Los Altos, CA · Updated Oct 2026

What a Los Altos 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 Los Altos house

$31,857a year · $2,655 a month

Starts at the typical market value, $2,000,001; your assessed value is often lower. Typical use.

Property tax$22,979
1.153% of $2,000,001, less $7,000 homeowners' exemption
Flat charges on the tax bill$2,063
Sewer $1,046 · Los Altos School District parcel tax ($597 per parcel, no sunset) $597 · Los Altos School District Measure A parcel tax ($295 per parcel in 2024-25; the district says it increases 4% annually) $295 · Valley Water Safe, Clean Water special tax (2026-27) $82 · Mosquito & vector control assessments $31 · Los Altos School District Measure A parcel tax ($295 per parcel in 2024-25; the district says it increases 4% annually) $12
Electricity and gas$3,414
500 kWh a month $2,435 · 31.72 therms $979
Water$1,231
9 units (CCF) a month on California Water Service, Los Altos Tariff Area: water $103 a month
Trash$677
32-gallon garbage cart, weekly (curbside), $56 a month
Home insurance$1,492
Typical premium $1,492

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 Los Altos house at the typical market value ($2,000,001) costs about $31,900 a year: $25,040 property tax and charges, $1,230 water, $680 trash, $3,410 electricity and gas, $1,490 home insurance. Estimated from public rates, not anyone's actual bill.

Rates checked Oct 28, 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-gallon garbage cart, weekly (curbside) cartUp to $49 a year
Your cart costs $56 a month; the smallest costs $52. Worth it if you rarely fill it.
How: Call your garbage hauler.
Seniors 65+: Los Altos School District parcel tax exemption
To qualify for a senior exemption from the parcel tax, you must be the owner-occupant of the property in question and at least 65 years old.
How: Apply through the Los Altos School District.

Adjust to match your bills

What you knowTrash cartMaximum monthly curbside rates from July 1, 2026. On-premise (5-100 ft) service costs more.

Value before exemptionsThis starting value is the Census median home value, not an assessed value. Enter the assessed value from your tax bill: under Prop 13 it is often far below what the house would sell for.

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 house uses 7–12.

Electricity, kWh a month

On your Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE) bill. An electric car adds about 300 kWh.

Gas, therms a month (yearly average)

Money dates

Dec 10in 36 daysLast day to pay the first installment of secured property taxes without penalties.
Feb 15in 103 daysDeadline to file the homeowners' exemption for the full exemption (filed by Dec 10 after that, 80% of it).
Apr 10Last day to pay the second installment of secured property taxes without penalties.
Jul 2 – Sep 15Window to file an assessment appeal with the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors.

Who serves this house

Water: California Water Service, Los Altos Tariff Area; Cal Water Schedule LS-1-R, effective 10/1/2026 (filed with the CPUC, subject to refund); service charge per meter per month.
Property tax: 1.15% of value; 2025-26 tax year, Santa Clara County (tax rate area 011-001); flat charges 2026-27 where stated
Garbage: Mission Trail Waste Systems; The franchise agreement is between the City of Los Altos and Mission Trail Waste Systems.
Sewer: City of Los Altos; The City of Los Altos sewer service charge is paid at the same time as property taxes.
Electricity: Silicon Valley Clean Energy / PG&E; Los Altos is a Silicon Valley Clean Energy service-area city.
Gas: PG&E; PG&E gas service covers Los Altos.

