Redwood City, CA · Updated Oct 2026

What a Redwood City 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 Redwood City house

$27,685a year · $2,307 a month

Starts at the typical market value, $1,801,700; 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 Redwood City house at the typical market value ($1,801,700) costs about $27,700 a year: $21,080 property tax and charges, $1,550 water, $710 trash, $2,870 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-gal trash cartUp to $168 a year
Your cart costs $59 a month; the smallest costs $45. Worth it if you rarely fill it.
How: Call your garbage hauler.
Income-qualified households: PG&E CARE on gas20% off gas
CARE gives income-qualified customers a 20% discount on their natural gas bill.
How: Contact PG&E for an application.
Low-income households: Redwood City Utility Rate Assistance Program$25 water credit and $25 sewer credit per bill, plus garbage credits $10-$16 a month
The City’s rate assistance program lists credits of $25 for water and $25 for sewer on its bill schedule.
How: Apply through the City’s Utility Rate Assistance Program page.

Adjust to match your bills

What you knowTrash cartRates are the maximum monthly rates per cart effective January 1, 2026; the schedule lists higher ones from January 1, 2027.

Value before exemptionsEnter the assessed value from your tax bill: under Prop 13 it is often far below market value, and the starting figure here is a market value. The City’s sewer charge also goes on the tax bill for one-dwelling-unit parcels (counted under Sewer). Other Redwood City tax rate areas (for example 009-003 or 009-004) have other rates, and parts of the city lie in other school districts.

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 PG&E delivery with WestLight Energy generation 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 an annual assessment with the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors (the filing period is July 2 to November 30).
Dec 10in 36 daysLast day to pay the first installment of secured property taxes.
Feb 15in 103 daysDeadline for first-time homeowners' exemption claims to get the full exemption for the year.
Apr 10Last day to pay the second installment of secured property taxes.

Who serves this house

Water: City of Redwood City; Single family residential: a bi-monthly service charge of $92.38 ($46.19 monthly) plus $9.18 per unit for all water use; 1 unit = 1 CCF = 748 gallons.
Property tax: 1.09% of value; 2025-26 tax rates, San Mateo County (Redwood City tax rate area 009-001)
Garbage: Recology San Mateo County; Recology of San Mateo County is the City’s selected contractor to handle all solid waste collection and billing for Redwood City.
Sewer: County tax roll (City of Redwood City); Sewer service charges for residential parcels with one dwelling unit are collected through the County tax roll.
Electricity: WestLight Energy generation, PG&E delivery; WestLight Energy is the community electricity provider for San Mateo County.
Gas: PG&E; Redwood City (94061-94065) is in PG&E's gas service territory.

Pay or manage your bills

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How these numbers are made

Garbage: the City Council’s maximum monthly rates per cart effective January 1, 2026 (20 gallons $44.87 to 96 gallons $113.31); the same schedule lists $6 higher rates from January 1, 2027.
Water: City of Redwood City single family rates: $92.38 bi-monthly service charge ($46.19 a month) and $9.18 per CCF for all use, as listed on the City’s current rates page.
Sewer: $111.90 a month per single family account, collected on the County property tax bill ($1,342.80 a year) for one-dwelling-unit parcels.
Property tax: San Mateo County 2025-26 rates for tax rate area 009-001 (1% general tax plus bonds, 1.0941% in all; we did not confirm it is the area with the most homes), less the $7,000 homeowners’ exemption, plus Measure U ($85) and Measure AA ($12) parcel taxes. A Redwood City school parcel tax proposed for June 2026 is not counted.
The starting value is the Census ACS 2020-2024 median value of owner-occupied homes in Redwood City ($1,801,700); an owner who bought years ago has a lower assessed value under Prop 13. Electricity and gas use PG&E E-1 and G-1 rates with WestLight Energy generation, as for other San Mateo County cities; insurance is the 2022 California average premium.
Nothing here is legal, tax or insurance advice.

Sources

How Redwood City compares

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

Per year	Redwood City	Median	Where it falls
Property tax rate	1.09%	1.13%	lower than 214 of the other 284 California cities we cover
Water	$1,546	$927	higher than 263 of the other 284 California cities we cover
Trash	$706	$452	higher than 243 of the other 267 California cities we cover
Electricity and gas	$2,866	$3,421	lower than 233 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	$27,685	$14,432	higher than 265 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: Redwood City's property tax rate is 1.09%, lower than 214 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 Redwood City is 1.09%, lower than 214 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 $1,546 a year at typical use, higher than 263 of the other 284 California cities we cover.

Ask: "Water here costs about $1,546 a year at typical use, higher than 263 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 $706 a year for the standard cart, higher than 243 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 $706 a year for the standard cart, higher than 243 of the other 267 California cities we cover. What drives that cost, and would you change anything about the service or the price?"

4. Electricity and gas

The fact: Electricity and gas for a typical house here cost about $2,866 a year, lower than 233 of the other 284 California cities we cover. Rates are set mostly by the utility and the state.

Ask: "Electricity and gas here cost about $2,866 a year for a typical house, lower than 233 of the other 284 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 Redwood City house costs

What is the property tax rate in Redwood City?

About 1.09% of the value before exemptions a year (2025-26 tax rates, San Mateo County (Redwood City tax rate area 009-001)), plus flat charges on the same bill (Sewer $1,343, Redwood City School District parcel tax (Measure U) $85, SF Bay Restoration Authority parcel tax (Measure AA) $12).

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

About $6,834 a year on $500,000 of the value before exemptions with the homeowners' exemption, including $1,440 of flat charges.

How much is the water bill in Redwood City?

About $129 a month for water at typical use (9 units, or 6,732 gallons a month) on City of Redwood City.

How much does trash pickup cost in Redwood City?

$45 to $113 a month, depending on the trash cart size (20-gal trash, 32-gal trash, 64-gal trash, 96-gal trash).

Where can I get help paying utility bills in Redwood City?

Income-qualified households: PG&E CARE on gas: CARE gives income-qualified customers a 20% discount on their natural gas bill. Contact PG&E for an application.

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

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