Seaside, CA · Updated Oct 2026

What a Seaside 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 Seaside house

$16,821a year · $1,402 a month

Starts at the typical market value, $787,100; your assessed value is often lower. Typical use.

Property tax$8,987
1.152% of $787,100, less $7,000 homeowners' exemption
Electricity and gas$4,262
500 kWh a month $3,032 · 31.72 therms $989 · city utility tax $241
Water and sewer$3,228
9 units (CCF) a month on Cal Am Water Company - Monterey: water $180, sewer $74, city utility tax $15 a month
Trash$345
32-gal garbage, weekly, $29 a month
Home insuranceNot included
We don't have a typical premium for this city yet. Add yours with Adjust.

A Seaside house at the typical market value ($787,100) pays about $16,800 a year: $8,990 property tax and charges, $3,230 water and sewer, $340 trash, $4,260 electricity and gas; home insurance is not included (no typical premium yet). 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:

Homeowners' exemption: $7,000 off taxable value
The California Constitution provides a $7,000 reduction in the taxable value for a qualifying owner-occupied home.
How: File with the county assessor; the home must be your principal residence on January 1.
Low-income Cal Am customers: water bill discountDiscount on the bill
Qualifying low-income customers can receive a discount on their bill.
How: Apply with Cal Am for acceptance into the low-income program (tariff Schedule CA-CAP).
Low-income households: sewer assistanceMonterey One Water program
Monterey One Water offers a Residential Low-Income Sewer Assistance Program.
How: See the Monterey One Water Current Rates page.
Seniors 65+: utility users' tax exemption6% UUT
Utility users who are sixty-five years of age or older and responsible for the utility service bills are eligible for exemption from the utility user’s tax.
How: Complete the Utility User Tax Exemption Certificate and return it to the Finance Department, at 440 Harcourt Avenue.
Low-income and senior trash ratesReduced rate
Low Income and Senior Rates are available to qualifying customers.
How: Contact GreenWaste customer service by calling 831.920.6707.
Free bulky item reuse events3 events a year
GreenWaste's Seaside residential rate sheet lists 3 annual bulky item reuse collection events as free services.
How: Call GreenWaste at 831-920-6707.

Adjust to match your bills

What you knowTrash cartRates effective July 1, 2026; include one 65-gallon recyclables cart and one 95-gallon organics cart. Low-income and senior rates are available.

Value before exemptionsProp 13 assessed values of long-held homes are often far below this market median: enter the assessed value from your tax bill. Direct charges on the bill (such as parcel-specific levies) are not included, so your bill may be higher than this estimate.

I live here and have the Homeowners' exemption

Home insurance, a yearFrom your policy's declarations page.

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 3CE generation with PG&E delivery bill. An electric car adds about 300 kWh.

Gas, therms a month (yearly average)

Money dates

Every other monthMonterey One Water bills customers every other month.

Who serves this house

Water: Cal Am Water Company - Monterey; Cal Am tariff MO-1-SF: a 5/8 x 3/4-inch meter service charge per month plus tiered rates per 100 gallons (CGL).
Property tax: 1.15% of value; 2026-27 tax year, Monterey County
Garbage: GreenWaste; GreenWaste is proud to provide our Seaside community with garbage, recyclables, and organics service.
Sewer: Monterey One Water bill; For parcels located in the Cities of Del Rey Oaks, Pacific Grove, Salinas, Sand City, and Seaside, the Monterey One Water bill also includes the collection fee charged by these entities.
Electricity: 3CE generation with PG&E delivery; Central Coast Community Energy is the primary electricity provider for the following communities: Seaside.
Gas: PG&E; Schedule G-1 applies everywhere within PG&E’s natural gas Service Territory.

Pay or manage your bills

Your water

Service area: Cal Am's Monterey single-family tariff territory lists a portion of Seaside.
Franchise fee: A surcharge on each bill collects a franchise fee of 1.176% in the City of Seaside.

