San José, CA · Updated Oct 2026

What a San José 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 San José house

$24,459a year · $2,038 a month

Starts at the typical market value, $1,233,200; your assessed value is often lower. Typical use.

Property tax$15,456
1.260% of $1,233,200, less $7,000 homeowners' exemption
Flat charges on the tax bill$877
Sewer $608 · San José storm sewer service charge $94 · East Side Union High School District Measure N parcel tax $49 · Valley Water Safe, Clean Water special tax (2026-27) $82 · Mosquito & vector control assessments $31 · SF Bay Restoration Authority Measure AA $12
Electricity and gas$3,581
500 kWh a month $2,432 · 31.72 therms $979 · city utility tax $171
Water$1,653
9 units (CCF) a month on San Jose Water Company: water $138 a month
Trash$1,400
64-gallon garbage service (recycling, yard trimmings and junk pickup included), $117 a month
Home insurance$1,492
Typical premium $1,492

A San José house at the typical market value ($1,233,200) costs about $24,500 a year: $16,330 property tax and charges, $1,650 water, $1,400 trash, $3,580 electricity and gas, $1,490 home insurance. 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 32-gallon garbage service (recycling, yard trimmings and junk pickup included) cartUp to $700 a year
Your cart costs $117 a month; the smallest costs $58. Worth it if you rarely fill it.
How: Call your garbage hauler.
Homeowners' exemption
If you own and occupy your home as your principal place of residence, you may be eligible for an exemption of up to $7,000 off the dwelling's assessed value.
How: File the claim with the Santa Clara County Assessor.
Low-income seniors (born before June 30, 1962): Valley Water tax exemptionAbout $80 a year
Owners born before June 30, 1962 who own and live in the home, with 2025 total household income below $75,112, can be exempt from Valley Water's Safe, Clean Water special tax, a saving of approximately $80. Homes in an irrevocable trust and mobile homes in parks are not eligible. The 2026 application period was April 15 to June 30, 2026.
How: See valleywater.org/senior-parcel-tax-exemption; the 2026 application period was April 15 to June 30, 2026.
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.

Adjust to match your bills

What you knowTrash cartSingle-family curbside rates from July 1, 2026, billed once a year on the property tax bill. On-premise collection costs $118.88 a month more.

Value before exemptionsEnter the assessed value from your tax bill: under Prop 13 it is often far below what the house would sell for.

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 San José Clean Energy (SJCE) bill. An electric car adds about 300 kWh.

Gas, therms a month (yearly average)

Money dates

Dec 10in 47 daysLast day to pay the first installment of secured property taxes without penalties.
Feb 15in 114 daysDeadline to file the homeowners' exemption for the full exemption (filed by Dec 10 after that, 80% of it).
Apr 10Last day to pay the second installment of secured property taxes without penalties.
Jul 2 – Sep 15Window to file an assessment appeal with the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors.

Who serves this house

Water: San Jose Water Company; San Jose Water Schedule No. 1 General Metered Service, effective 07/01/2026; the service charge is per meter per month.
Property tax: 1.26% of value; 2025-26 tax year, Santa Clara County (tax rate area 017-028); flat charges 2026-27 where stated
Garbage: City of San José, billed on the county property tax bill; Residential garbage, recycling and yard trimmings service for single-family homes is billed through the Santa Clara County Secured Property Tax Bill.
Sewer: City of San José (Regional Wastewater Facility); Residential sewer service charges are placed on the property tax roll and collected by the Santa Clara County tax collector.
Electricity: San José Clean Energy (generation) and PG&E (delivery); San José Clean Energy and PG&E serve the City of San José.
Gas: PG&E; PG&E gas service.

Pay or manage your bills

Your water

Surcharge: A surcharge of $0.2996 per Ccf is added for a 12-month period to amortize the under-collection in the Water Revenue Adjustment Mechanism.
Low-income program: A surcharge of $2.61 per month is added to the bill to fund the Customer Assistance Program for residential low-income households.

