Carlsbad, CA · Updated Oct 2026

What a Carlsbad 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 Carlsbad house

$23,523a year · $1,960 a month

Starts at the typical market value, $1,570,500; your assessed value is often lower. Typical use.

A Carlsbad house at the typical market value ($1,570,500) pays about $23,500 a year: $16,870 property tax and charges, $1,870 water and sewer, $440 trash, $2,850 electricity and gas, $1,490 home insurance. Estimated from public rates, not anyone's actual bill.

Rates checked Oct 20, 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-gal cartUp to $39 a year
Your cart costs $36 a month; the smallest costs $33. Worth it if you rarely fill it.
How: Contact Republic Services at 760-332-6464 or carlsbadservice@republicservices.com with your phone number, address, and the number and size of carts you need.
Free bulky item pickup, three times a yearUp to 5 items each time
Republic Services residential customers receive three free bulky item pickups per year, per unit, with up to five items picked up each time.
How: Call Republic Services at 760-332-6464 to schedule.
Free mulch and compostNo charge
Carlsbad residents can pick up mulch and compost at Palomar Transfer Station with no limit on amount; bring your own container and proof of residency.
How: Palomar Transfer Station, 5960 El Camino Real; check in at the office.
Opt down to Clean Impact for a lower electric billLower generation rate
Most Clean Energy Alliance customers are on the default Clean Impact Plus product. In the August 2026 comparison for a typical TOU-DR1 customer using 346 kWh a month, Clean Impact averages $158.82 a month and Clean Impact Plus $172.56.
How: Opt down at thecleanenergyalliance.org/opt-down/ with your SDG&E account information, selecting Clean Impact.
CARE households: 20% off gas20% off gas
Customers enrolled in the California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) program receive a 20% discount on their SDG&E natural gas bill.
How: See SDG&E discount programs at sdge.com/assistance.

Adjust to match your bills

What you knowTrash cartEach 3-cart set covers trash, recycling and organics; the 64- and 96-gallon trash carts cost the same. Rates from July 1, 2026, stormwater fee included.

Value before exemptionsThe assessed or appraised value on your tax bill or notice, before exemptions (not the "taxable" line).

I live here and have the Homeowners' exemption

Home insurance, a yearFrom your policy. We start at $1,492, California statewide average, 2022 (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 SDG&E delivery with Clean Energy Alliance generation bill. An electric car adds about 300 kWh.

Gas, therms a month (yearly average)

Money dates

Dec 10in 48 daysFirst property tax installment delinquent after close of business; 10% penalty after that.
Jan 1, 2027in 70 daysThe single-family sewer rate rises from $68.22 to $77.77 a month under the increases the City Council approved in 2025.
Feb 15in 115 daysHomeowners' exemption deadline for the full exemption (about $70); late filings through December 10 get 80%.
Apr 10Second property tax installment delinquent after close of business; 10% penalty plus $10 cost.

Who serves this house

Water: Carlsbad Municipal Water District; 2026 water rates effective Jan. 1, 2026, billed monthly: a delivery fee based on meter size plus a usage fee per unit (one unit equals 748 gallons); single-family homes pay the Tier 1 rate for 0 to 10 units a month and the Tier 2 rate above 10 units
Property tax: 1.08% of value; 2025-26 tax year, San Diego County (tax rate area 09000)
Garbage: Republic Services; Trash, recycling and organics service under the City's contract; Republic Services bills you directly
Electricity: SDG&E, with Clean Energy Alliance as the default generation provider; One SDG&E bill with Clean Energy Alliance generation and SDG&E delivery charges
Gas: SDG&E; Bundled residential average gas rate about $2.768 a therm (March 2026)

Pay or manage your bills

Your water

Source: The district imports 82% of its drinking water, from the Colorado River and from Northern California through the State Water Project; the Claude "Bud" Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant produces 18%.
Hardness: Hardness averaged 230 ppm in the imported water from the Skinner treatment plant and 60.50 ppm in the desalinated water (2025 report).
PFAS: Drinking water testing was non-detect for all 29 PFAS compounds covered by the sampling method.

