San Mateo, CA · Updated Oct 2026

What a San Mateo 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 San Mateo house

$26,810a year · $2,234 a month

Starts at the typical market value, $1,618,700; your assessed value is often lower. Typical use.

Property tax$18,053
1.120% of $1,618,700, less $7,000 homeowners' exemption
Flat charges on the tax bill$2,452
Sewer $1,928 · San Mateo-Foster City SD parcel tax (Measure B) $144 · San Mateo-Foster City SD parcel tax (Measure V) $369 · SF Bay Restoration Authority parcel tax (Measure AA) $12
Electricity and gas$2,866
374 kWh a month $1,877 · 31.72 therms $989
Water$1,322
9 units (CCF) a month on California Water Service (Bay Area Region, San Mateo): water $110 a month
Trash$626
32-gal trash, $52 a month
Home insurance$1,492
Typical premium $1,492

A San Mateo house at the typical market value ($1,618,700) pays about $26,800 a year: $20,500 property tax and charges, $1,320 water, $630 trash, $2,870 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 20-gal trash cartUp to $121 a year
Your cart costs $52 a month; the smallest costs $42. Worth it if you rarely fill it.
How: Questions about solid waste rates go to the City of San Mateo Public Works Department at 650-522-7346.
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.
100% disabled veterans: property tax exemptionUp to $180,671 off assessed value (2026)
Veterans with 100% disability, or partially disabled and unemployable, or their unmarried surviving spouses, can get a basic exemption of up to $180,671 for lien date 2026.
How: See the San Mateo County Assessor's Disabled Veterans' Exemption page.
Seniors 65+ in San Mateo or Foster City: school parcel tax exemptionUp to $512 a year
Owners 65 or older whose main residence is in San Mateo or Foster City can apply for an exemption from the San Mateo-Foster City School District parcel taxes; the district lists the exemption amounts for Measures B and V as $143.67 and $368.52.
How: Email smfcexemptions@financedta.com or call 1-800-969-4382.

Adjust to match your bills

What you knowTrash cartThe monthly rate is set by the size of the solid waste cart and covers collection, processing and disposal of solid waste, recycling and organic material.

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 ($1,927.68 counted here under Sewer, the city's 84 CCF example). Parcel tax amounts are 2027-28 amounts, the latest the district lists (no 2026-27 amounts are posted). Sewer is billed on winter water use, so its line uses the city's 84 CCF example rather than the water line's yearly use. Some San Mateo tax rate areas (for example 012-003 or 012-007) have other rates.

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 38 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 48 daysLast day to pay the first installment of secured property taxes.
Feb 15in 115 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: California Water Service (Bay Area Region, San Mateo); Cal Water Schedule BAR-1-R single-family residential rates: a service charge of $34.47 per month for a 5/8 x 3/4-inch meter plus $4.2083 per CCF for 1-6 CCF, $16.8152 for 7 to 9, $21.0842 for 10 to 13 and $25.2184 over 13.
Property tax: 1.12% of value; 2025-26 tax rates, San Mateo County (San Mateo tax rate area 012-001); parcel taxes are the 2027-28 amounts, the latest the district lists
Garbage: Recology San Mateo County; Single family homes are billed quarterly for collection of solid waste, recycling and organic material.
Sewer: City of San Mateo; Property owners pay a sewer service charge as part of the annual property tax bill.
Electricity: WestLight Energy generation, PG&E delivery; WestLight Energy is the community electricity provider for San Mateo County.
Gas: PG&E; San Mateo (94401-94404) is in PG&E's gas service territory.

Pay or manage your bills

Other CA cities

How these numbers are made

Garbage: the City's 2026 residential cart rates (effective 4/1/26 to 3/31/27) as a monthly total; single family homes are billed quarterly by Recology, so the monthly figure is a third of the quarterly bill.
Water: Cal Water Bay Area Region schedule BAR-1-R filed for July 1, 2026 (monthly service charge $34.47, four tiers by CCF per month). Cal Water's schedule lists a 1.350% San Mateo Business License Fee surcharge for customers within the City of San Mateo; it is not added (about $18 a year at 9 CCF a month, which is a round modelling default, not a figure from any source). Under Prop 13 an assessed value equals the purchase price when bought, and market value is usually higher. A small part of the city may be served differently.
Sewer: the City's 2026-27 charge on the property tax bill, $67.68 a month per dwelling unit plus $13.28 per CCF of annual use; we count the city's own example of 84 CCF a year ($1,927.68) as Sewer.
Property tax: San Mateo County's 2025-26 rates for tax rate area 012-001, the San Mateo area listed in the rate book (we did not confirm it is the area with the most homes; 2026-27 rate book not yet posted) (1% general tax, library bonds 0.0030%, San Mateo-Foster City School District bonds 0.0571%, San Mateo Union High bonds 0.0420%, college bonds 0.0180%: 1.1201% in all), less the $7,000 homeowners' exemption. Flat charges: school parcel taxes Measures B ($143.67) and V ($368.52), as the district lists them for 2027-28, and Measure AA ($12). The mosquito district assessment is not counted because we found no source that it applies to San Mateo parcels.
The starting value is the Census ACS 2020-2024 median value of owner-occupied homes in San Mateo ($1,618,700); 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 neighboring San Mateo County cities; insurance is the 2022 California average premium.
Nothing here is legal, tax or insurance advice.

Sources

Common questions about San Mateo house costs

What is the property tax rate in San Mateo?

About 1.12% of the value before exemptions a year (2025-26 tax rates, San Mateo County (San Mateo tax rate area 012-001); parcel taxes are the 2027-28 amounts, the latest the district lists), plus flat charges on the same bill (Sewer $1,928, San Mateo-Foster City SD parcel tax (Measure B) $144, San Mateo-Foster City SD parcel tax (Measure V) $369, SF Bay Restoration Authority parcel tax (Measure AA) $12).

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

About $7,974 a year on $500,000 of the value before exemptions with the homeowners' exemption, including $2,452 of flat charges.

How much is the water bill in San Mateo?

About $110 a month for water at typical use (9 units, or 6,732 gallons a month) on California Water Service (Bay Area Region, San Mateo).

How much does trash pickup cost in San Mateo?

$42 to $107 a month, depending on the trash cart size (20-gal trash, 32-gal trash, 64-gal trash, 96-gal trash).

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

Yes. Seniors 65+ in San Mateo or Foster City: school parcel tax exemption (up to $512 a year): Owners 65 or older whose main residence is in San Mateo or Foster City can apply for an exemption from the San Mateo-Foster City School District parcel taxes; the district lists the exemption amounts for Measures B and V as $143.67 and $368.52.

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

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 San Mateo cost to run each year?

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