Santa Monica, CA · Updated Oct 2026

What a Santa Monica 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 Santa Monica house

$29,835a year · $2,486 a month

Starts at the typical market value, $1,755,500; your assessed value is often lower. Typical use.

A Santa Monica house at the typical market value ($1,755,500) costs about $29,800 a year: $21,470 property tax and charges, $2,070 water and sewer, $760 trash, $4,040 electricity and gas, $1,490 home insurance. Estimated from public rates, not anyone's actual bill.

Rates checked Oct 20, 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: water discountTier 1 at $6.86 instead of $7.86 per HCF
Households that qualify for the City's utility users tax exemption or for SCE or SoCalGas low-income help pay less for the first tier of water.
How: Ask the City Water Resources Division, (310) 458-8531 or water.resources@santamonica.gov.
Low income: SoCalGas CARE20% off the gas bill
Customers enrolled in CARE get 20% off their SoCalGas bill.
How: See SoCalGas assistance programs at socalgas.com.
Seniors 65+: Measure R parcel tax exemption
Owners 65 or older by June 30 who own and live in the home can be exempted from the school district's Measure R parcel tax. Parcels exempted in 2025-26 that still qualify are exempted automatically for 2026-27.
How: Mail the SMMUSD Measure R senior exemption application with proof of age, ownership and residency by June 30 to SMMUSD Measure R Office, 1717 4th St., Santa Monica, CA 90401.
Low-income seniors 62+ and people with disabilities: utility users tax exemption
The City exempts low-income seniors over 62 and low-income people with disabilities from its utility users tax.
How: Contact WISE & Healthy Aging, 1527 Fourth St, 2nd Floor, Santa Monica (info@wiseandhealthyaging.org).

Adjust to match your bills

What you knowTrash cartPrice per month for weekly trash pickup; recycling and yard-waste (organics) containers are included at no extra charge.

Value before exemptionsThe assessed or appraised value on your tax bill or notice, before exemptions (not the "taxable" line).

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, NAIC data via 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 Southern California Edison (delivery) + Clean Power Alliance (generation) bill. An electric car adds about 300 kWh.

Gas, therms a month (yearly average)

Money dates

Nov 30, 2026in 37 daysLast day to file a 2026 regular assessment appeal in LA County (filing runs July 2 to November 30).
Dec 10in 47 daysFirst property tax installment (due Nov 1) is late after Dec 10: 10% penalty.
Feb 15in 114 daysLast day for a first-time homeowners' exemption claim to get the full exemption for the year.
Apr 10Second property tax installment (due Feb 1) is late after Apr 10: 10% penalty plus $10.

Who serves this house

Water: City of Santa Monica; City of Santa Monica Water Resources, bills every two months (fixed charge by meter size plus three tiers per HCF; FY 2026/27 rates from July 1, 2026)
Property tax: 1.20% of value; 2025-26 tax year, Los Angeles County
Garbage: City of Santa Monica Resource Recovery & Recycling; The City's Resource Recovery and Recycling Division provides refuse and recycling service; single-family homes can have 65- or 95-gallon refuse containers.
Sewer: City of Santa Monica; Wastewater is billed every two months on the City utility bill.
Electricity: Southern California Edison + Clean Power Alliance; SCE delivers the power and Clean Power Alliance supplies it. In 2018 the City Council set CPA's 100% renewable option as the default for residents, who can opt down or out.
Gas: SoCalGas; Southern California Gas Co. is Santa Monica's local gas company.
Schools: Santa Monica-Malibu Unified; The school district covers Santa Monica and Malibu; its Measure R parcel tax appears on the tax bill as SMMUSD-MEAS-R.

Pay or manage your bills

Your water

Source: Up to 75% is local groundwater from wells in Santa Monica and West Los Angeles; the other 25% is bought from the Metropolitan Water District.
PFAS: The City has sampled its sources for PFAS since 2019 and has not detected it; all samples were non-detect.
Lead & violations: Lead at household taps: 90th percentile 2.1 ppb, 0 of 35 sites over the action level (2022 testing). No MCL violations in 2024.

