Where your property tax goes
None of it goes to the federal government. Most of it pays for schools and the county. Sunnyvale the city gets about 13 cents of each dollar of the 1% base tax, and property tax is half of the city's whole general fund.
Last checked Oct 20, 2026 · Tax rates FY 2025–26 (the 2026–27 rate book is usually published in November) · Fixed charges FY 2026–27
The 1% base tax
Every California property pays 1% of its assessed value. Sunnyvale receives about 13¢ of each dollar of it, almost twice Cupertino's 7¢. The rest goes to schools, the county, the state's school fund (ERAF) and special districts. We don't yet have the exact split for Sunnyvale's tax rate area: the county's lookup tool blocks automated access.
Of each dollar of the 1%. About $1,300 a year on a $1M home.
$146.3M of the $291.6M general fund in 2026–27. Sales tax is 15%, hotel tax 7.5%, utility users' tax 3.8%.
The extra 0.17%: voter-approved bonds and levies
| Line on your bill (tax rate area 009-000) | Rate | On $1M |
|---|---|---|
| Sunnyvale Elementary bonds (2004, 2013, 2018, 2024) | 0.0433% | $433 |
| Fremont Union High School bonds (2008, 2014, 2018, 2022) | 0.0417% | $417 |
| County retirement levy (county pensions) | 0.0388% | $388 |
| Foothill–De Anza college bonds (1999, 2006, 2020) | 0.0311% | $311 |
| County housing bond (2016 Measure A) | 0.0056% | $56 |
| County hospital (VMC) bond, 2008 | 0.0052% | $52 |
| Midpeninsula Open Space bond, 2014 | 0.0014% | $14 |
| Total with the 1% | 1.1671% | $11,671 |
Plus a Valley Water state water project charge of 0.0039% (about $39 on $1M). Sunnyvale has no city bond on the bill: a $290M library bond (Measure E, 2024) got 58% of the vote but needed two-thirds.
Flat charges on the same bill
| Charge (2026–27) | Goes to | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| High school parcel tax | Fremont Union HSD | $98.00 |
| Safe, Clean Water tax | Valley Water | $82.41 |
| Elementary parcel tax (Measure Y) | Sunnyvale School District | $59.00 |
| Mosquito and vector control | County | $30.86 |
| Bay restoration (Measure AA) | SF Bay Restoration Authority | $12.00 |
| Total | ~$282 |
Much lower than Cupertino's ~$1,145 because Sunnyvale bills sewer on the city utility bill, pays for storm drains from its general fund, and runs its own library. About a third of Sunnyvale homes are in Cupertino Union or Santa Clara Unified instead of Sunnyvale SD, with different school lines.
Why your neighbor pays a very different amount
Under Prop 13, a home is assessed at its purchase price, then can rise at most 2% a year until it sells. A recent buyer of a $2 million house pays about $23,000 a year; a long-time owner next door may pay a few thousand. Sunnyvale's assessed values grew 7.17% this year, the fastest in the county, mostly from sales and new construction.
How to pay less
Federal deduction: the SALT cap is now $40,000
Often $5,000+ a yearFrom 2025 you can deduct up to $40,000 of state and local taxes on your federal return, up from $10,000. It's $40,400 for 2026, phases down above about $505,000 of income and returns to $10,000 in 2030.
Seniors: stop paying both school parcel taxes
$157 a yearOwners 65+ who live in the house (or on SSI/SSDI) can be exempted from Fremont Union HSD ($98) and Sunnyvale Elementary ($59). Existing Sunnyvale SD exemptions carry over.
How: Fremont Union at fuhsd.org by June 30, 2027 (refunds for this year too). Sunnyvale SD at 408-522-8200.
Homeowners' exemption
~$82 a year$7,000 off your assessed value if you live in the house on January 1. Lost when the house is put into a trust or re-deeded.
How: form BOE-266 to the County Assessor by Feb 15.
Low-income seniors: Valley Water exemption
$82 a yearBorn before June 30, 1962, 2025 household income below $75,112. Apply April 15 to June 30, once.
Disabled veterans
$2,100–$3,150 a year$180,671 off assessed value in 2026, or $271,009 with household income of $81,131 or less.
Value review and postponement
Bought near the 2022 peak? Ask for a Prop 8 review (2026 window June 30 to Aug 8; appeals July 2 to Sept 15). Seniors 62+ with limited income can postpone property tax through the State Controller.
Facts are checked against the public sources listed on each page. Rates change every year; each page shows when it was last checked. Individual bills are confidential in California, so personal numbers are estimates from public rates. Nothing here is legal, tax or insurance advice.