Other CA cities

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How these numbers are made

Tax: 2025-26 rates for tax rate area 017-028, the San José area with the most net secured value in the county rate book ($20.6 billion), 1.2605% including the state water project; areas differ by school district bond. Flat charges: the city storm sewer charge, East Side Union High School District Measure N ($49), Valley Water, vector control and SF Bay Measure AA; elementary and unified districts in other areas, including Evergreen's parcel tax, may add flat charges that are not included.
Value: the Census median market value; under Prop 13 assessed values are usually lower, so enter yours.
Sewer: the Single-Family Residence charge of $608.00 a year is on the property tax bill (shown as a tax-bill line, not repeated elsewhere). Garbage: the 64-gallon monthly rate x 12 is also billed on the property tax bill and is counted once.
Water: San Jose Water Schedule 1 (as for Saratoga): $79.67 + $2.61 + $0.02 = $82.30 a month; each tier rate includes the $0.2996 per Ccf surcharge. The City's Municipal Water System and Great Oaks serve other parts of San José with different rates.
Electricity: PG&E E-1 tier rates with PG&E generation swapped for SJCE GreenSource ($0.07928) plus the PCIA/FF charge ($0.03738), as in Saratoga's method. Gas: PG&E G-1 plus surcharge. Insurance is a 2022 statewide figure.
Utility users tax: San José's 5% tax on residential electricity and gas (Municipal Code 4.68, Measure K) is added to the energy bills. It is not added to water: the code's water tax excludes a water corporation, and San Jose Water Company is one, so whether it is collected on that bill is not confirmed."] Modelling: a 5% utility users tax on electricity and gas is assumed added on top (uut field).
Nothing here is legal, tax or insurance advice.

Sources

How San José compares

A typical San José house against the 207 California cities we cover, using the same default numbers as the total above.

Per year	San José	Median	Where it falls
Property tax rate	1.26%	1.13%	higher than 190 of the other 206 California cities we cover
Water	$1,653	$944	higher than 191 of the other 206 California cities we cover
Trash	$1,400	$443	higher than 187 of the other 187 California cities we cover
Electricity and gas	$3,581	$3,463	higher than 135 of the other 206 California cities we cover
Home insurance	$1,492	$1,492	in the middle of 201 other California cities we cover
Total	$24,459	$14,973	higher than 184 of the other 206 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: San José's property tax rate is 1.26%, higher than 190 of the other 206 California cities we cover. The rate adds up every agency on the bill, not only the city.

Ask: "Property tax in San José is 1.26%, higher than 190 of the other 206 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 $1,653 a year at typical use, higher than 191 of the other 206 California cities we cover.

Ask: "Water here costs about $1,653 a year at typical use, higher than 191 of the other 206 California cities we cover. What drives that cost, and would you change anything?"

3. Trash

The fact: Trash pickup here costs about $1,400 a year for the standard cart, higher than 187 of the other 187 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 $1,400 a year for the standard cart, higher than 187 of the other 187 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 San José house costs

What is the property tax rate in San José?

About 1.26% of the value before exemptions a year (2025-26 tax year, Santa Clara County (tax rate area 017-028); flat charges 2026-27 where stated), plus flat charges on the same bill (Sewer $608, San José storm sewer service charge $94, East Side Union High School District Measure N parcel tax $49, Valley Water Safe, Clean Water special tax (2026-27) $82).

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

About $7,091 a year on $500,000 of the value before exemptions with the homeowners' exemption, including $877 of flat charges.

How much is the water bill in San José?

About $138 a month for water at typical use (9 units, or 6,732 gallons a month) on San Jose Water Company.

How much does trash pickup cost in San José?

$58 to $175 a month, depending on the trash cart size (32-gallon garbage service (recycling, yard trimmings and junk pickup included), 64-gallon garbage service (recycling, yard trimmings and junk pickup included), 96-gallon garbage service (recycling, yard trimmings and junk pickup included)).

When is property tax due in San José?

Dec 10: Last day to pay the first installment of secured property taxes without penalties. Apr 10: Last day to pay the second installment of secured property taxes without penalties.

Can seniors lower their property tax or bills in San José?

Yes. Low-income seniors (born before June 30, 1962): Valley Water tax exemption: Owners born before June 30, 1962 who own and live in the home, with 2025 total household income below $75,112, can be exempt from Valley Water's Safe, Clean Water special tax, a saving of approximately $80. Homes in an irrevocable trust and mobile homes in parks are not eligible. The 2026 application period was April 15 to June 30, 2026.

Where can I get help paying utility bills in San José?

Low-income seniors (born before June 30, 1962): Valley Water tax exemption: Owners born before June 30, 1962 who own and live in the home, with 2025 total household income below $75,112, can be exempt from Valley Water's Safe, Clean Water special tax, a saving of approximately $80. Homes in an irrevocable trust and mobile homes in parks are not eligible. The 2026 application period was April 15 to June 30, 2026. See valleywater.org/senior-parcel-tax-exemption; the 2026 application period was April 15 to June 30, 2026.

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

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