City?

$37 to $43 a month, depending on the trash cart size (35-gallon trash cart (with recycling and organics carts), 64-gallon trash cart (with recycling and organics carts), 96-gallon trash cart (with recycling and organics carts)).

When is property tax due in California City?

Dec 10: First property tax installment (due Nov 1) becomes delinquent December 10; 10% penalty if not paid by then. Apr 10: Second property tax installment (due Feb 1) becomes delinquent April 10; 10% penalty if not paid by then.

Where can I get help paying utility bills in California City?

Income-qualified: SCE CARE rate: Through SCE's CARE program, qualifying households receive 32.5% off their electric bills and a Base Services Charge of about $6 a month. Apply with SCE's CARE/FERA online application.

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

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