Richmond, CA · Updated Oct 2026

What a Richmond 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 Richmond house

$13,720a year · $1,143 a month

Starts at $361,148 of value before exemptions. Typical use.

Property tax$5,010
1.415% of $361,148, less $7,000 homeowners' exemption
Flat charges on the tax bill$1,510
Sewer $1,121 · WCCUSD parcel tax (Measure T, by building size) $95 · WCCUSD assessment $72 · AC Transit parcel tax $96 · West Contra Costa Healthcare District parcel tax $52 · Richmond storm drain charge (RICHMOND STORM DRN on the bill) $32 · SF Bay Restoration Authority parcel tax (Measure AA) $12 · East Bay Regional Park District 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$4,171
500 kWh a month $2,803 · 31.72 therms $989 · city utility tax $379
Water$847
5 units (CCF) a month on East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD): water $71 a month
Trash$690
35-gal trash, $58 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 typical Richmond house costs about $13,700 a year: $6,520 property tax and charges, $850 water, $690 trash, $4,170 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 mini-can cartUp to $152 a year
Your cart costs $58 a month; the smallest costs $45. 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.
Seniors and low-income: Republic Services lower rate$5 a month less
Republic Services lists a Low Income/Senior rate of $52.54 a month for a 35-gallon cart; the standard 35-gallon cart is $57.54 (January 2026 rates).
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, for homes whose sewer service is billed by EBMUD, 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.
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.

Adjust to match your bills

What you knowTrash cartRepublic Services' Richmond rate for each cart size is the collection charge plus the IRRF charge.

Value before exemptionsEnter the 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, so it varies by house ($94.54 and $82.08 on the two bills we sampled).

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 Richmond 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 30, 2026in 26 daysLast day of Contra Costa County's 2026 assessment appeal filing period (opened July 2).
Feb 1in 89 daysSecond installment due Feb 1, 2027; a 10% late-payment penalty and $20 cost are added after April 12, 2027.
Feb 15in 103 daysLast day for a first-time homeowners' exemption claim to get the full exemption for that year.
Jun 30Deadline for seniors 65+ to file the WCCUSD parcel tax exemption.

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: 1.41% of value; 2026-27 tax year, Contra Costa County (Richmond tax rate area 08001)
Garbage: Republic Services; Republic Services lists Richmond residential rates by cart size, with a price per month and per 3 months of service.
Electricity: MCE generation, PG&E delivery; Richmond has been an MCE member community since 2013: MCE is the default electricity generation provider, and PG&E delivers the power and sends the bill.
Gas: PG&E; Richmond zip codes are 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 a parcel tax and an assessment 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.
PFAS: EBMUD has finished its initial PFAS monitoring under the new rules, and all results so far have met the standards.

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How these numbers are made

Garbage: Republic Services' Richmond residential rates effective January 2026, each the total of the collection charge and the IRRF charge: $44.87 a month for a 20-gallon mini-can, $57.54 for a 35-gallon cart, $112.26 for 65 gallons and $168.92 for 95 gallons.
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); hillside homes pay a per-unit surcharge. The page starts at 5 units a month, EBMUD's median single-family use. EBMUD is the water provider for the city per the Contra Costa LAFCO service review.
Sewer: the City of Richmond's $1,121 single-family charge is on the property tax bill (two sampled 2026-27 bills), so it is counted with the sewer line rather than the other flat charges. The $32 storm drain charge is counted with the flat charges. The $1,121 applies only to the city-served central area; homes in West County Wastewater or Stege Sanitary districts pay different charges.
Property tax: Contra Costa County 2026-27 rates for tax rate area 08001, the most common Richmond tax rate area for single-family parcels in the county's parcel data (5,789 of 17,051 with a Richmond address): 1% countywide tax, 0.2413% West Contra Costa Unified bonds (six issues), 0.0152% community college bonds, 0.0163% BART, 0.0018% East Bay Regional Park District and 0.14% City of Richmond pension tax, 1.4146% in all, less the $7,000 homeowners' exemption. Neither sampled bill showed an exemption on the bill itself. Flat charges are read from a 2026-27 secured bill for an 08001 home (1405 S 58th St) assessed near the city median; Measure T varies with building size.
The starting value is the median 2026 assessed value of single-family parcels (use code 11) in Richmond tax rate areas (08xxx), $361,148; under Prop 13 recent buyers have higher assessed values.
Energy: PG&E schedule E-1 (non-CARE, Income Tier 3) with MCE Light Green generation, the default for Richmond (an MCE member since 2013): $0.37292 per kWh up to the baseline and $0.45433 above, plus PG&E's $0.79343 a day base charge, using PG&E baseline territory T (our reading of PG&E's Preliminary Statement boundary: westerly Contra Costa County south of Pinole). Gas: PG&E G-1 (Oct. 1, 2026) $2.42480 and $2.92792 per therm plus the $0.12103 surcharge. Richmond's utility users tax is taken as 10% on electricity and gas, from the city's FY2017-18 budget glossary (older source; the current rate was not confirmed). Typical use is EIA's PG&E and California residential averages. Insurance is the 2022 California average homeowners premium (NAIC via the Insurance Information Institute).
Nothing here is legal, tax or insurance advice.

Sources

How Richmond compares

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

Per year	Richmond	Median	Where it falls
Property tax rate	1.41%	1.13%	higher than 281 of the other 284 California cities we cover
Water	$847	$927	lower than 161 of the other 284 California cities we cover
Trash	$690	$452	higher than 238 of the other 267 California cities we cover
Electricity and gas	$4,171	$3,421	higher than 272 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	$13,720	$14,432	lower than 159 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: Richmond's property tax rate is 1.41%, higher than 281 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 Richmond is 1.41%, higher than 281 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. Trash

The fact: Trash pickup here costs about $690 a year for the standard cart, higher than 238 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 $690 a year for the standard cart, higher than 238 of the other 267 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 $4,171 a year, higher than 272 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 $4,171 a year for a typical house, higher than 272 of the other 284 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 Richmond house costs

What is the property tax rate in Richmond?

About 1.41% of the value before exemptions a year (2026-27 tax year, Contra Costa County (Richmond tax rate area 08001)), plus flat charges on the same bill (Sewer $1,121, WCCUSD parcel tax (Measure T, by building size) $95, WCCUSD assessment $72, AC Transit parcel tax $96).

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

About $8,484 a year on $500,000 of the value before exemptions with the homeowners' exemption, including $1,510 of flat charges.

How much is the water bill in Richmond?

About $71 a month for water 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 Richmond?

$45 to $169 a month, depending on the trash cart size (20-gal mini-can, 35-gal trash, 65-gal trash, 95-gal trash).

When is property tax due in Richmond?

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

Can seniors lower their property tax or bills in Richmond?

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 Richmond?

Seniors and low-income: Republic Services lower rate: Republic Services lists a Low Income/Senior rate of $52.54 a month for a 35-gallon cart; the standard 35-gallon cart is $57.54 (January 2026 rates).

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

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