El Cerrito, CA · Updated Oct 2026

What a El Cerrito 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 El Cerrito house

$23,292a year · $1,941 a month

Starts at the typical market value, $1,124,400; your assessed value is often lower. Typical use.

Property tax$14,242
1.275% of $1,124,400, less $7,000 homeowners' exemption
Flat charges on the tax bill$1,215
Stege Sanitary District sewer service charge $443 · EBMUD wet weather facilities charge (lot up to 5,000 sq ft) $173 · WCCUSD parcel tax (Measure T, by building size) $109 · WCCUSD assessment $72 · AC Transit parcel tax $96 · El Cerrito street lighting & landscaping assessment $72 · El Cerrito Measure H parks & swim center tax $58 · El Cerrito Measure J storm drain fee $58 · West Contra Costa Healthcare District parcel tax $52 · Stormwater charge (FED STORMWATER A-5 on the bill) $38 · SF Bay Restoration Authority parcel tax (Measure AA) $12 · East Bay Regional Park District special tax (CFD A/C-3) $12 · Emergency medical services charge (EMERGENCY MED B) $10 · East Bay regional trails assessment $5 · Mosquito & vector control $3
Electricity and gas$4,095
500 kWh a month $2,803 · 31.72 therms $989 · city utility tax $303
Water and sewer$1,334
5 units (CCF) a month on East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD): water $71, sewer $32, city utility tax $8 a month
Trash$914
35-gal garbage, $76 a month
Home insurance$1,492
Typical premium $1,492

A El Cerrito house at the typical market value ($1,124,400) pays about $23,300 a year: $15,460 property tax and charges, $1,330 water and sewer, $910 trash, $4,090 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 $226 a year
Your cart costs $76 a month; the smallest costs $57. Worth it if you rarely fill it.
How: Call your garbage hauler.
Seniors 65+: WCCUSD parcel tax exemptionMeasure T parcel tax waived
Owners 65 or older who live in their single-family home can be exempted from the school district's Measure T parcel tax. Once filed, the exemption renews automatically each year; it must be filed again after a move.
How: Apply through the online application portal (OAP.SCI-CG.COM) with a current property tax bill, a California driver's license, ID card or passport, and a current utility bill; forms are due June 30 each year. Questions: (844) 332-0549.
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 service and flow 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.
Income-qualified households: PG&E CARE or FERA30–35% off electricity
CARE takes 30–35% off electricity and drops the base services charge to $6 a month; FERA takes 18% off for incomes slightly above the CARE limit.
How: Apply with PG&E; application forms are also available through community agencies.
Free once-a-year curbside clean-up for extra recyclablesFree
Households in El Cerrito can save up extra recyclables for a free, once-a-year curbside clean-up.
How: The City of El Cerrito runs the program; questions about recycling: City of El Cerrito Recycling Services, 510-215-4350.
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.
No-interest loan to replace your sewer lateralUp to $30,000, no interest
Stege Sanitary District's Private Sewer Lateral Replacement Loan Program offers a no-interest deferred payment loan of up to $30,000 to replace private sewer laterals, first-come, first-served while funds last.
How: Contact Stege Sanitary District: (510) 524-4667.

Adjust to match your bills

What you knowTrash cartThe price is set by the size of your black garbage cart and includes a 64-gallon recycling cart and a 64-gallon green waste/food scraps cart.

Value before exemptionsEnter your assessed (net) value from your tax bill: under Prop 13 it is often well below what the house would sell for. The WCCUSD Measure T parcel tax is 7.2 cents per square foot of building, and EBMUD's wet weather charge is higher on lots over 5,000 sq ft, so those two lines vary by house. Measure V on the Nov 3, 2026 ballot would continue the Measure T parcel tax for nine more years.

I live here and have the Homeowners' exemptionSomeone on the title is 65 or older

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 El Cerrito house uses about 5.

Electricity, kWh a month

On your PG&E delivery with MCE Light Green generation bill. An electric car adds about 300 kWh.