Other CA cities

How these numbers are made

Property tax: 1% plus the 2026-27 Monterey Peninsula Community College bond (0.028239%) and Monterey Peninsula USD bond (0.123773%) rates from the county's 2026-27 debt service rates; Seaside has no city bond rate listed there; the tax rate area with the most homes was not confirmed and other areas may differ. Direct charges (such as parcel-specific levies) are not sourced or included.
Water: Cal Am is one of three water providers in Seaside (the others are the City of Seaside and Marina Coast Water District, not modeled; check the city's page for your address). Rates are Cal Am tariff MO-1-SF per 100 gallons plus the 0.5522 and 0.0353 per-100-gallon surcharges, converted to CCF by 7.48, then multiplied by 1.01176 for the 1.176% Seaside franchise fee (also applied to the meter charge). The 0.0909 surcharge, MPWMD fee and CAP surcharge are left out; tier breakpoints are assumed monthly; 9 ccf a month is an assumed use. The total is understated: the MPWMD user fee (a percentage of the base bill, rate not found) and the 0.0909 surcharge, which appear on most Cal Am bills, are not included. Cal Am has a general rate case pending (CPUC A.25-07-003) that could change rates from January 2027; tariff figures are from the sheet effective January 1, 2026.
Sewer: Monterey One Water $57.27 per month plus the Seaside County Sanitation District's $16.52 monthly residential fee, taken from the M1W-posted schedule dated July 1, 2021 (a newer schedule was not found; the district's 2024-25 annual report lists $198.24 a year per residence, the same $16.52 a month). The July 2026 rate is as posted on M1W's residential-rates page; the board vote could not be independently confirmed (M1W's rate pages blocked automated reading).
Electricity: 3CE E-1 comparison total (3Cchoice generation + PG&E delivery + PCIA/FF) used for all use; PG&E base services charge of $0.79343 a day as the fixed charge. Gas: PG&E G-1 with public purpose surcharge; baseline territory T. Seaside's 6% utility users' tax is applied to electricity, gas and water bills. The 3CE comparison is dated February 15, 2026; PG&E and 3CE rates may have changed since.
Value is the Census median market value; Prop 13 assessed values are often lower.
Nothing here is legal, tax or insurance advice.

Sources

How Seaside compares

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

Per year	Seaside	Median	Where it falls
Property tax rate	1.15%	1.13%	higher than 66 of the other 109 California cities we cover
Water	$2,160	$955	higher than 108 of the other 109 California cities we cover
Sewer and utility-bill fees	$1,068	$584	higher than 69 of the other 76 California cities we cover
Trash	$345	$438	lower than 89 of the other 101 California cities we cover
Electricity and gas	$4,262	$3,556	higher than 104 of the other 109 California cities we cover
Total	$16,821	$15,240	higher than 71 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 $2,160 a year at typical use, higher than 108 of the other 109 California cities we cover.

Ask: "Water here costs about $2,160 a year at typical use, higher than 108 of the other 109 California cities we cover. What drives that cost, and would you change anything?"

2. Sewer and utility-bill fees

The fact: Sewer and flat utility-bill charges here come to about $1,068 a year, higher than 69 of the other 76 California cities we cover. Some cities bill sewer on the property tax bill instead, which is not counted here.

Ask: "Sewer and flat utility-bill charges here cost about $1,068 a year, higher than 69 of the other 76 California cities we cover. What drives that cost, and would you change anything?"

3. Trash

The fact: Trash pickup here costs about $345 a year for the standard cart, lower than 89 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 $345 a year for the standard cart, lower than 89 of the other 101 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 $4,262 a year, higher than 104 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 $4,262 a year for a typical house, higher than 104 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 Seaside house costs

What is the property tax rate in Seaside?

About 1.15% of the value before exemptions a year (2026-27 tax year, Monterey County), plus flat charges on the same bill.

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

About $5,679 a year on $500,000 of the value before exemptions with the homeowners' exemption.

How much is the water bill in Seaside?

About $254 a month for water and sewer at typical use (9 units, or 6,732 gallons a month) on Cal Am Water Company - Monterey.

How much does trash pickup cost in Seaside?

$29 to $43 a month, depending on the trash cart size (32-gal garbage, weekly, 65-gal garbage, weekly, 95-gal garbage, weekly).

Can seniors lower their property tax or bills in Seaside?

Yes. Seniors 65+: utility users' tax exemption: Utility users who are sixty-five years of age or older and responsible for the utility service bills are eligible for exemption from the utility user’s tax.

Where can I get help paying utility bills in Seaside?

Low-income Cal Am customers: water bill discount: Qualifying low-income customers can receive a discount on their bill. Apply with Cal Am for acceptance into the low-income program (tariff Schedule CA-CAP).

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

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