Santa Clara, CA · Updated Oct 2026

What a Santa Clara 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 Santa Clara house

$25,289a year · $2,107 a month

Starts at the typical market value, $1,582,600; your assessed value is often lower. Typical use.

Property tax$18,631
1.183% of $1,582,600, less $7,000 homeowners' exemption
Flat charges on the tax bill$191
Valley Water Safe, Clean Water special tax (maximum rate, as recommended for adoption) $82 · Mosquito & vector control assessments (1996, 2005, 2026) $31 · SF Bay Restoration Authority Measure AA $12 · Open Space Authority District 1 assessment $12 · Open Space Authority Measure T parcel tax $24 · Open Space Authority Measure D parcel tax (by building size, 1,500 sq ft home) $30
Electricity and gas$1,853
425.4 kWh a month $920 · 31.72 therms $933
Water and sewer$2,370
12 units (CCF) a month on City of Santa Clara Water Utility: water $133, sewer $64 a month
Trash$750
Small Cart (32-gallon), $63 a month
Home insurance$1,492
Typical premium $1,492

A Santa Clara house at the typical market value ($1,582,600) pays about $25,300 a year: $18,820 property tax and charges, $2,370 water and sewer, $750 trash, $1,850 electricity and gas, $1,490 home insurance. Estimated from public rates, not anyone's actual bill.

Rates checked Oct 21, 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 super saver cart (20-gallon) cartUp to $99 a year
Your cart costs $63 a month; the smallest costs $54. Worth it if you rarely fill it.
How: Call Municipal Utilities Customer Service at 408-615-2300 to increase or decrease the size of your containers.
Income-qualified households: Rate Assistance ProgramUp to 40% off electricity
The City's Rate Assistance Program discounts the electric portion of the utility bill for qualified Santa Clara residents: 35% off the first 300 kWh a month and 25% off kWh 301 to 800 (40% off the first 300 kWh for households meeting the LIHEAP income limits). Financial RAP customers also get $10.00 off garbage collection charges and 25% off water (first 12 HCF) and sewer bills. The income limit is $113,700 a year for a one-person household and $162,400 for four.
How: Apply for Financial RAP through Silicon Valley Power's partner, Central Coast Energy Services; proof of income is required.
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.
Valley Water lawn conversion rebate$2 per sq ft, up to $3,000
Valley Water's base rate for converting approved high-water-use lawns and pools to low-water-use landscapes is $2 per square foot, up to $3,000 for residential sites.
How: Apply through Valley Water's landscape rebates page.
Extra recycling or yard trimming carts at no chargeFree
Residents may request additional recycling or yard trimming capacity at no additional charge.
How: Call Municipal Utilities Customer Service at 408-615-2300.
Set out bulky items during the Annual Cleanup CampaignOnce a year
The Cleanup Campaign is the residents' opportunity to set out bulky items not routinely collected by weekly garbage, yard trimming and recycling service, such as old furniture, mattresses and appliances. Not all developments participate.
How: Look up your service week on MapSantaClara, or call the Department of Public Works at 408-615-3080.

Adjust to match your bills

What you knowTrash cartThe cart price includes weekly garbage, recycling and yard trimmings collection; the $6.94 monthly Annual Cleanup Campaign charge is added.

Value before exemptionsEnter the assessed value from your tax bill: under Prop 13 it is often far below what the house would sell for. Parts of Santa Clara are in Cupertino Union and Fremont Union (tax rate area 007-006, 1.1885%) or Campbell schools (007-011, 1.2262%), each including the 0.0039% State Water Project charge, instead of Santa Clara Unified.

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 Santa Clara house uses about 12.

Electricity, kWh a month

On your Silicon Valley Power (SVP) bill. An electric car adds about 300 kWh.