Gas, therms a month (yearly average)

Money dates

Nov 1in 9 daysFirst property tax installment due; pay by Dec 10, 2026 to avoid a 10% late-payment penalty.
Nov 30, 2026in 38 daysLast day of Contra Costa County's 2026 assessment appeal filing period (opened July 2).
Feb 1in 101 daysSecond installment due; after April 12, 2027 a 10% late-payment penalty and a $20 cost are added.
Feb 15in 115 daysLast day for a first-time homeowners' exemption claim to get the full exemption for that year.

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. Homes in Elevation Bands 2 and 3 pay an elevation surcharge of $1.33 or $2.84 per unit
Property tax: 1.27% of value; 2026-27 tax year, Contra Costa County (El Cerrito tax rate area 03000)
Garbage: East Bay Sanitary Company; El Cerrito's garbage and organics collector. One monthly rate, set by the size of your garbage cart, covers weekly garbage, recycling and green waste/food scrap collection.
Sewer: Stege Sanitary District and EBMUD; Stege Sanitary District collects El Cerrito's sewage and delivers it to EBMUD for treatment. Stege's sewer service charge is on the property tax bill; EBMUD charges separately for treatment.
Electricity: MCE generation, PG&E delivery; El Cerrito is an MCE member community: MCE is the default electricity generation provider, and PG&E delivers the power and sends the bill.
Gas: PG&E; El Cerrito is in PG&E's gas service territory.
Schools: West Contra Costa Unified School District; West Contra Costa Unified bonds and community college bonds are part of the property tax rate; the school district also has parcel taxes on the bill.

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.
Lead: EBMUD says its treatment plants supply no lead; in its tap sampling, 0 of 53 sites were above the lead action level.
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: El Cerrito's 2026 residential rates (from January 1, 2026), each the sum of East Bay Sanitary's collection rate, the RecycleMore post-collection rate and the City's IWM fee: $57.28 a month for a 20-gallon garbage cart, $76.14 for 35 gallons and $151.19 for 64 gallons, with a 64-gallon recycling cart and a 64-gallon green waste cart included. East Bay Sanitary bills three times a year, four months at a time.
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. We assume Elevation Band 1 (no surcharge); El Cerrito's hillside homes may be in Band 2 or 3 and pay $1.33 or $2.84 more per unit. The page starts at 5 units a month, EBMUD's median single-family use. Sewer: EBMUD wastewater treatment (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. Stege Sanitary District's $443 a year sewer service charge and EBMUD's $173.48 wet weather facilities charge are on the property tax bill, so they are counted with the tax bill's flat charges. El Cerrito's 8% utility users tax applies to water; the page adds it to the EBMUD wastewater charges as well, which overstates the water line by about $2 a month at typical use.
Property tax: Contra Costa County 2026-27 rates for El Cerrito tax rate area 03000, read from a 2026-27 secured tax bill for a single-family home there: 1% countywide tax, 0.2413% West Contra Costa Unified bonds (six issues), 0.0152% Contra Costa Community College bonds (three issues), 0.0163% BART (0.0044% plus the 0.0119% 2016 bond) and 0.0018% East Bay Regional Park District, 1.2746% in all, less the $7,000 homeowners' exemption. Flat charges, from the same bill ($1,214.50 a year in all): Stege sewer $443, EBMUD wet weather $173.48 (lot up to 5,000 sq ft; $270.94 for larger lots), WCCUSD Measure T parcel tax $109 (it is 7.2 cents per square foot of building, so it varies by house; that bill's house is about 1,500 sq ft), WCCUSD assessment $72, AC Transit $96, City landscape and lighting $72, Measure H parks and swim center $58.46, Measure J storm drain $58, West Contra Costa Healthcare District $52, county stormwater $38 (some homes on the bills we checked pay $26.60), Measure AA $12, park district CFD $12, emergency medical services $10, regional trails $5.44 and mosquito and vector control $3.12.
The starting home value is the Census ACS 2020-2024 median market value of owner-occupied homes ($1,124,400); under Prop 13 an owner who bought years ago has a lower assessed value and pays much less. Enter the net value from your tax bill.
Electricity: PG&E schedule E-1 for a non-CARE (Income Tier 3) home with MCE Light Green generation. Delivery is PG&E's E-1 total bundled rate ($0.32561 Tier 1, $0.40702 Tier 2) minus its $0.12855 generation charge and its ($0.01011) Bundled PCIA, which CCA customers do not pay; to that we add MCE's April 1, 2026 Light Green E1 generation rate ($0.12855) and the $0.03720 PCIA and franchise fee from the March 1, 2026 PG&E-MCE comparison, for $0.37292 per kWh up to the baseline and $0.45433 above it. PG&E's $0.79343 a day base services charge is a separate fixed charge ($24.13 a month). The baseline is territory T's 6.5 kWh a day for the 4 summer months and 7.5 for the 8 winter months, about 218 kWh a month (PG&E's tariff describes territory T as western Contra Costa County bounded on the north by Pinole's northern city limits; it does not name El Cerrito, which lies in that area). The PCIA depends on the year an account moved to MCE (El Cerrito joined in 2015), so the comparison's single value may differ from a given account. Not included: MCE's temporary Cost Relief Credit and PG&E's semi-annual California Climate Credit.
Gas: PG&E G-1 (Oct. 1, 2026) $2.42480 and $2.92792 per therm plus the $0.12103 public purpose surcharge, territory T baseline weighted 7 summer, 3 off-peak and 2 on-peak months, about 28.4 therms a month. El Cerrito's 8% utility users tax is added to electricity and gas. Typical use is PG&E's 2024 residential average (EIA, about 500 kWh a month) and California's 2024 residential gas 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 El Cerrito compares