Pay or manage your bills

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How these numbers are made

Water: Cal Water Los Altos tariff LS-1-R effective 10/1/2026, 5/8 x 3/4-inch meter: $48.86 service charge less the Schedule AS pension and healthcare credits for Los Altos ($3.55 + $0.84) = $44.47 a month. Each tier rate adds the Los Altos per-CCF Schedule AS surcharges ($0.0090 + $0.1603 + $0.0152 + $0.4549 + $0.0473 + $0.0908 = $0.7775). Other small Schedule AS credits and CAP/RSF/UF items are not applied. Parts of Los Altos are served by other water systems.
Sewer: City of Los Altos FY 2026/27 base charge $517.83 per dwelling unit plus $5.03 per 100 cubic feet of estimated use; the report's average single-family use is 105 units, so $517.83 + 5.03 x 105 = $1,045.98 a year, on the tax bill. Each parcel's own estimated use sets its actual charge.
Tax: 2025-26 rates for tax rate area 011-001, the Los Altos area with the most net secured value in the county rate book ($18.2 billion), 1.1530% including the state water project. Flat charges: Los Altos School District parcel taxes ($597 and Measure A at its $295 base from the district's 2024-25 report card; the current 4%-adjusted amount is not published in the district page, report card or sources reached), Valley Water, vector control and SF Bay Measure AA; other direct charges may exist.
Value: the Census median is top-coded at $2,000,001 (the true median is higher); under Prop 13 assessed values are usually lower, so enter yours.
Electricity: PG&E E-1 tier rates swapped from PG&E generation to SVCE GreenStart generation, as in neighboring SVCE cities. Gas: PG&E G-1 plus surcharge. Garbage: Mission Trail Waste Systems maximum curbside rates from July 1, 2026 for a 32-gallon cart (default); Mission Trail's cart-service form says residential service is billed quarterly (form valid as of July 2023; the 2026 monthly rates are from the City's Exhibit 1a). Insurance is a 2022 statewide figure and may be low for a hillside home. NAIC's 2023 California average could not be read from the report text, so the 2022 figure stays.
Nothing here is legal, tax or insurance advice.

Sources

How Los Altos compares

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

Per year	Los Altos	Median	Where it falls
Property tax rate	1.15%	1.13%	higher than 188 of the other 284 California cities we cover
Water	$1,231	$927	higher than 230 of the other 284 California cities we cover
Trash	$677	$452	higher than 234 of the other 267 California cities we cover
Electricity and gas	$3,414	$3,421	lower than 147 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	$31,857	$14,432	higher than 281 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. Water

The fact: Water here costs about $1,231 a year at typical use, higher than 230 of the other 284 California cities we cover.

Ask: "Water here costs about $1,231 a year at typical use, higher than 230 of the other 284 California cities we cover. What drives that cost, and would you change anything?"

2. Trash

The fact: Trash pickup here costs about $677 a year for the standard cart, higher than 234 of the other 267 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 $677 a year for the standard cart, higher than 234 of the other 267 California cities we cover. What drives that cost, and would you change anything about the service or the price?"

See who is running in your city →

Common questions about Los Altos house costs

What is the property tax rate in Los Altos?

About 1.15% of the value before exemptions a year (2025-26 tax year, Santa Clara County (tax rate area 011-001); flat charges 2026-27 where stated), plus flat charges on the same bill (Sewer $1,046, Los Altos School District parcel tax ($597 per parcel, no sunset) $597, Los Altos School District Measure A parcel tax ($295 per parcel in 2024-25; the district says it increases 4% annually) $295, Valley Water Safe, Clean Water special tax (2026-27) $82).

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

About $7,747 a year on $500,000 of the value before exemptions with the homeowners' exemption, including $2,063 of flat charges.

How much is the water bill in Los Altos?

About $103 a month for water at typical use (9 units, or 6,732 gallons a month) on California Water Service, Los Altos Tariff Area.

How much does trash pickup cost in Los Altos?

$52 to $169 a month, depending on the trash cart size (20-gallon garbage cart, weekly (curbside), 32-gallon garbage cart, weekly (curbside), 64-gallon garbage cart, weekly (curbside), 96-gallon garbage cart, weekly (curbside)).

When is property tax due in Los Altos?

Dec 10: Last day to pay the first installment of secured property taxes without penalties. Apr 10: Last day to pay the second installment of secured property taxes without penalties.

Can seniors lower their property tax or bills in Los Altos?

Yes. Seniors 65+: Los Altos School District parcel tax exemption: To qualify for a senior exemption from the parcel tax, you must be the owner-occupant of the property in question and at least 65 years old.

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

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