Fresno, CA · Updated Oct 2026

What a Fresno 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 Fresno house

$11,003a year · $917 a month

Starts at the typical market value, $396,300; your assessed value is often lower. Typical use.

A Fresno house at the typical market value ($396,300) pays about $11,000 a year: $5,030 property tax and charges, $660 water and sewer, $460 trash, $3,360 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 64-gal trash (alternative service) cartUp to $41 a year
Your cart costs $39 a month; the smallest costs $35. Worth it if you rarely fill it.
How: Call your garbage hauler.
Seniors 62+: 10% off sewer10% off sewer
For single-family homes where the sewer account is in the senior's name and only seniors or their dependents live there.
How: Send the Utilities Senior Citizen Discount Application to Utilities Billing & Collection.
Low-income households: $5 a month off water and $5 off trashUp to $120 a year
Qualified low-income customers get $5 a month off water and $5 a month off residential solid waste, up to $120 in 12 months. Funds are first-come, first-served and you must reapply each year.
How: Apply online or mail the Utilities Affordability Credit Application to P.O. Box 2069, Fresno, CA 93718-2069.
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.
Lawn to Garden rebate: $4 a square foot$4 per sq ft
The City pays $4 per square foot (a temporary, grant-funded increase while funds remain) to replace a front lawn with water-efficient plants. At least 200 square feet; homes up to 10,000 square feet.
How: Apply through the WaterWeb Customer Portal; a City Landscape Water Conservation Specialist schedules a required consultation before you start.
One free bulky-item pickup a yearFree
City solid waste customers in good standing get one curbside pickup of a bulky item (couch, mattress, water heater) per year at no extra cost.
How: Call 3-1-1 or (559) 621-2489, or use the FresGO app.
Free Dump EventsFree
Residential solid waste customers can drop off one full-size pickup truck load per household at 3457 S. Cedar Ave, 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., on event weekends (Nov. 14-15).
How: Bring your City of Fresno utility bill or Proof of Eligibility Form and a state-issued ID.
Catch leaks with EyeOnWaterFree
The City's free EyeOnWater app tracks your water use and sends alerts when unusual activity may indicate a leak.
How: Register at fresno.eyeonwater.com/signup with the account number on your utility bill.

Adjust to match your bills

What you knowTrash cartBoth prices include a 96-gallon blue recycling cart and a 96-gallon green organics cart, collected weekly.

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, 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 house uses 7–12.

Electricity, kWh a month

On your PG&E bill. An electric car adds about 300 kWh.

Gas, therms a month (yearly average)

Money dates

Nov 1in 9 daysFirst property tax installment due. Delinquent after 5 p.m. Dec 10, then a 10% penalty.
Dec 31, 2026in 69 daysLast day for a Lawn to Garden project to get City approval to begin.
Feb 1in 101 daysSecond installment due. Delinquent after 5 p.m. April 10, then a 10% penalty. Once it is delinquent, the county also collects a $10.00 cost.
Feb 15in 115 daysLast day to file the homeowners' exemption for the full year.

Who serves this house

Water: City of Fresno; City of Fresno Department of Public Utilities, billed monthly: a meter service charge by meter size plus one flat quantity charge per 100 cubic feet (HCF) for all customer classes
Property tax: 1.29% of value; 2026–27 tax year, Fresno County
Garbage: City of Fresno Solid Waste; Gray trash, blue recycling and green waste carts, all emptied on the same day, one day per week. Billed on the City utility bill.
Sewer: City of Fresno; Flat $25.75 a month for a single-family home, on the same City bill.
Electricity: PG&E; Tiered plan E-1. Fresno below 3,500 feet is baseline territory R.
Gas: PG&E; Residential gas service on schedule G-1.
Schools: Fresno Unified; Fresno Unified and State Center Community College bonds are part of the property tax rate.

Pay or manage your bills

Your water

Source: Groundwater from about 260 City wells plus surface water treated at City treatment plants.
Hardness: Total hardness averaged 129 mg/L (range 87 to 150) in 2025 testing.
Lead: 53 home tap samples were tested for lead in August 2025; no site exceeded the 15 ug/L action level.
PFAS: In quarterly testing some wells exceeded the new PFAS standards and were removed from service. The City met all state and federal water quality standards for 2025.

