What a Sunnyvale 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.
Assessed at $1,000,000, City of Sunnyvale, typical use.
- Property tax$11,589
1.17% of $1,000,000 assessed value, less the $7,000 homeowners' exemption
- Flat charges on the tax bill$282
Elementary $59 · High school $98 · Valley Water $82 · Mosquito $31 · Bay $12
- Electricity and gas$3,120
450 kWh a month $2,197 · 31 therms $862 · city utility tax $61 · tiered E-1 plan
- Water and sewer$1,863
9 units (CCF) a month on City of Sunnyvale: water $77, sewer $78 a month
- Trash$598
Medium cart, $50 a month
- Home insurance$2,489
Survey median $2,489 · same coverage costs $1,282–$5,226
A Sunnyvale house assessed at $1 million pays about $19,900 a year: $11,870 property tax and charges, $1,860 water and sewer, $600 trash, $3,120 electricity and gas, $2,490 home insurance. Estimated from public rates, not anyone's actual bill.
Water, sewer and garbage: Sunnyvale FY 2026–27 rates (approved June 16, 2026). Electricity and gas: PG&E tariffs, June and Oct 2026. Property tax: 2025–26 county rates. Insurance: what you enter, or the state survey median until you do. Security and internet are on their own pages; they are not in the total yet.
Ways to pay less
One change saves this house about $79 a year:
Switch to the small split cart
$79 a yearSunnyvale charges little extra for bigger carts, so the saving is modest. Extra yard waste can go in your own 32-gal can labeled "Yard Waste" for free, and an extra garbage tag is $6.
How: Call Sunnyvale Utility Billing at 408-730-7400 or email utilitybilling@sunnyvale.ca.gov.
Worth checking
If your household qualifies for PG&E CAREUp to $1,202 a year
CARE cuts electricity 35% plus a $12/mo SV Clean Energy credit, and gas 20%. Sunnyvale has no water or garbage discount, but Sunnyvale Community Services (408-738-4321) helps with city utility bills in a hardship. Income limit: $43,280 for 1–2 people, $66,000 for 4.
How: Apply at pge.com/care. It takes about 5 minutes.
Replace a gas water heater with a heat pump$2,500 – $3,500 rebate
SV Clean Energy pays $2,500 ($3,500 for income-qualified homes), plus a $500 bonus for reservations made by Oct 31, 2026. From 2027, Bay Area rules require replacements to be zero-emission anyway. SVCE estimates $300–400 a year in energy savings.
How: Reserve the rebate before installing: svcleanenergy.org/home-rebates.
Replace a gas furnace with a heat pump$3,000 – $4,500 rebate
SV Clean Energy pays $2,000 ($3,000 income-qualified), and Sunnyvale adds $1,000 ($1,500 income-qualified). Low-income owners can also get a city matching grant up to $5,000 for energy upgrades.
How: Reserve through svcleanenergy.org/home-rebates before installing.
Had a leak? Ask for the leak adjustmentOnce a year
After you fix a leak, Sunnyvale bills the extra water at a reduced rate (about $5.49 a unit instead of $6–7). Once per year, with proof of repair.
How: Call Utility Billing at 408-730-7400.
Compare home insurance quotesUp to $1,207 a year
For the same house and coverage, the state's 2026 survey shows Sunnyvale premiums from $1,282 to $5,226 a year (median $2,489). Also insure the cost to rebuild, not the sale price: land isn't insured.
How: Use the California Department of Insurance premium survey, then call an independent agent. See the Insurance page.
Deduct more property tax on your federal returnBigger federal deduction
The SALT cap rose from $10,000 to $40,000 for 2025 ($40,400 for 2026), so many owners here can itemize again. A deduction saves your tax rate times the extra amount, not the whole amount. It phases down above about $505,000 of income.
How: Tell your tax preparer, or itemize on Schedule A. See the Property tax page.
Use your 2 free bulky pickupsFree
Each pickup takes up to 2 bulky items plus 2 cubic yards. Spring and fall Extra Dumping Weekends at the SMaRT Station are free too.
How: Book at 408-730-7400.
Money dates
- Oct 31in 8 daysLast day for the SV Clean Energy $500 bonus on heat-pump water heater rebates.
- Dec 10in 48 daysFirst property tax installment due. After that: 10% penalty plus $20.
- Feb 15in 115 daysLast day to file the homeowners' exemption for the full year.
- Apr 10Second property tax installment due. Same 10% + $20 penalty.