Gas, therms a month (yearly average)

Money dates

Dec 10in 48 daysLast day to pay the first installment of secured property taxes without penalties.
Feb 15in 115 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: City of Santa Clara Water Utility; City of Santa Clara Water Rate Schedule 2026-01 (adopted June 9, 2026, for service on or after July 1, 2026): all potable water use is $11.09 per Hundred Cubic Feet (HCF), with a minimum monthly charge of $29.78 for a 5/8 x 3/4 inch meter. A customer whose use exceeds the minimum charge pays only the volumetric rate; the two charges are not applied at the same time.
Property tax: 1.18% of value; 2025-26 tax year, Santa Clara County (tax rate area 007-014); flat charges 2026-27
Sewer: City of Santa Clara; Single-family homes pay a flat monthly sewer rate on the City utility bill.
Electricity: Silicon Valley Power (SVP); An enterprise of the City of Santa Clara, run on a not-for-profit basis.
Gas: PG&E; A 2025 City staff report says a 22-unit single-family project at 1957 Pruneridge Avenue coordinated with PG&E to extend natural gas service to each unit.
Schools: Santa Clara Unified School District; Santa Clara Unified says that as of the 2016-2017 school year it does not have a parcel tax.

Pay or manage your bills

Your water

Source: Most of the water is pumped from the City's deep wells, from aquifers 500 to 900 feet deep. Valley Water serves mainly the southwest of the City, and SFPUC (Hetch Hetchy) water typically serves the area north of Highway 101.
PFAS: The City's 2024 water quality report says no PFAS compounds have been detected in the City's monitoring from 2019 to date.
Lead: No Santa Clara water source exceeded the lead action level. The 2024 service line inventory inspected more than 2,000 service lines and found no lead services.

Other CA cities

How these numbers are made

Property tax: Santa Clara County's 2025-26 rates for tax rate area 007-014, the area with the most Santa Clara parcels in the County's parcel file (about 17,800 of 30,000; 007-000 is next with about 7,700, at the same rate): the 1% levy, county retirement levy 0.0388%, VMC and housing bonds 0.0108%, Santa Clara Unified bonds 0.0811%, City of Santa Clara bond 0.0287%, West Valley-Mission college bonds 0.0192% and Valley Water's State Water Project charge 0.0039%, 1.1825% in all, less the $7,000 homeowners' exemption. The 2026-27 rate book was not out yet, so the 2026-27 total may differ slightly. Flat charges for 2026-27, $191.06 in all: Valley Water Safe, Clean Water $82.41 (the maximum rate, as recommended for adoption in Valley Water's FY 2026-27 levy resolution and staff report, 2.5% above $80.40; we did not find a signed adopted copy), mosquito and vector control $30.65 (the 1996, 2005 and new 2026 assessments as listed in the 2026 engineer's report; the 2005 assessment can be adjusted for inflation), Bay restoration $12, and the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority's $12 District 1 assessment, $24 Measure T parcel tax and new Measure D parcel tax ($0.02 per square foot of building from 2026-27, about $30 for a 1,500 sq ft home; yours depends on your building size, and seniors 65+ and some low-income households can apply for an exemption). Santa Clara Unified has no parcel tax, and Santa Clara is not in the county library district.
The starting home value is the Census ACS 2020-2024 median market value of owner-occupied homes ($1,582,600); under Prop 13 an owner who bought years ago has a lower assessed value and pays much less, so enter the assessed value from your tax bill.
Water: City of Santa Clara Water Rate Schedule 2026-01 (July 1, 2026), $11.09 per HCF for all use. The $29.78 minimum for a 5/8 x 3/4 inch meter replaces the volumetric charge only when use is below about 2.7 HCF a month, so we price all use at $11.09 and do not add the minimum. The page starts at 12 HCF a month, the use the City's rate staff report calls an average residential customer (the same report calls 12 units a high-end user). Sewer: the flat $64.46 single-family rate. There is no separate storm drain charge on the City utility bill that we could find.
Garbage: Resolution 26-9570 (July 1, 2026): $47.34 (20-gallon), $55.60 (32), $81.22 (64) or $106.69 (96) a month including recycling and yard trimmings, plus the $6.94 monthly Annual Cleanup Campaign line, so $54.28 to $113.63.
Electricity: Silicon Valley Power D-1 (January 1, 2026), the same rate all year: $5.11 meter charge and $0.15612 per kWh for the first 300 kWh, $0.17946 above, each raised by the 2.85% Public Benefits Charge, plus the $0.00030 per kWh state surcharge. SVP says Santa Clara customers are not charged the extra user tax most PG&E service areas add. Typical use is SVP's 2024 residential average from EIA, about 425 kWh a month. SVP lists its 2026 average residential rate as $0.182 per kWh against PG&E's $0.422.
Gas: PG&E G-1 (Oct. 1, 2026) $2.42480 and $2.92792 per therm plus the $0.12103 public purpose surcharge, baseline territory X (PG&E's tariff puts all of Santa Clara County except the Skyline area in X), weighted 7 summer, 3 off-peak and 2 on-peak months, about 30.1 therms a month, minus the $46.26 yearly climate credit spread over 12 months. Typical gas use is California's 2024 residential average (EIA, about 32 therms a month). Insurance is the 2022 California average homeowners premium (NAIC via the Insurance Information Institute) until you enter your own.
Nothing here is legal, tax or insurance advice.