Other CA cities

How these numbers are made

Individual bills are not public, so we calculate yours from public rates and what you tell us.
Garbage (Republic Services, City of Carlsbad rates from July 1, 2026, stormwater fee included): $33.11 a month for the 3-cart set with a 35-gallon trash cart and $36.33 with a 64- or 96-gallon trash cart.
Water (Carlsbad Municipal Water District, rates from Jan. 1, 2026): $37.34 a month delivery fee for a 5/8-inch meter ($18.72 Carlsbad plus $18.62 Water Authority pass-through), then $5.60 a unit for the first 10 units and $5.97 above that. Homes in the Olivenhain or Vallecitos water districts pay those districts' rates instead, which we have not added. Sewer: the City's flat $68.22 a month single-family rate; homes on Leucadia Wastewater District or Vallecitos sewer pay those districts instead (Leucadia's fee is collected on the property tax bill).
Property tax: 1.07830% of assessed value (tax rate area 09000, fiscal year 2025-26; the 2026-27 rate book is not out yet): 1% general levy, 0.05990% Carlsbad Unified bonds, 0.01140% MiraCosta College bonds and 0.007% Metropolitan Water District, less the $7,000 homeowners' exemption. Other Carlsbad tax rate areas, with other school districts, range from 1.06834% to 1.14247%. The starting value is the Census median market value; under Prop 13 your assessed value is likely lower if you bought years ago.
Fixed charges: the $13.08 county vector control assessment (2026-27). Not included because they vary by neighborhood: the City's Street Lighting and Landscaping District assessments (an average single-family parcel in all three District No. 1 zones pays $70.44 a year), Carlsbad Unified and city community facilities district special taxes in newer neighborhoods, and the county vector service charge.
Electricity: Clean Energy Alliance's published comparison for a typical TOU-DR1 customer, $172.56 a month at 346 kWh on the default Clean Impact Plus plan (rates as of August 1, 2026, from 12 months of billing history, so seasons and time-of-use periods are averaged). We split it into SDG&E's $0.79343 a day Base Services Charge averaged over the year ($24.13 a month) and $0.42898 per kWh for the rest ((172.56 - 24.13) / 346). Customers who opt down to Clean Impact pay less ($158.82 a month at 346 kWh). Gas: SDG&E's $0.13 a day fixed charge (CPUC table, September 2025) averaged over the year ($3.95 a month), plus $2.5469 a therm, so that 24 therms a month gives SDG&E's March 2026 average non-CARE bill of $65.08. Insurance starts at the 2022 California average premium, $1,492.
Nothing here is legal, tax or insurance advice.

Sources

How Carlsbad compares

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

Per year	Carlsbad	Median	Where it falls
Property tax rate	1.08%	1.13%	lower than 93 of the other 109 California cities we cover
Water	$1,053	$955	higher than 74 of the other 109 California cities we cover
Sewer and utility-bill fees	$819	$584	higher than 58 of the other 76 California cities we cover
Trash	$436	$438	lower than 53 of the other 101 California cities we cover
Electricity and gas	$2,852	$3,556	lower than 98 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	$23,523	$15,240	higher than 100 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: Carlsbad's property tax rate is 1.08%, lower than 93 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 Carlsbad is 1.08%, lower than 93 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. Sewer and utility-bill fees

The fact: Sewer and flat utility-bill charges here come to about $819 a year, higher than 58 of the other 76 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 $819 a year, higher than 58 of the other 76 California cities we cover. What drives that cost, and would you change anything?"

3. Electricity and gas

The fact: Electricity and gas for a typical house here cost about $2,852 a year, lower than 98 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 $2,852 a year for a typical house, lower than 98 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 Carlsbad house costs

What is the property tax rate in Carlsbad?

About 1.08% of the value before exemptions a year (2025-26 tax year, San Diego County (tax rate area 09000)), plus flat charges on the same bill (County vector control assessment $13).

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

About $5,329 a year on $500,000 of the value before exemptions with the homeowners' exemption, including $13 of flat charges.

How much is the water bill in Carlsbad?

About $156 a month for water and sewer at typical use (9 units, or 6,732 gallons a month) on Carlsbad Municipal Water District.

How much does trash pickup cost in Carlsbad?

$33 to $36 a month, depending on the trash cart size (35-gal, 64-gal, 96-gal).

When is property tax due in Carlsbad?

Dec 10: First property tax installment delinquent after close of business; 10% penalty after that. Apr 10: Second property tax installment delinquent after close of business; 10% penalty plus $10 cost.

Where can I get help paying utility bills in Carlsbad?

CARE households: 20% off gas: Customers enrolled in the California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) program receive a 20% discount on their SDG&E natural gas bill. See SDG&E discount programs at sdge.com/assistance.

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

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