South San Francisco, CA · Updated Oct 2026

What a South San Francisco 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 South San Francisco house

$19,193a year · $1,599 a month

Starts at the typical market value, $1,188,800; your assessed value is often lower. Typical use.

Shopping for home insurance?

Insurers charge very different prices for the same house and coverage. California's free premium survey lists each insurer's price.

Compare insurers' prices

A South San Francisco house at the typical market value ($1,188,800) costs about $19,200 a year: $13,570 property tax and charges, $720 water, $550 trash, $2,870 electricity and gas, $1,490 home insurance. Estimated from public rates, not anyone's actual bill.

Rates checked Oct 28, 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 20-gallon cartUp to $87 a year
Your cart costs $46 a month; the smallest costs $39. Worth it if you rarely fill it.
How: For questions about service levels, billing or cart selection, contact South San Francisco Scavenger at (650) 589-4020.
Low-income households: sewer rebate$76 a year
Customers enrolled in or meeting the income criteria of California Water Service's Customer Assistance Program are eligible for a sewer rate rebate from the City. The rebate is currently $76 per year.
How: For more information, visit the City's website or call 650-877-8550.
100% disabled veterans: property tax exemptionUp to $180,671 off assessed value (2026)
Veterans rated 100% disabled (or partially disabled and unemployable), or their unmarried surviving spouses, can get a basic exemption of up to $180,671 for lien date 2026; with household income up to $81,131 the low-income exemption is up to $271,009.
How: See the San Mateo County Assessor's Disabled Veterans' Exemption page.

Adjust to match your bills

What you knowTrash cartThe monthly rate is set by the size of your cart.

Value before exemptionsEnter the assessed value from your tax bill: under Prop 13 it is often far below market value. The sewer charge is the City's maximum proposed 2026-27 rate. Other South San Francisco tax rate areas have slightly different bond rates (for example 013-001 adds a county library bond).

I live here and have the Homeowners' exemption

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 South San Francisco house uses about 6.

Electricity, kWh a month

On your PG&E delivery with WestLight Energy ECOplus generation bill. An electric car adds about 300 kWh.

Gas, therms a month (yearly average)

Money dates

Nov 30in 26 daysLast day to file an appeal of an annual assessment with the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors (the filing period is July 2 to November 30).
Dec 10in 36 daysLast day to pay the first installment of secured property taxes.
Feb 15in 103 daysDeadline for first-time homeowners' exemption claims to get the full exemption for the year.
Apr 10Last day to pay the second installment of secured property taxes.

Who serves this house

Water: California Water Service, South San Francisco; Cal Water's new CPUC-approved Bayshore rates, expected to take effect July 1, 2026: a monthly service charge of $34.47 for a 5/8" x 3/4" meter, plus $4.2083 per Ccf for 1-6 Ccf, $16.8152 for 7-9 Ccf, $21.0842 for 10-13 Ccf and $25.2184 above 13 Ccf.
Property tax: 1.07% of value; 2025-26 tax rates, San Mateo County (South San Francisco tax rate area 013-002); 2026-27 flat charges
Garbage: South San Francisco Scavenger; Billed by the hauler every quarter (every three months).
Sewer: City of South San Francisco; The city collects sewer charges through the San Mateo County property tax rolls.
Electricity: WestLight Energy generation, PG&E delivery; South San Francisco joined WestLight Energy (formerly Peninsula Clean Energy) in 2016; PG&E delivers the power.
Gas: PG&E; South San Francisco (94080, 94083) is in PG&E's gas service territory.
Schools: South San Francisco Unified School District; Its bonds and the San Mateo County Community College District bonds are part of the tax rate.

Pay or manage your bills

Your water

Source: Cal Water used a combination of local groundwater and surface water purchased from the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) in 2025.
Hardness: Total hardness in 2025: groundwater 287–461 ppm (average 384); SFPUC water 8.1–112 ppm (average 62).

