Salinas, CA · Updated Oct 2026

What a Salinas house pays

Property tax, water, trash and energy from public rates. Look up your address to make it yours, and see how to pay less.

Sent only to free public map services to find who serves it. Not stored unless you save your house.

Example · a Salinas house

$12,075a year · $1,006 a month

Starts at the typical market value, $654,100; your assessed value is often lower. Typical use.

Property tax$7,448
1.151% of $654,100, less $7,000 homeowners' exemption
Electricity and gas$3,266
370 kWh a month $2,319 · 31 therms $947
Water and sewer$908
9 units (CCF) a month on Cal Water - Salinas: water $59, sewer $17 a month
Trash$454
32-gal garbage, weekly, $38 a month
Home insuranceNot included
We don't have a typical premium for this city yet. Add yours with Adjust.

A Salinas house at the typical market value ($654,100) pays about $12,100 a year: $7,450 property tax and charges, $910 water and sewer, $450 trash, $3,270 electricity and gas; home insurance is not included (no typical premium yet). Estimated from public rates, not anyone's actual bill.

Rates checked Oct 22, 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 garbage, weekly cartUp to $61 a year
Your cart costs $38 a month; the smallest costs $33. Worth it if you rarely fill it.
How: Call Republic Services at 831.775.3840 to upgrade your waste service.
Homeowners' exemption: $7,000 off taxable value
The California Constitution provides a $7,000 reduction in the taxable value for a qualifying owner-occupied home.
How: The home must be your principal residence on January 1.
Residential sewer bill payment assistance15% off, once a year
Eligible residential customers may receive a one-time annual sewer bill payment assistance of 15%.
How: Questions go to the City Finance Department at (831) 758-7211.
Senior low-income trash ratesReduced rate
Republic Services lists a Senior Low Income rate for 20-gallon and 32-gallon waste service.
How: The rate sheet lists Senior Low Income rates for 20-gallon and 32-gallon waste service.
Low-income Cal Water customers: bill creditSchedule CAP credit
Qualifying low-income individually metered residential customers are eligible for credits as shown on Schedule CAP.
How: See Schedule CAP in the Cal Water tariff.
Seniors 65+: exempt from the city's tax on gas and water billsNo city tax on those bills
The city levies a five to six percent tax on telecommunications, gas, water and some TV services; Salinas residents aged 65 or higher are exempt from paying it.
How: Apply with the City Finance Department; the city's page has the application and says to bring a copy of a recent utility bill.

Adjust to match your bills

What you knowTrash cartRates effective July 1, 2026, quoted quarterly by Republic Services. Senior low-income rates and cart-overflow charges are listed on the rate sheet.

Value before exemptionsProp 13 assessed values of long-held homes are often far below this market median: enter the assessed value from your tax bill. Direct charges on the bill (such as parcel-specific levies) are not included, so your bill may be higher than this estimate.

I live here and have the Homeowners' exemption

Home insurance, a yearFrom your policy's declarations page.

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 3CE generation with PG&E delivery bill. An electric car adds about 300 kWh.

Gas, therms a month (yearly average)

Money dates

February 15in 115 daysLast day to file the Homeowners' Exemption to receive the full exemption for that year.

Who serves this house

Water: Cal Water - Salinas; Cal Water tariff SVR-1-R: a 5/8 x 3/4-inch meter service charge per month plus per-CCF quantity rates; 1 CCF is 100 cubic feet (approximately 748 gallons).
Property tax: 1.15% of value; 2026-27 tax year, Monterey County
Garbage: Republic Services of Salinas; Republic Services of Salinas, 1120 Madison Lane, Salinas, California.
Sewer: City of Salinas; The city sets a monthly residential sewer rate.
Electricity: 3CE generation with PG&E delivery; Central Coast Community Energy is the primary electricity provider for Salinas.
Gas: PG&E; Schedule G-1 applies everywhere within PG&E’s natural gas Service Territory.

Pay or manage your bills

Your water

Service area: The SVR-1-R tariff territory is Salinas and vicinity, Monterey County, including the Bolsa Knolls, Las Lomas, Oak Hills, Country Meadows, and the Buena Vista service area.
Added charges: All bills are subject to Schedule UF (CPUC reimbursement fee) and applicable surcharges and surcredits on Schedules RSF, CAP and AS.

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How these numbers are made

Property tax: 1% plus the 2026-27 Monterey County debt service rates for Hartnell Community College (0.042623%), Salinas City Elementary (0.041623%) and Salinas Union High School District (0.0667%). Salinas has no city bond rate in that table. The tax rate area with the most homes was not confirmed: east Salinas is in Alisal Union School District and parts are in the Salinas Union High Middle Schools Improvement District, so your rate may differ. Direct charges are not sourced or included.
Water: Cal Water tariff SVR-1-R effective 1/1/2026 (the approved sheet; a 7/1/2026 revision is filed subject to refund). Surcharges on Schedules RSF, CAP, AS and UF are left out. Alco Water Service serves some Salinas homes and is not modeled. The tier breakpoints are monthly CCF as published; 9 ccf a month is an assumed use. A 7/1/2026 Cal Water tariff (reported at a $39.82 service charge and higher service-wide tiers of 1.1358/4.5629/5.7369/6.8788) could not be retrieved or confirmed, so January figures are used; at 9 ccf the July tariff would be about 2% higher.
Sewer: the city's $16.68 monthly residential rate from July 1, 2026; search results indicate Monterey One Water bills Salinas sewer charges, not the county tax roll, so it is modeled as a utility bill; the city's notice does not state the billing path.
Electricity: 3CE E-1 comparison total (generation + PG&E delivery + PCIA/FF) used for all use; PG&E base services charge of $0.79343 a day as the fixed charge; 370 kWh is the comparison's monthly usage. Gas: PG&E G-1 baseline rate plus public purpose surcharge applied to all use (the baseline quantity for Salinas was not confirmed). Electric rate is from the PG&E-3CE E-1 comparison sheet listed in sources (vintage per that sheet; a different sheet shows about 1.4% lower).
Value is the Census median market value; Prop 13 assessed values are often lower. The city also taxes gas, water, telecom and some TV bills at five to six percent (city page); that tax is not in the totals because no exact rate was readable by the checker. The city's code text (hosted by Gocodebook) reads 6% of gas, water and electricity charges, which would add roughly $80-100 a year; this is unconfirmed here. Residents 65+ are exempt.
Nothing here is legal, tax or insurance advice.

Sources

Common questions about Salinas house costs

What is the property tax rate in Salinas?

About 1.15% of the value before exemptions a year (2026-27 tax year, Monterey County), plus flat charges on the same bill.

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

About $5,674 a year on $500,000 of the value before exemptions with the homeowners' exemption.

How much is the water bill in Salinas?

About $76 a month for water and sewer at typical use (9 units, or 6,732 gallons a month) on Cal Water - Salinas.

How much does trash pickup cost in Salinas?

$33 to $68 a month, depending on the trash cart size (20-gal garbage, weekly, 32-gal garbage, weekly, 64-gal garbage, weekly, 96-gal garbage, weekly).

Can seniors lower their property tax or bills in Salinas?

Yes. Senior low-income trash rates: Republic Services lists a Senior Low Income rate for 20-gallon and 32-gallon waste service.

Where can I get help paying utility bills in Salinas?

Residential sewer bill payment assistance: Eligible residential customers may receive a one-time annual sewer bill payment assistance of 15%. Questions go to the City Finance Department at (831) 758-7211.

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

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