Sources

How Santa Clara compares

A typical Santa Clara house against the 110 California cities we cover, using the same default numbers as the total above.

Per year	Santa Clara	Median	Where it falls
Property tax rate	1.18%	1.13%	higher than 79 of the other 109 California cities we cover
Water	$1,597	$955	higher than 102 of the other 109 California cities we cover
Sewer and utility-bill fees	$774	$584	higher than 52 of the other 76 California cities we cover
Trash	$750	$438	higher than 94 of the other 101 California cities we cover
Electricity and gas	$1,853	$3,556	lower than 109 of the other 109 California cities we cover
Home insurance	$1,492	$1,492	in the middle of 108 other California cities we cover
Total	$25,289	$15,240	higher than 103 of the other 109 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. Water

The fact: Water here costs about $1,597 a year at typical use, higher than 102 of the other 109 California cities we cover.

Ask: "Water here costs about $1,597 a year at typical use, higher than 102 of the other 109 California cities we cover. What drives that cost, and would you change anything?"

2. Trash

The fact: Trash pickup here costs about $750 a year for the standard cart, higher than 94 of the other 101 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 $750 a year for the standard cart, higher than 94 of the other 101 California cities we cover. What drives that cost, and would you change anything about the service or the price?"

3. Electricity and gas

The fact: Electricity and gas for a typical house here cost about $1,853 a year, lower than 109 of the other 109 California cities we cover. Rates are set mostly by the utility and the state.

Ask: "Electricity and gas here cost about $1,853 a year for a typical house, lower than 109 of the other 109 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 Santa Clara house costs

What is the property tax rate in Santa Clara?

About 1.18% of the value before exemptions a year (2025-26 tax year, Santa Clara County (tax rate area 007-014); flat charges 2026-27), plus flat charges on the same bill (Valley Water Safe, Clean Water special tax (maximum rate, as recommended for adoption) $82, Mosquito & vector control assessments (1996, 2005, 2026) $31, SF Bay Restoration Authority Measure AA $12, Open Space Authority District 1 assessment $12).

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

About $6,021 a year on $500,000 of the value before exemptions with the homeowners' exemption, including $191 of flat charges.

How much is the water bill in Santa Clara?

About $198 a month for water and sewer at typical use (12 units, or 8,976 gallons a month) on City of Santa Clara Water Utility.

How much does trash pickup cost in Santa Clara?

$54 to $114 a month, depending on the trash cart size (Super Saver Cart (20-gallon), Small Cart (32-gallon), Medium Cart (64-gallon), Large Cart (96-gallon)).

When is property tax due in Santa Clara?

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 Santa Clara?

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 Santa Clara?

Income-qualified households: Rate Assistance Program: The City's Rate Assistance Program discounts the electric portion of the utility bill for qualified Santa Clara residents: 35% off the first 300 kWh a month and 25% off kWh 301 to 800 (40% off the first 300 kWh for households meeting the LIHEAP income limits). Financial RAP customers also get $10.00 off garbage collection charges and 25% off water (first 12 HCF) and sewer bills. The income limit is $113,700 a year for a one-person household and $162,400 for four. Apply for Financial RAP through Silicon Valley Power's partner, Central Coast Energy Services; proof of income is required.

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

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