Other CA cities

How these numbers are made

Garbage, water and sewer: City of Fresno Master Fee Schedule effective July 1, 2026: $38.70 a month for Basic service (96-gallon trash) or $35.25 for Alternative service (64-gallon trash), $13.50 a month for a 3/4-inch domestic meter plus $1.74 per 100 cubic feet, and a flat $25.75 a month for sewer. The bill's Community Sanitation line is left out: the fee schedule lists its $6.23 only for 'Community Sanitation Services Only' customers.
Property tax: Fresno County 2026–27 rates (Resolution 26-327, adopted Sept. 22, 2026) for a home in Fresno Unified: 1% countywide, 0.032438% City of Fresno, 0.238864% Fresno Unified bonds and 0.015278% State Center Community College bonds, 1.28658% in all, less the $7,000 homeowners' exemption. Parts of the city are in Clovis, Central and other school districts with different bond rates.
Flat charges: the Fresno Metropolitan Flood Control District's 2026–27 assessment for a developed single-family lot under 1.5 acres is $19.50 to $28.20 depending on benefit zone; we use the lowest, $19.50. We could not find the per-parcel mosquito abatement charge, and newer subdivisions may also pay City landscape or community facilities district charges.
The starting home value is the Census ACS 2024 median market value; under Prop 13 an owner who bought years ago has a lower assessed value and pays less.
Energy is a year-round estimate: PG&E's per-day charges and baselines are turned into monthly amounts as 365 days / 12 months, and the baseline is weighted by season (electric: 4 summer and 8 winter months; gas: 7 summer, 3 off-peak and 2 on-peak months). Rates: E-1 (June 1, 2026) 32.561¢ and 40.702¢ per kWh plus $0.79343 a day; G-1 (Oct 1, 2026) $2.42480 and $2.92792 per therm plus the $0.12103 surcharge. 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). A 1% City of Fresno gas franchise surcharge approved in 2010 is not included.
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 Fresno compares

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

Per year	Fresno	Median	Where it falls
Property tax rate	1.29%	1.13%	higher than 103 of the other 109 California cities we cover
Water	$350	$955	lower than 109 of the other 109 California cities we cover
Sewer and utility-bill fees	$309	$584	lower than 56 of the other 76 California cities we cover
Trash	$464	$438	higher than 64 of the other 101 California cities we cover
Electricity and gas	$3,360	$3,556	lower than 84 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	$11,003	$15,240	lower than 103 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: Fresno's property tax rate is 1.29%, higher than 103 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 Fresno is 1.29%, higher than 103 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. Water

The fact: Water here costs about $350 a year at typical use, lower than 109 of the other 109 California cities we cover.

Ask: "Water here costs about $350 a year at typical use, lower than 109 of the other 109 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 $3,360 a year, lower than 84 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 $3,360 a year for a typical house, lower than 84 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 Fresno house costs

What is the property tax rate in Fresno?

About 1.29% of the value before exemptions a year (2026–27 tax year, Fresno County), plus flat charges on the same bill (Flood control assessment (FMFCD) $20).

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

About $6,362 a year on $500,000 of the value before exemptions with the homeowners' exemption, including $20 of flat charges.

How much is the water bill in Fresno?

About $55 a month for water and sewer at typical use (9 units, or 6,732 gallons a month) on City of Fresno.

How much does trash pickup cost in Fresno?

$35 to $39 a month, depending on the trash cart size (64-gal trash (Alternative service), 96-gal trash (Basic service)).

When is property tax due in Fresno?

Nov 1: First property tax installment due. Delinquent after 5 p.m. Dec 10, then a 10% penalty. Feb 1: Second installment due. Delinquent after 5 p.m. April 10, then a 10% penalty. Once it is delinquent, the county also collects a $10.00 cost.

Can seniors lower their property tax or bills in Fresno?

Yes. Seniors 62+: 10% off sewer: For single-family homes where the sewer account is in the senior's name and only seniors or their dependents live there.

Where can I get help paying utility bills in Fresno?

Low-income households: $5 a month off water and $5 off trash: Qualified low-income customers get $5 a month off water and $5 a month off residential solid waste, up to $120 in 12 months. Funds are first-come, first-served and you must reapply each year. Apply online or mail the Utilities Affordability Credit Application to P.O. Box 2069, Fresno, CA 93718-2069.

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

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