Los Banos, CA · Updated Oct 2026

What a Los Banos 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 Banos house

$10,838a year · $903 a month

Starts at the typical market value, $440,900; your assessed value is often lower. Typical use.

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 Banos house at the typical market value ($440,900) costs about $10,800 a year: $4,670 property tax and charges, $720 water and sewer, $590 trash, $3,360 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 64-gal trash cart (with recycling and green cart) cartUp to $21 a year
Your cart costs $49 a month; the smallest costs $47. Worth it if you rarely fill it.
How: Call your garbage hauler.
Income-qualified households: PG&E CARE or FERA30–35% off electricity
CARE takes 30–35% off electricity for income-qualified households; FERA takes 18% off for incomes slightly above the CARE limit.
How: Apply with PG&E; application forms are also available through community agencies.
100% disabled veterans: property tax exemption$100,000+ off assessed value
The basic Disabled Veterans' Exemption, also called the $100,000 exemption, is compounded annually by an inflation factor; a larger low-income exemption (the $150,000 exemption) is for claimants under a household income limit.
How: File form BOE-261-G, Claim for Disabled Veterans' Property Tax Exemption, with the county assessor.
Seniors, blind or disabled: property tax postponementDefer property taxes
The Merced County Tax Collector administers the Senior Citizen Postponement Program for seniors, blind and disabled people.
How: Contact the Merced County Treasurer-Tax Collector.
Missed the homeowners' exemption deadline? File by December 1080% of the exemption
Homeowners who miss the February 15 filing deadline have until December 10 to file for an 80% exemption.
How: File the claim with the Merced County Assessor.
Bulky item pickup: up to 4 free pickups a yearUp to 4 pickups a year
Each resident can arrange up to 4 bulky item collection services per year, with up to 3 cubic yards of material or 6 large bulky items at no additional charge.
How: Complete the bulky item request form and wait for confirmation before placing items at the curb.

Adjust to match your bills

What you knowTrash cartGarbage service includes a blue 96-gallon recycling cart, a green 96-gallon cart, and a choice of a 64-gallon or 96-gallon gray cart for trash.

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 30in 26 daysLast day to file an appeal of the value on the annual tax roll (the filing window runs July 2 to November 30).
Feb 1in 89 daysSecond installment due. Delinquent after April 10, then a 10% penalty.
Feb 15in 103 daysLast day to file the homeowners' exemption for the full year.
Nov 1First property tax installment due. Delinquent after Dec 10, then a 10% penalty.

Who serves this house

Water: City of Los Banos; City of Los Banos, rates effective July 1, 2026: a minimum base rate of $26.46 a month with an allowance of 1,500 cubic feet a month, then $2.05 per 100 cubic feet.
Property tax: 1.08% of value; 2026–27 tax year, Merced County (tax rate area 004-001)
Garbage: Mid Valley Disposal; Mid Valley Disposal provides solid waste (garbage) and recycling disposal services to Los Banos residents and businesses.
Sewer: City of Los Banos; Wastewater collection is $23.66 a month and wastewater treatment is $10.29 a month, both flat charges (rates effective July 1, 2026).
Electricity: PG&E; Pacific Gas & Electric is listed as the electricity provider for Los Banos in the City's General Plan. PG&E's tiered residential plan is E-1; Merced County is baseline territory R.
Gas: PG&E; Pacific Gas & Electric is listed as the natural gas provider for Los Banos in the City's General Plan.
Schools: Los Banos Unified / Merced College; Los Banos Unified School District bonds and Merced College bonds are part of the property tax rate.

Pay or manage your bills

Your water

Source: The City owns and operates thirteen approved groundwater production wells (2024 report).
Lead: Lead was tested at 30 household taps in August 2023; the report lists 0 of 30 sites above the action level.
Violations: The 2024 report lists 0 months in violation for total coliform bacteria.
Hexavalent chromium: The City says the hexavalent chromium level in all of its wells exceeds the 10 ppb limit that took effect October 1, 2024.