Other CA cities

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How these numbers are made

Individual bills are confidential in California, so we calculate yours from public rates and what you tell us.
Garbage (City of Santa Monica, July 2026-June 2027): 65-gallon cart $126.83 and 95-gallon cart $163.64 per two-month period; we halve these to show a monthly price.
Water (from July 1, 2026): $58.07 per two months for a 3/4" or 1" meter plus $7.86, $9.15 and $14.34 per HCF for 0-10, 11-18 and 19+ HCF per two months; we halve the charge and the tier breakpoints to monthly. Wastewater: $23.76 per two months plus $5.27 per HCF on 85% of average winter water use; we approximate that as 85% of the monthly water use you enter.
Property tax: 1% plus the 2025-26 Santa Monica-Malibu Unified and Santa Monica College bond rates from the LA County tax rate resolution (about 1.1968%), less the $7,000 homeowners' exemption, applied to the value you enter, plus the Measure R parcel tax ($545.65 for 2026-27, per a local news report citing the district budget). The starting value is the Census median market value; under Prop 13 a home's assessed value can be far lower. Not included because they vary by parcel size and runoff: the City stormwater fee, the Clean Beaches and Ocean Parcel Tax, LA County Measure W (2.5 cents per square foot of impermeable area) and the county park tax; nor the small Metropolitan Water District levy.
Electricity: the SCE/CPA joint rate comparison's average bill for the Domestic rate with CPA 100% Green Power ($209.30 at 523 kWh).
The City's 10% utility users tax is added to electricity, gas, water and wastewater here.
Electricity math: the comparison's average bill is the $0.40019 per-kWh total times the usage, so it does not include SCE's $24.15 monthly Base Services Charge; we add that charge on top: $24.15 a month plus $0.40019 per kWh.
Nothing here is legal, tax or insurance advice.

Sources

How Santa Monica compares

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

Per year	Santa Monica	Median	Where it falls
Property tax rate	1.20%	1.13%	higher than 168 of the other 206 California cities we cover
Water	$1,259	$944	higher than 168 of the other 206 California cities we cover
Sewer and utility-bill fees	$815	$582	higher than 101 of the other 136 California cities we cover
Trash	$761	$443	higher than 178 of the other 187 California cities we cover
Electricity and gas	$4,037	$3,463	higher than 191 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	$29,835	$14,973	higher than 198 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: Santa Monica's property tax rate is 1.20%, higher than 168 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 Santa Monica is 1.20%, higher than 168 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 $1,259 a year at typical use, higher than 168 of the other 206 California cities we cover.

Ask: "Water here costs about $1,259 a year at typical use, higher than 168 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 $761 a year for the standard cart, higher than 178 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 $761 a year for the standard cart, higher than 178 of the other 187 California cities we cover. What drives that cost, and would you change anything about the service or the price?"

4. Electricity and gas

The fact: Electricity and gas for a typical house here cost about $4,037 a year, higher than 191 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 $4,037 a year for a typical house, higher than 191 of the other 206 California cities we cover. Which parts of that can the city influence, and what would you do about them?"

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Common questions about Santa Monica house costs

What is the property tax rate in Santa Monica?

About 1.20% of the value before exemptions a year (2025-26 tax year, Los Angeles County), plus flat charges on the same bill (SMMUSD Measure R parcel tax $546).

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

About $6,446 a year on $500,000 of the value before exemptions with the homeowners' exemption, including $546 of flat charges.

How much is the water bill in Santa Monica?

About $157 a month for water and sewer at typical use (9 units, or 6,732 gallons a month) on City of Santa Monica.

How much does trash pickup cost in Santa Monica?

$63 to $82 a month, depending on the trash cart size (65 gallon, 95 gallon).

When is property tax due in Santa Monica?

Dec 10: First property tax installment (due Nov 1) is late after Dec 10: 10% penalty. Apr 10: Second property tax installment (due Feb 1) is late after Apr 10: 10% penalty plus $10.

Can seniors lower their property tax or bills in Santa Monica?

Yes. Seniors 65+: Measure R parcel tax exemption: Owners 65 or older by June 30 who own and live in the home can be exempted from the school district's Measure R parcel tax. Parcels exempted in 2025-26 that still qualify are exempted automatically for 2026-27.

Where can I get help paying utility bills in Santa Monica?

Low income: water discount: Households that qualify for the City's utility users tax exemption or for SCE or SoCalGas low-income help pay less for the first tier of water. Ask the City Water Resources Division, (310) 458-8531 or water.resources@santamonica.gov.

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

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