Who serves this house
- Water
- Depends on your address
- 2 water systems serve Sunnyvale
- Property tax
- 1.17% of assessed value
- Tax rate area 009-000 (the most common here)
- Garbage
- Specialty Solid Waste
- City bills you, every 2 months
- Electricity & gas
- PG&E + SV Clean Energy
- PG&E delivers and bills. SVCE buys the power.
- Schools
- Sunnyvale SD · Fremont Union HSD
- Parcel taxes: $59 + $98
- City utility tax
- 2%
- On electricity, gas and phone
Your water
- Comes from
- North of El Camino: mostly Hetch Hetchy (SFPUC). South: mostly Valley Water treated water. A few city wells in summer.
- Hardness
- Soft to moderate. About 3.5 grains/gal (Hetch Hetchy) or 5.7 (Valley Water). Wells, used in summer peaks, are about 17.
- Disinfectant
- Chloramine. Treat it before using in fish tanks or dialysis.
- PFAS and lead
- No PFAS detected in federal testing. Lead not detected (0 of 51 homes over). The city has no lead service lines.
Go deeper
How these numbers are made
- Individual bills are confidential in California, so we calculate yours from public rates and what you tell us.
- Garbage per month (billed every 2 months): small $43.24 · medium $49.84 · large $57.67, recycling, yard and food scraps included.
- Water: $38.44 meter charge every 2 months, $6.03 per unit for the first 10 units per bill and $7.03 above. Sewer: $155.60 every 2 months.
- Property tax rate 1.1671% (tax rate area 009-000, FY 2025–26), plus a 0.0039% Valley Water charge not shown. Fixed charges: Sunnyvale SD $59, Fremont Union HSD $98, Valley Water $82.41, mosquito control $30.86, Bay restoration $12. No storm or library tax.
- Electricity: PG&E tiered plan E-1 (June 2026), 32.6¢/kWh up to about 297 kWh a month and 40.7¢ above, plus the $24.13 monthly base charge ($6.00 with CARE). SV Clean Energy's default plan costs about the same as PG&E's. Gas: $2.42 per therm up to the seasonal baseline and $2.93 above (Oct 2026), minus the $46.26 yearly climate credit. City utility tax: 2%, with no senior exemption.
- Not yet included: phone (also taxed 2%), solar and other plan comparisons.
- Home insurance starts at the median of 34 insurers in the California Department of Insurance 2026 premium survey for Sunnyvale (policies from May 1, 2026; excludes wildfire surcharges).
- Your tax rate area comes from the county parcel file, and its rate and school districts from the county's 2025–26 tax rate book. School parcel taxes are counted only where your rate area is in that district.
- Nothing here is legal, tax or insurance advice.
Common questions about Sunnyvale house costs
What is the property tax rate in Sunnyvale?
About 1.17% of assessed value a year (2025-26, the most common tax rate area), plus flat charges on the same bill (Elementary $59, High school $98, Valley Water $82, Mosquito $31).
How much is property tax on a $500,000 house in Sunnyvale?
About $6,036 a year on $500,000 of assessed value with the $7,000 homeowners' exemption, including $282 of flat charges.
How much is the water bill in Sunnyvale?
About $155 a month for water and sewer at typical use (9 units, or 6,732 gallons a month) on City of Sunnyvale.
How much does trash pickup cost in Sunnyvale?
$43 to $58 a month, depending on the trash cart size (Small (27 gal garbage side), Medium (43 gal), Large (64 gal)).
When is property tax due in Sunnyvale?
Dec 10: First property tax installment due. After that: 10% penalty plus $20. Apr 10: Second property tax installment due. Same 10% + $20 penalty.
Can seniors lower their property tax or bills in Sunnyvale?
Yes. Senior exemptions from the school parcel taxes ($157 a year): Owners 65 and older who live in the house can stop paying Sunnyvale Elementary ($59) and Fremont Union HSD ($98). SSI/SSDI recipients qualify too.
Where can I get help paying utility bills in Sunnyvale?
Your household qualifies for PG&E CARE: CARE cuts electricity 35% plus a $12/mo SV Clean Energy credit, and gas 20%. Sunnyvale has no water or garbage discount, but Sunnyvale Community Services (408-738-4321) helps with city utility bills in a hardship. Income limit: $43,280 for 1–2 people, $66,000 for 4. Apply at pge.com/care. It takes about 5 minutes.
How much does a house in Sunnyvale cost to run each year?
A Sunnyvale house assessed at $1 million pays about $19,900 a year: $11,870 property tax and charges, $1,860 water and sewer, $600 trash, $3,120 electricity and gas, $2,490 home insurance. Estimated from public rates, not anyone's actual bill.