Other CA cities

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How these numbers are made

Garbage: South San Francisco Scavenger's residential rates page (updated July 2026), monthly rate by cart size; the hauler invoices every quarter (3 x the monthly rate).
Water: Cal Water's Bayshore rates from the CPUC-approved notice to customers (expected July 1, 2026): $34.47 monthly service charge, tiers 1-6, 7-9, 10-13 and over 13 Ccf a month. The page starts at 6 Ccf a month, the median monthly use Cal Water states for a residential customer. A small part of the city may be served by other water systems.
Sewer: the City's page shows a maximum proposed single-unit rate of $72.00 a month from July 1, 2026, collected on the property tax bill; we use 12 x $72.00 = $864 a year. We could not confirm the final adopted figure, so the actual charge may be lower.
Property tax: San Mateo County 2025-26 rates for tax rate area 013-002 (1% general tax, South San Francisco Unified bonds 0.0538%, community college bonds 0.0180%: 1.0718% in all), less the $7,000 homeowners' exemption. We could not check which tax rate area has the most homes; other areas differ slightly. Flat 2026-27 charges counted: mosquito and disease control $26.80 and Bay Restoration Measure AA $12. School parcel taxes or other direct charges on individual bills, if any, are not included.
Energy: WestLight Energy ECOplus generation plus PG&E delivery for electricity (monthly use 374 kWh, joint rate comparison) and PG&E Schedule G-1 for gas, as in the neighboring San Mateo County pilot pages; no city-level tax is added to the energy bills.
Insurance is the California statewide average (2022), not specific to South San Francisco.
Sewer: the $72 figure is the maximum proposed rate; adoption of the 2026-27 figure was not confirmed, so the actual charge may be lower.
Nothing here is legal, tax or insurance advice.

Sources

How South San Francisco compares

A typical South San Francisco house against the 285 California cities we cover, using the same default numbers as the total above.

Per year	South San Francisco	Median	Where it falls
Property tax rate	1.07%	1.13%	lower than 242 of the other 284 California cities we cover
Water	$717	$927	lower than 207 of the other 284 California cities we cover
Trash	$549	$452	higher than 189 of the other 267 California cities we cover
Electricity and gas	$2,866	$3,421	lower than 233 of the other 284 California cities we cover
Home insurance	$1,492	$1,492	lower than 1 of the other 272 California cities we cover
Total	$19,193	$14,432	higher than 231 of the other 284 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: South San Francisco's property tax rate is 1.07%, lower than 242 of the other 284 California cities we cover. The rate adds up every agency on the bill, not only the city.

Ask: "Property tax in South San Francisco is 1.07%, lower than 242 of the other 284 California cities we cover. What should that money pay for first, and would you change anything about how it is set?"

2. Electricity and gas

The fact: Electricity and gas for a typical house here cost about $2,866 a year, lower than 233 of the other 284 California cities we cover. Rates are set mostly by the utility and the state.

Ask: "Electricity and gas here cost about $2,866 a year for a typical house, lower than 233 of the other 284 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 South San Francisco house costs

What is the property tax rate in South San Francisco?

About 1.07% of the value before exemptions a year (2025-26 tax rates, San Mateo County (South San Francisco tax rate area 013-002); 2026-27 flat charges), plus flat charges on the same bill (Sewer $864, Mosquito and disease control assessment (Zone A) $27, SF Bay Restoration Authority parcel tax (Measure AA) $12).

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

About $6,187 a year on $500,000 of the value before exemptions with the homeowners' exemption, including $903 of flat charges.

How much is the water bill in South San Francisco?

About $60 a month for water at typical use (6 units, or 4,488 gallons a month) on California Water Service, South San Francisco.

How much does trash pickup cost in South San Francisco?

$39 to $158 a month, depending on the trash cart size (20-gallon, 32-gallon, 64-gallon, 96-gallon).

Where can I get help paying utility bills in South San Francisco?

Low-income households: sewer rebate: Customers enrolled in or meeting the income criteria of California Water Service's Customer Assistance Program are eligible for a sewer rate rebate from the City. The rebate is currently $76 per year. For more information, visit the City's website or call 650-877-8550.

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

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