Riverside, CA · Updated Oct 2026

What a Riverside 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 Riverside house

$12,380a year · $1,032 a month

Starts at the typical market value, $584,800; your assessed value is often lower. Typical use.

Property tax$6,363
1.101% of $584,800, less $7,000 homeowners' exemption
Electricity and gas$2,648
592 kWh a month $1,659 · 35 therms $827 · city utility users tax (6.5%) $162
Water and sewer$1,370
19 units (CCF) a month on Riverside Public Utilities: water $70, sewer $40, city utility users tax (6.5%) $5 a month
Trash$508
Curbside: trash, green and recycle, $42 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 Riverside house at the typical market value ($584,800) costs about $12,400 a year: $6,360 property tax and charges, $1,370 water and sewer, $510 trash, $2,650 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:

Low-income city utility tax refundUp to $35 of city utility tax
The City of Riverside's refund program returns the city utility tax paid, not to exceed $35, plus 100% of paid street light assessment district fees.
How: File the City of Riverside Finance Department's refund claim form.
Income-qualified: SoCalGas CARE20% off the gas bill
You may qualify for 20% off your monthly natural gas bill through SoCalGas's CARE program if you or someone in your household receives benefits such as Medi-Cal or CalFresh, or by household income.
How: Apply with SoCalGas's online CARE application.

Adjust to match your bills

What you know

Value before exemptionsUnder Prop 13 your assessed value starts at your purchase price and can rise at most 2% a year, so it is often far below market: use the assessed value on your tax bill.

I live here and have the Homeowners' exemption

Home insurance, a yearFrom your policy. We start at $1,492, NAIC data via 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 Riverside house uses about 19.

Electricity, kWh a month

On your Riverside Public Utilities bill. An electric car adds about 300 kWh.

Gas, therms a month (yearly average)

Money dates

Nov 30, 2026in 26 daysLast day to file a 2026 regular assessment appeal in Riverside County (filing period July 2 to November 30, 2026).
Dec 10in 36 daysFirst property tax installment (due Nov 1) is delinquent after Dec 10: 10% penalty.
Feb 15in 103 daysLast day for a first-time homeowners' exemption claim to get the full exemption for the year.
Apr 10Second property tax installment, due Feb 1, becomes delinquent Apr 10; taxes not paid by the delinquent date get a 10% penalty.

Who serves this house

Water: Riverside Public Utilities; Single-family metered service, Schedule WA-1A (inside city); summer rates apply June through October.
Property tax: 1.10% of value; 2026-27 tax year, Riverside County (Riverside Unified, Riverside City Community College and MWD West)
Garbage: City of Riverside Public Works (Athens Services in some areas); The Public Works Solid Waste Division manages residential trash; Athens Services serves areas such as La Sierra, University and Orangecrest under contract to the City.
Sewer: City of Riverside; Sewer charges are based on customer type and size.
Electricity: Riverside Public Utilities; RPU's Schedule D (Domestic Service) applies in the City of Riverside.

Pay or manage your bills

Your water

Source: All of RPU’s water comes from groundwater resources in the San Bernardino, Bunker Hill, and Riverside Basins.
PFAS: RPU has not detected PFAS above the notification levels in water distributed to its customers.

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How these numbers are made

Individual bills are confidential in California, so we calculate yours from public rates and what you tell us.
Water: RPU Schedule WA-1A (inside city), July 1, 2026 column: $33.36 monthly charge for a 3/4-inch meter and $1.52/$2.23 per CCF for the first 8 and next 27 CCF; the top tier is $3.57 (winter) or $4.61 (June-October), weighted 7/5 months to $4.00. Typical use 19 CCF is RPU's own comparison figure.
Electric: Schedule D 2026 column. Monthly fixed = $14.93 customer charge + $20 reliability charge (101-200 amp service) + $10.38 network access charge (12-25 kWh a day); tier breakpoints are the winter/summer limits weighted 8/4 months. The 2.85% public benefits surcharge applies to the electric charge only, so it is built into the electric rates and fixed charge shown. Riverside's utility users tax is 6.5% on electricity, gas and water (city UUT portal), collected on the bill; it is included, on the water charge only (not sewer or trash).
Property tax uses the 2026-27 Riverside County rates for the most common tax area (Riverside Unified); some homes are in Alvord, Val Verde or Moreno Valley Unified. Direct charges and special taxes vary by parcel and are not included.
Sewer is the current $39.59 rate (proposed $41.36 from Jan 1, 2027); the City Council will hold a hearing on Nov 17, 2026 on proposed increases. Trash uses the July 1, 2026 curbside rate. Gas and insurance as in other Riverside County pages.
Modelling: sewer $39.59/month is the Basic Single Family Dwelling Unit rate (code S475) per the sewer rates notice; electric fixed/tier figures include the 2.85% state surcharge.
Nothing here is legal, tax or insurance advice.

Sources

How Riverside compares

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

Per year	Riverside	Median	Where it falls
Property tax rate	1.10%	1.13%	lower than 202 of the other 284 California cities we cover
Water	$841	$927	lower than 176 of the other 284 California cities we cover
Sewer and utility-bill fees	$530	$596	lower than 115 of the other 196 California cities we cover
Trash	$508	$452	higher than 170 of the other 267 California cities we cover
Electricity and gas	$2,648	$3,421	lower than 264 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	$12,380	$14,432	lower than 193 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. Electricity and gas

The fact: Electricity and gas for a typical house here cost about $2,648 a year, lower than 264 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 $2,648 a year for a typical house, lower than 264 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 Riverside house costs

What is the property tax rate in Riverside?

About 1.10% of the value before exemptions a year (2026-27 tax year, Riverside County (Riverside Unified, Riverside City Community College and MWD West)), plus flat charges on the same bill.

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

About $5,429 a year on $500,000 of the value before exemptions with the homeowners' exemption.

How much is the water bill in Riverside?

About $110 a month for water and sewer at typical use (19 units, or 14,212 gallons a month) on Riverside Public Utilities.

How much does trash pickup cost in Riverside?

$42 a month for a house.

When is property tax due in Riverside?

Dec 10: First property tax installment (due Nov 1) is delinquent after Dec 10: 10% penalty. Apr 10: Second property tax installment, due Feb 1, becomes delinquent Apr 10; taxes not paid by the delinquent date get a 10% penalty.

Where can I get help paying utility bills in Riverside?

Low-income city utility tax refund: The City of Riverside's refund program returns the city utility tax paid, not to exceed $35, plus 100% of paid street light assessment district fees. File the City of Riverside Finance Department's refund claim form.

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

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