South Pasadena, CA · Updated Oct 2026

What a South Pasadena 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 South Pasadena house

$17,462a year · $1,455 a month

Starts at $868,383 of value before exemptions. Typical use.

Property tax$9,388
1.090% of $868,383, less $7,000 homeowners' exemption
Flat charges on the tax bill$574
LA County Measure W Safe Clean Water tax (median single-family parcel) $80 · South Pasadena Unified School District parcel tax (Measure S, $474 base rate adjusted yearly for inflation) $474 · San Gabriel Valley Mosquito and Vector Control assessment $20
Electricity and gas$3,900
523 kWh a month $2,801 · 35 therms $827 · city utility tax $272
Water and sewer$1,259
9 units (CCF) a month on City of South Pasadena: water $82, sewer $15, city utility tax $7 a month
Trash$849
One unit: up to seven 32-gallon barrels provided (mix of black, blue and green), once-a-week collection, $71 a month
Home insurance$1,492
Typical premium $1,492

A typical South Pasadena house pays about $17,500 a year: $9,960 property tax and charges, $1,260 water and sewer, $850 trash, $3,900 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:

Low-income seniors over 62: Safe, Clean Water parcel tax exemption
Owners over 62 who live in the home and head a low-income household can apply for an exemption from the Safe, Clean Water Program special parcel tax; the FY 2027-28 limit is $106,600 for a 2-person household.
How: Submit the claim form to the Safe, Clean Water Program by May 1 each year; call 833-275-7297.

Adjust to match your bills

What you know

Value before exemptionsUnder Prop 13 your assessed value starts at your purchase price and can rise at most 2% a year, so it is often far below market: use the assessed value on your tax 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, 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 Clean Power Alliance generation with SCE delivery bill. An electric car adds about 300 kWh.

Gas, therms a month (yearly average)

Money dates

Nov 30, 2026in 38 daysLast day to file a 2026 regular assessment appeal in LA County (filing runs July 2 to November 30).
Dec 10in 48 daysFirst property tax installment (due Nov 1) is delinquent after Dec 10; a 10% penalty applies to each installment.
Feb 15in 115 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 South Pasadena; City's posted calendar year 2023 water rates: Tier 1 $3.75, Tier 2 $4.72, Tier 3 $5.53, and a $94.28 meter service charge for a 3/4-inch meter. The page does not state the rate units or the meter charge's billing period; the page also lists a 14-cent efficiency fee, not included here.
Property tax: 1.09% of value; 2026-27 tax year, Los Angeles County
Garbage: Athens Services; The City of South Pasadena contracts with Athens Services for waste collection services.
Electricity: Clean Power Alliance (generation) and SCE (delivery); Clean Power Alliance purchases clean power and Southern California Edison (SCE) will deliver it.

Pay or manage your bills

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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.
Property tax: tax rate area 09030 holds 3,562 of South Pasadena's 4,172 single-family parcels (LA County parcel data). The county's 2026-27 rate file for that area lists the 1% levy, South Pasadena USD bonds (0.077981%, the sum of four bond lines), Pasadena Area Community College District bonds (0.011929%, three lines) and a Metropolitan Water District line of 0.0085% that we could not source from the resolution, so it is not included (about $70 a year at the median value). The $7,000 homeowners' exemption comes off the value you enter.
Flat charges: Measure W's median $80.48 for South Pasadena single-family parcels, the school parcel tax at its $474 base from the 2023 measure (the 2026-27 inflation-adjusted amount could not be sourced, so the real bill is somewhat higher), and the $20 mosquito assessment. Not included: other city or district charges that vary by parcel.
Trash: Athens Services' $70.71 monthly rate for one single-family unit, effective August 1, 2025 and unchanged by the waived July 2025 and 2026 increases. Who bills it was not stated in a quotable source. Water and sewer: the city's own page labels its posted rates calendar year 2023; a newer schedule could not be found. Water units are assumed to be CCF and the $94.28 meter charge is assumed bi-monthly like the page's tier allocation table (15 and 30 per bi-month, halved to 7.5 and 15); the page states neither, so confirm with Finance at (626) 403-7250. The page also lists a $0.14 efficiency fee (no unit stated) that is not included, and a $2.00 waste water discharge line that is not included (the page's sewer section prices commercial flow per HCF, and we could not confirm it applies to homes). The page's own text says its charges were scheduled to rise through 2022, so the 2023 schedule may be out of date. Utility users tax: the city's Finance page lists a 7.5% tax on electricity, gas and water (low-income exemption available); it is added to the electric, gas, water and sewer totals at 7.5% (not applied to the low-income exemption). The school parcel tax is the 2023 base amount, and the metropolitan water line is excluded as above. The insurance average is a 2022 state figure; other sources put California premiums at different levels, and a Los Angeles-area home may pay more.
Electricity: South Pasadena defaults to Clean Power Alliance 100% Green Power ($0.40019 per kWh) plus SCE's $24.15 monthly Base Services Charge; customers can opt out to SCE. Gas: SoCalGas's August 2026 average non-CARE bill ($68.91 at 35 therms), taken as including a $0.16-a-day charge. Insurance starts at the 2022 California average.
Nothing here is legal, tax or insurance advice.

Sources

Common questions about South Pasadena house costs

What is the property tax rate in South Pasadena?

About 1.09% of the value before exemptions a year (2026-27 tax year, Los Angeles County), plus flat charges on the same bill (LA County Measure W Safe Clean Water tax (median single-family parcel) $80, South Pasadena Unified School District parcel tax (Measure S, $474 base rate adjusted yearly for inflation) $474, San Gabriel Valley Mosquito and Vector Control assessment $20).

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

About $5,948 a year on $500,000 of the value before exemptions with the homeowners' exemption, including $574 of flat charges.

How much is the water bill in South Pasadena?

About $98 a month for water and sewer at typical use (9 units, or 6,732 gallons a month) on City of South Pasadena.

How much does trash pickup cost in South Pasadena?

$71 a month for a house.

When is property tax due in South Pasadena?

Dec 10: First property tax installment (due Nov 1) is delinquent after Dec 10; a 10% penalty applies to each installment. 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 South Pasadena?

Yes. Low-income seniors over 62: Safe, Clean Water parcel tax exemption: Owners over 62 who live in the home and head a low-income household can apply for an exemption from the Safe, Clean Water Program special parcel tax; the FY 2027-28 limit is $106,600 for a 2-person household.

Where can I get help paying utility bills in South Pasadena?

Low-income seniors over 62: Safe, Clean Water parcel tax exemption: Owners over 62 who live in the home and head a low-income household can apply for an exemption from the Safe, Clean Water Program special parcel tax; the FY 2027-28 limit is $106,600 for a 2-person household. Submit the claim form to the Safe, Clean Water Program by May 1 each year; call 833-275-7297.

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

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