San Rafael, CA · Updated Oct 2026

What a San Rafael 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 Rafael house

$23,692a year · $1,974 a month

Starts at the typical market value, $1,355,600; your assessed value is often lower. Typical use.

Property tax$16,274
1.207% of $1,355,600, less $7,000 homeowners' exemption
Flat charges on the tax bill$1,344
Sewer $1,063 · Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority tax (Measure C, 2,000 sq ft house) $228 · Marin Emergency Radio Authority tax $29 · SF Bay Restoration Authority parcel tax (Measure AA) $12 · Marin/Sonoma mosquito & vector control assessment $12
Electricity$2,726
500 kWh a month $2,726
Water$1,857
9 units (CCF) a month on Marin Water: water $155 a month
TrashNot included
Marin Sanitary Service bills trash separately; its San Rafael rate is not counted here
Home insurance$1,492
Typical premium $1,492

A San Rafael house at the typical market value ($1,355,600) pays about $23,700 a year: $17,620 property tax and charges, $1,860 water, $2,730 electricity, $1,490 home insurance; trash is billed separately. 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:

Low-income seniors 65+: wildfire tax exemptionMeasure C tax waived
Owners 65 or older in a single-family home whose household income is at or below HUD income limits can be exempted from the Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority parcel tax. The application must be filed every year before June 30.
How: Apply through the Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority's senior exemption page; status questions go to NBS at customercare@nbsgov.com or 1-(800) 676-7516.
Income-qualified households: CARE or FERA30–35% off electricity
CARE takes 30–35% off electricity and lets qualifying households pay a monthly charge of $6 rather than the standard $24.15; FERA takes 18% off for incomes slightly above CARE limits.
How: Application forms are also available through community agencies.

Adjust to match your bills

What you know

Value before exemptionsEnter your assessed (net) value from your tax bill: under Prop 13 it is often well below market. San Rafael City Schools' parcel tax is on the tax bill but not counted here; check your bill.

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 MCE Light Green generation bill. An electric car adds about 300 kWh.

Money dates

Nov 1in 9 daysInstallment 1 of the property tax is due; it is delinquent after 5 p.m. December 10, with a 10% penalty.
Nov 30, 2026in 38 daysLast day of Marin County's 2026 assessment appeal filing period (opened July 2).
Feb 1in 101 daysInstallment 2 of the property tax is due; it is delinquent after 5 p.m. April 10. Penalty listed: Additional 10% + $20.00 fee.
Feb 15in 115 daysLast day for a first-time homeowners' exemption claim to get the full exemption for that year.

Who serves this house

Water: Marin Water; Marin Water rates effective July 1, 2026; most customers are billed every other month.
Property tax: 1.21% of value; 2026-27 tax year, Marin County (San Rafael tax rate areas 8-000 to 8-101)
Garbage: Marin Sanitary Service; Listed on San Rafael's Trash, Recycling and Composting page; residential rates not stated here.
Electricity: MCE generation, PG&E delivery; MCE's service area includes all of Marin County; PG&E continues to provide electricity delivery and billing.
Schools: San Rafael City Schools; San Rafael elementary and high school bond rates appear on the Marin tax rate list.

