What a Cupertino 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.
Assessed at $1,000,000, San Jose Water, typical use.
- Property tax$11,516
1.16% of $1,000,000 assessed value, less the $7,000 homeowners' exemption
- Flat charges on the tax bill$1,145
Sewer $826 · High school $98 · Valley Water $82 · Storm $62 · Library $34 · Mosquito $31 · Bay $12
- Electricity and gas$3,133
450 kWh a month $2,197 · 31 therms $862 · city utility tax $73 · tiered E-1 plan
- Water$1,653
9 units (CCF) a month on San Jose Water: water $138 a month
- Trash$1,068
64-gal, $89 a month
- Home insurance$2,741
Survey median $2,741 · same coverage costs $1,598–$4,968
A Cupertino house assessed at $1 million pays about $21,300 a year: $12,660 property tax and charges, $1,650 water, $1,070 trash, $3,130 electricity and gas, $2,740 home insurance. Estimated from public rates, not anyone's actual bill.
Electricity and gas: PG&E tariffs, June and Oct 2026. Garbage: Recology rate sheet Feb 1, 2026. Water: San Jose Water and Cal Water tariffs, July 1, 2026. Property tax: 2025–26 county rates. Sewer: $826.20, adopted by Cupertino Sanitary District May 2026. Insurance: what you enter, or the state survey median until you do. Security and internet are on their own pages; they are not in the total yet.
Ways to pay less
One change saves this house about $513 a year:
Switch your 64-gal garbage cart to 32 gal
$513 a yearMost of what fills a big cart can go in recycling or the green cart, which are free. If you overflow sometimes, an extra bag tag costs about $12.
How: Call Recology South Bay at 408-725-4020 or email RecologySouthBay@recology.com and ask to "right-size" your cart.
Worth checking
If your household qualifies for PG&E CAREUp to $2,232 a year
One enrollment lowers four bills: electricity 35% off plus a $12/mo SV Clean Energy credit, gas 20% off, garbage about half (32-gal at $23.77/mo), and San Jose Water 15% off. Income limit: $43,280 for 1–2 people, $66,000 for 4.
How: Apply at pge.com/care. Then send proof to Recology, and apply separately to your water company's assistance program.
City utility tax: free for 65+2.4% of your PG&E bill
Cupertino charges a 2.4% tax on electricity, gas and phone (about $73 a year for you). Residents 65 and older can stop paying it.
How: Apply on the City of Cupertino's utility users' tax exemption form.
Replace a gas water heater with a heat pump$2,500 – $3,500 rebate
SV Clean Energy pays $2,500 ($3,500 for income-qualified homes), plus a $500 bonus for reservations made by Oct 31, 2026. From 2027, Bay Area rules require replacements to be zero-emission anyway. SVCE estimates $300–400 a year in energy savings.
How: Reserve the rebate before installing: svcleanenergy.org/home-rebates.
Compare home insurance quotesUp to $1,143 a year
For the same house and coverage, the state's 2026 survey shows Cupertino premiums from $1,598 to $4,968 a year (median $2,741). Also insure the cost to rebuild, not the sale price: land isn't insured.
How: Use the California Department of Insurance premium survey, then call an independent agent. See the Insurance page.
Deduct more property tax on your federal returnBigger federal deduction
The SALT cap rose from $10,000 to $40,000 for 2025 ($40,400 for 2026), so many owners here can itemize again. A deduction saves your tax rate times the extra amount, not the whole amount. It phases down above about $505,000 of income.
How: Tell your tax preparer, or itemize on Schedule A. See the Property tax page.
Use your 2 free bulky pickupsFree
Recology picks up 3 bulky items plus a 4×4×8 ft pile, twice a year, at no charge. Extra pickups cost a fee.
How: Book at 408-725-4020 or recology.com/recology-south-bay/cupertino/bulky-items.
Money dates
- Oct 31in 8 daysLast day for the SV Clean Energy $500 bonus on heat-pump water heater rebates.
- Dec 10in 48 daysFirst property tax installment due. After that: 10% penalty plus $20.
- Feb 15in 115 daysLast day to file the homeowners' exemption for the full year.
- Apr 10Second property tax installment due. Same 10% + $20 penalty.
Who serves this house
- Water
- Depends on your address
- 3 water systems serve Cupertino
- Property tax
- 1.16% of assessed value
- Tax rate area 013-002 (the most common here)
- Garbage
- Recology South Bay
- Bills you directly, every 3 months
- Electricity & gas
- PG&E + SV Clean Energy
- PG&E delivers and bills. SVCE buys the power.