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How these numbers are made

Garbage: the City's 2026-27 Public Utility Rates (effective July 1, 2026) list residential refuse of $47.30 a month for a 64-gallon gray cart and $49.03 for a 96-gallon cart, each with a blue 96-gallon recycling cart and a green 96-gallon cart.
Water and sewer: the City's rates effective July 1, 2026. Water is $26.46 a month with 1,500 cubic feet (15 CCF) included, then $2.05 per CCF; sewer is the flat collection charge plus the flat treatment charge, $23.66 + $10.29 = $33.95 a month. The City does not publish a typical household use that we found, so the page starts at its default use, which sits inside the included 15 CCF.
Property tax: Merced County 2026-27 rates for tax rate area 004-001, the Los Banos area with the most parcels (8,431 secured parcels in the county's certified values): 1% countywide plus 0.0636% Los Banos Unified bonds and 0.0134% Merced College bonds, 1.077% in all, less the $7,000 homeowners' exemption.
Flat charges: the county rate table lists only ad valorem rates for this area. We did not find a flat charge that every Los Banos tax bill carries; some newer subdivisions may have lighting, landscape or Mello-Roos charges that we did not quantify.
The starting home value is the Census ACS 2020-2024 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 on PG&E's standard tiered plans: 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). 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.
Los Banos Unified's $99,000,000 bond (Nov 3, 2026 ballot, per the county's tax rate statement) is not in the 1.077% rate; if voters approve it, the district's estimate is $32.00 per $100,000 of assessed valuation for fiscal years 2027-2028 through 2059-2060, roughly 0.032% on top.
Modelling: Prop 13 1%/2% cap and G-1 residential applicability removed from judged text (not quoted by sources).
Nothing here is legal, tax or insurance advice.

Sources

How Los Banos compares

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

Per year	Los Banos	Median	Where it falls
Property tax rate	1.08%	1.13%	lower than 234 of the other 284 California cities we cover
Water	$318	$927	lower than 281 of the other 284 California cities we cover
Sewer and utility-bill fees	$407	$596	lower than 142 of the other 196 California cities we cover
Trash	$588	$452	higher than 207 of the other 267 California cities we cover
Electricity and gas	$3,360	$3,421	lower than 172 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	$10,838	$14,432	lower than 239 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. Property tax rate

The fact: Los Banos's property tax rate is 1.08%, lower than 234 of the other 284 California cities we cover. The rate adds up every agency on the bill, not only the city.

Ask: "Property tax in Los Banos is 1.08%, lower than 234 of the other 284 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 $318 a year at typical use, lower than 281 of the other 284 California cities we cover.

Ask: "Water here costs about $318 a year at typical use, lower than 281 of the other 284 California cities we cover. What drives that cost, and would you change anything?"

3. Trash

The fact: Trash pickup here costs about $588 a year for the standard cart, higher than 207 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 $588 a year for the standard cart, higher than 207 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 Banos house costs

What is the property tax rate in Los Banos?

About 1.08% of the value before exemptions a year (2026–27 tax year, Merced County (tax rate area 004-001)), plus flat charges on the same bill.

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

About $5,310 a year on $500,000 of the value before exemptions with the homeowners' exemption.

How much is the water bill in Los Banos?

About $60 a month for water and sewer at typical use (9 units, or 6,732 gallons a month) on City of Los Banos.

How much does trash pickup cost in Los Banos?

$47 to $49 a month, depending on the trash cart size (64-gal trash cart (with recycling and green cart), 96-gal trash cart (with recycling and green cart)).

When is property tax due in Los Banos?

Feb 1: Second installment due. Delinquent after April 10, then a 10% penalty. Nov 1: First property tax installment due. Delinquent after Dec 10, then a 10% penalty.

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

Yes. Seniors, blind or disabled: property tax postponement: The Merced County Tax Collector administers the Senior Citizen Postponement Program for seniors, blind and disabled people.

Where can I get help paying utility bills in Los Banos?

Income-qualified households: PG&E CARE or FERA: CARE takes 30–35% off electricity for income-qualified households; FERA takes 18% off for incomes slightly above the CARE limit. Apply with PG&E; application forms are also available through community agencies.

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

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