San Francisco Property Tax Rate: What You Actually Pay
By Danielle Cui · August 8, 2026
San Francisco's secured property tax rate for fiscal year 2025-26 is 1.18268325%. That's the number to multiply your assessed value by — and understanding what makes it up tells you which half of your bill is actually arguable.
Where the rate comes from
Proposition 13 caps the basic property tax at 1% of assessed value. Everything above that 1% is voter-approved debt service — general obligation bonds for schools, transit, parks, affordable housing, and seismic work, plus special district levies.
So San Francisco's rate breaks down roughly as:
| Component | Approximate share |
|---|---|
| Prop 13 base rate | 1.00000% |
| Voter-approved bonds and district levies | ~0.18268% |
| Total, FY 2025-26 | 1.18268325% |
The rate drifts a little each year as bonds are issued and retired. It is set by the Board of Supervisors and Controller based on debt service requirements — not by the Assessor, and not by anything about your individual property.
Calculating your bill
Assessed value × 1.18268325% = annual secured tax.
Some examples:
| Assessed value | Annual tax at 1.18268325% |
|---|---|
| $800,000 | ~$9,461 |
| $1,200,000 | ~$14,192 |
| $1,600,000 | ~$18,923 |
| $2,000,000 | ~$23,654 |
Subtract about $80 if you have the homeowners' exemption, which removes $7,000 from your assessed value. (How to claim it if you haven't.)
Useful rule of thumb in the other direction: every $100,000 of assessed value costs roughly $1,183 a year in San Francisco — which is why appeals are worth real money here. (Sizing a reduction.)
The rate isn't appealable. Your assessed value is.
This is the distinction that matters, and it's where a lot of frustration gets misdirected.
Your bill is rate × assessed value. The Assessment Appeals Board has jurisdiction over exactly one of those:
- The rate — set by voter-approved bonds and debt service. Not appealable. Showing up to a hearing to argue the rate is too high wastes your hearing.
- The assessed value — the Assessor's opinion of what your property is worth. Fully appealable, every single year.
So "my taxes went up 4% but the market went down" usually isn't a rate story at all. It's your assessed value ratcheting up its Prop 13 2% while the market moved the other way, possibly with a bond change on top. (Why assessments don't fall automatically.)
Why SF's rate looks low but bills look high
At 1.18%, San Francisco's rate is unremarkable — plenty of US jurisdictions charge 2% or more. What's remarkable is the base it's applied to. A 1.18% rate on a $1.8M assessed value produces a bigger bill than a 2.5% rate on a $400,000 home.
That has a direct consequence for appeals: because the multiplier is applied to a large number, a modest percentage error in your assessed value is a large dollar error in your bill. A 10% over-assessment on a $1.5M property is about $1,775 a year — every year, compounding as Prop 13 factors the inflated base upward at up to 2% annually.
What to check on your bill
Pull your bill or notice and confirm three things:
- The assessed value — land and improvements, and whether it reflects reality. (How to look it up and audit it.)
- The homeowners' exemption is applied if this is your principal residence.
- Direct charges — these are separate line items, not part of the ad valorem rate. Special assessments, Mello-Roos-style district charges, and city fees appear as flat amounts and aren't reduced by winning a value appeal.
If the assessed value looks high relative to what your property would actually sell for, that gap is the appealable part. San Francisco's filing window is July 2 – September 15 with a $120 fee. (Step-by-step.)
CompFinder checks the value side for you: enter your address and get comparable sales near the January 1 lien date with the analysis an appeal needs.
Frequently asked questions
What is the San Francisco property tax rate?
The secured property tax rate for fiscal year 2025-26 is 1.18268325% of assessed value. That's the 1% Proposition 13 base rate plus roughly 0.18% in voter-approved bond debt service and district levies. The rate shifts slightly each year as bonds are issued and retired.
How do I calculate my San Francisco property tax?
Multiply your assessed value by 1.18268325%. A $1,200,000 assessed value produces roughly $14,192 a year. Subtract about $80 if you have the homeowners' exemption, and add any direct charges, which are flat line items rather than a percentage.
Can I appeal the San Francisco property tax rate?
No. The rate reflects the Prop 13 base plus voter-approved bond debt service, and the Assessment Appeals Board has no jurisdiction over it. You can only appeal your assessed value — which is the other half of the calculation and is appealable every year.
Why is my SF property tax bill so high if the rate is only 1.18%?
Because of the base it's applied to. San Francisco's rate is ordinary by national standards, but assessed values are high, so the same percentage produces a much larger bill — and a modest over-assessment translates into a large dollar overpayment.
What are the direct charges on my SF property tax bill?
Flat-dollar line items separate from the ad valorem rate, such as special assessments and city service charges. They aren't calculated from your assessed value, so reducing your assessment through an appeal doesn't reduce them.