- Sewer
- Cupertino Sanitary District
- On your property tax bill
- Schools
- Cupertino Union · Fremont Union HSD
- One parcel tax: Fremont Union $98
Your water
- Comes from
- Local wells, Santa Cruz Mountains streams and Valley Water. The mix changes by neighborhood.
- Hardness
- Hard to very hard. About 9 grains/gal from streams and about 17 from wells.
- Disinfectant
- Chloramine and/or chlorine. Treat it before using in fish tanks or dialysis.
- PFAS
- PFHxS averages 3.2 ppt, just above the state notification level (3 ppt). Construction of treatment begins 2026–27.
The 2025 water quality report gives two different lead results, one in the table and another in the text. We won't show a lead number until San Jose Water clarifies.
Go deeper
How these numbers are made
- Individual bills are confidential in California, so we calculate yours from public rates and what you tell us.
- Garbage curbside per month: 24 gal $43.48 · 32 gal $46.24 · 64 gal $89.00 · 96 gal $131.75. Walk-up costs more. Low-income (CARE) rates are 24 gal $21.01 and 32 gal $23.77.
- Water, San Jose Water (5/8" meter): $79.67 a month plus $5.0355 per unit for 0–6, $7.5156 for 6–12, $14.3548 above 12, plus a $0.2996 per-unit surcharge and a $2.61 monthly fee. Cal Water (Los Altos Suburban): $47.56 a month plus $2.7706 per unit for 1–6, $11.0514 for 7–20, $13.8803 for 21–30 and $16.5836 above, before surcharges.
- Property tax rate 1.1597% (tax rate areas 013-002 and 013-003, FY 2025–26). Fixed charges 2026–27: sewer $826.20, Fremont Union HSD $98, Valley Water $82.41, storm fee about $62 (depends on lot size), county library $33.66, mosquito control $30.86, Bay restoration $12. Fire service is paid from the 1%.
- Electricity: PG&E tiered plan E-1 (June 2026), 32.6¢/kWh up to about 297 kWh a month and 40.7¢ above, plus the $24.13 monthly base charge ($6.00 with CARE). SV Clean Energy's default plan costs about the same as PG&E's. Gas: $2.42 per therm up to the seasonal baseline and $2.93 above (Oct 2026), minus the $46.26 yearly climate credit. City utility tax: 2.4%.
- Not yet included: phone (also taxed 2.4%), solar and other plan comparisons.
- Home insurance starts at the median of 34 insurers in the California Department of Insurance 2026 premium survey for Cupertino (policies from May 1, 2026; excludes wildfire surcharges).
- Your tax rate area comes from the county parcel file, and its rate and school districts from the county's 2025–26 tax rate book. School parcel taxes are counted only where your rate area is in that district.
- Nothing here is legal, tax or insurance advice.
Common questions about Cupertino house costs
What is the property tax rate in Cupertino?
About 1.16% of assessed value a year (2025-26, the most common tax rate area), plus flat charges on the same bill (Sewer $826, High school $98, Valley Water $82, Storm $62).
How much is property tax on a $500,000 house in Cupertino?
About $6,862 a year on $500,000 of assessed value with the $7,000 homeowners' exemption, including $1,145 of flat charges.
How much is the water bill in Cupertino?
About $138 a month for water at typical use (9 units, or 6,732 gallons a month) on San Jose Water.
How much does trash pickup cost in Cupertino?
$43 to $132 a month, depending on the trash cart size (24 gallon, 32 gallon, 64 gallon, 96 gallon).
When is property tax due in Cupertino?
Dec 10: First property tax installment due. After that: 10% penalty plus $20. Apr 10: Second property tax installment due. Same 10% + $20 penalty.
Can seniors lower their property tax or bills in Cupertino?
Yes. City utility tax: free for 65+: Cupertino charges a 2.4% tax on electricity, gas and phone. Residents 65 and older can stop paying it.
Where can I get help paying utility bills in Cupertino?
Your household qualifies for PG&E CARE: One enrollment lowers four bills: electricity 35% off plus a $12/mo SV Clean Energy credit, gas 20% off, garbage about half (32-gal at $23.77/mo), and San Jose Water 15% off. Income limit: $43,280 for 1–2 people, $66,000 for 4. Apply at pge.com/care. Then send proof to Recology, and apply separately to your water company's assistance program.
How much does a house in Cupertino cost to run each year?
A Cupertino house assessed at $1 million pays about $21,300 a year: $12,660 property tax and charges, $1,650 water, $1,070 trash, $3,130 electricity and gas, $2,740 home insurance. Estimated from public rates, not anyone's actual bill.