Pay or manage your bills

Marin County property tax bill: look up and pay ↗

Other CA cities

How these numbers are made

Water: Marin Municipal Water District rates effective July 1, 2026, 5/8-inch meter: bimonthly service charge $55.61 plus capital maintenance fee $36.47 halved to a monthly fixed charge; single-family tier prices plus the $0.66 per unit watershed management fee; bimonthly tier breakpoints halved to monthly units.
Property tax: San Rafael spans tax rate areas 8-000 to 8-101; 2026-27 bond rates for the most common set (Marin Healthcare District, College of Marin, San Rafael elementary and high school bonds) are summed. Some areas (Terra Linda, San Rafael Meadows) carry fewer bonds.
Not counted because not sourced: Marin Sanitary Service's San Rafael garbage rate (the Ross rate sheet is not San Rafael's), San Rafael City Schools' parcel tax, PG&E gas rates for San Rafael.
The starting value is the Census ACS 2020-2024 median market value; Prop 13 assessed values are often lower. Electricity uses the same MCE Light Green / PG&E E-1 build as other Marin cities; baseline territory X assumed.
Insurance is the 2022 California statewide average, not a Marin figure; premiums in Marin may differ.
Water uses 9 ccf a month as a modelling assumption for a typical household, not a Marin Water average-use figure.
Marin Water is the district's own name on its rate table; the formal name is Marin Municipal Water District (pwsid CA2110002).
Tax is applied to assessed value less exemptions (Prop 13); this is modelling, not stated in the rate-list sources.
Tax rate list: bond/district rates were selected for San Rafael tax rate areas (modelling, not judged).
Tax base wording is narrowed to what the quotes say; the 1% plus district-rate composition and the possibility that rates differ by tax rate area are modelling, not judged.
Totals leave out trash and gas: neither has a sourced San Rafael 2026 rate. Sewer is San Rafael Sanitation District's $1,062.72 a year per dwelling unit; parts of northern San Rafael are served by Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District instead (LGVSD lists a flat $1,641 a year from July 1, 2026), so those addresses differ. Marin Sanitary Service's recent county-reported residential package is about $56 a month, not counted.
Nothing here is legal, tax or insurance advice.

Sources

How San Rafael compares

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

Per year	San Rafael	Median	Where it falls
Property tax rate	1.21%	1.13%	higher than 173 of the other 206 California cities we cover
Water	$1,857	$944	higher than 200 of the other 206 California cities we cover
Electricity and gas	$2,726	$3,463	lower than 189 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	$23,692	$14,973	higher than 181 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 Rafael's property tax rate is 1.21%, higher than 173 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 Rafael is 1.21%, higher than 173 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 $1,857 a year at typical use, higher than 200 of the other 206 California cities we cover.

Ask: "Water here costs about $1,857 a year at typical use, higher than 200 of the other 206 California cities we cover. What drives that cost, and would you change anything?"

3. Electricity and gas

The fact: Electricity and gas for a typical house here cost about $2,726 a year, lower than 189 of the other 206 California cities we cover. Rates are set mostly by the utility and the state.

Ask: "Electricity and gas here cost about $2,726 a year for a typical house, lower than 189 of the other 206 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 San Rafael house costs

What is the property tax rate in San Rafael?

About 1.21% of the value before exemptions a year (2026-27 tax year, Marin County (San Rafael tax rate areas 8-000 to 8-101)), plus flat charges on the same bill (Sewer $1,063, Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority tax (Measure C, 2,000 sq ft house) $228, Marin Emergency Radio Authority tax $29, SF Bay Restoration Authority parcel tax (Measure AA) $12).

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

About $7,293 a year on $500,000 of the value before exemptions with the homeowners' exemption, including $1,344 of flat charges.

How much is the water bill in San Rafael?

About $155 a month for water at typical use (9 units, or 6,732 gallons a month) on Marin Water.

How much does trash pickup cost in San Rafael?

Marin Sanitary Service bills trash separately; its San Rafael rate is not counted here

When is property tax due in San Rafael?

Nov 1: Installment 1 of the property tax is due; it is delinquent after 5 p.m. December 10, with a 10% penalty. Feb 1: Installment 2 of the property tax is due; it is delinquent after 5 p.m. April 10. Penalty listed: Additional 10% + $20.00 fee.

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

Yes. Low-income seniors 65+: wildfire tax exemption: Owners 65 or older in a single-family home whose household income is at or below HUD income limits can be exempted from the Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority parcel tax. The application must be filed every year before June 30.

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

Low-income seniors 65+: wildfire tax exemption: Owners 65 or older in a single-family home whose household income is at or below HUD income limits can be exempted from the Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority parcel tax. The application must be filed every year before June 30. Apply through the Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority's senior exemption page; status questions go to NBS at customercare@nbsgov.com or 1-(800) 676-7516.

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

All California cities All cities