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

Per year	El Cerrito	Median	Where it falls
Property tax rate	1.27%	1.13%	higher than 99 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	$487	$584	lower than 48 of the other 76 California cities we cover
Trash	$914	$438	higher than 101 of the other 101 California cities we cover
Electricity and gas	$4,095	$3,556	higher than 100 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	$23,292	$15,240	higher than 99 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: El Cerrito's property tax rate is 1.27%, higher than 99 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 El Cerrito is 1.27%, higher than 99 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 $914 a year for the standard cart, higher than 101 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 $914 a year for the standard cart, higher than 101 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 $4,095 a year, higher than 100 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 $4,095 a year for a typical house, higher than 100 of the other 109 California cities we cover. Which parts of that can the city influence, and what would you do about them?"

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Common questions about El Cerrito house costs

What is the property tax rate in El Cerrito?

About 1.27% of the value before exemptions a year (2026-27 tax year, Contra Costa County (El Cerrito tax rate area 03000)), plus flat charges on the same bill (Stege Sanitary District sewer service charge $443, EBMUD wet weather facilities charge (lot up to 5,000 sq ft) $173, WCCUSD parcel tax (Measure T, by building size) $109, WCCUSD assessment $72).

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

About $7,498 a year on $500,000 of the value before exemptions with the homeowners' exemption, including $1,215 of flat charges.

How much is the water bill in El Cerrito?

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 El Cerrito?

$57 to $151 a month, depending on the trash cart size (20-gal garbage, 35-gal garbage, 64-gal garbage).

When is property tax due in El Cerrito?

Nov 1: First property tax installment due; pay by Dec 10, 2026 to avoid a 10% late-payment penalty. Feb 1: Second installment due; after April 12, 2027 a 10% late-payment penalty and a $20 cost are added.

Can seniors lower their property tax or bills in El Cerrito?

Yes. Seniors 65+: WCCUSD parcel tax exemption: Owners 65 or older who live in their single-family home can be exempted from the school district's Measure T parcel tax. Once filed, the exemption renews automatically each year; it must be filed again after a move.

Where can I get help paying utility bills in El Cerrito?

Low-income households: EBMUD Customer Assistance Program: 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 service and flow charges. A household of 1-2 qualifies with income of $67,900 or less. Enrollment lasts up to two years. Apply online through EBMUD's CAP application.

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

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