Overview of Orange County, CA Taxes
Orange County is the one of the most densely populated counties in the state of California. It’s also one of the richest counties in the nation. The average effective property tax rate in Orange County is 0.79%, while the median annual property tax bill is $5,588.
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To calculate the exact amount of property tax you will owe requires your property's assessed value and the property tax rates based on your property's address. Please note that we can only estimate your property tax based on median property taxes in your area. There are typically multiple rates in a given area, because your state, county, local schools and emergency responders each receive funding partly through these taxes. In our calculator, we take your home value and multiply that by your county's effective property tax rate. This is equal to the median property tax paid as a percentage of the median home value in your county.
To calculate the exact amount of property tax you will owe requires your property's assessed value and the property tax rates based on your property's address. Please note that we can only estimate your property tax based on median property taxes in your area. There are typically multiple rates in a given area, because your state, county, local schools and emergency responders each receive funding partly through these taxes. In our calculator, we take your home value and multiply that by your county's effective property tax rate. This is equal to the median property tax paid as a percentage of the median home value in your county.
Orange County Property Tax Rates
The median home value in Orange County, is $703,800 and the median property tax payment is $5,588.
The revenue generated from Orange County property taxes is needed to provide funding for schools, public libraries and other local projects and initiatives.
In California, your property tax rate may differ depending on whether your property is secured or unsecured. Secured property generally refers to any property that can be used as collateral, like land and mines. In other words, if a homeowner or business owner fails to pay his or her secured property taxes, they can be paid when the property is sold. That’s not the case with unsecured property (like office equipment, boats and airplanes) since it isn’t considered real estate.
A financial advisor can help you understand how homeownership fits into your overall financial goals. SmartAsset's free tool matches you with up to three vetted financial advisors who serve your area, and you can interview your advisor matches at no cost to decide which one is right for you. If you’re ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.
Orange County Property Tax Breaks
Looking for a way to lower your property tax bill? If you own a home, you may be eligible for a homeowners’ exemption. Orange County residents can qualify for the exemption if they own and occupy a property that serves as their primary residence on Jan. 1 of any given tax year.
If you qualify for the full exemption, $7,000 of your home’s value will be exempt from taxation. If you don’t own and occupy a primary residence on January 1, you may qualify for a partial exemption (equal to $5,600) if you file a claim with the Orange County treasurer-tax collector by December 10. Filing a claim by February 15 will ensure that you receive your full exemption the following tax year.
Another tax-saving program allows senior citizens and blind and disabled individuals to postpone the payment of property taxes on their primary residence. To qualify, your annual household income must be $49,017 or less and you must have at least 40% equity in your home.
Senior citizens may also save money on property taxes through Propositions 60 and 90, which allow them to transfer the base value of a former residence to another residence as long as they follow certain rules. For example, the new property must be of equal or lesser value than the first home. In Orange County, seniors can take advantage of these property tax benefits even when their replacement home is located in another county in California.
If you have questions about how property taxes can affect your overall financial plans, a financial advisor in Newport Beach can help you out.
Paying Your Orange County Property Taxes
The Orange County tax collector prepares tax bills for secured properties and mails them out between September and October each year. You can also find your property tax bill online by visiting ocgov.com/octaxbill.
Secured property taxes are paid in two installments. The first installment is due on November 1, and the second installment is due the following year on February 1. If the payment for your secured property taxes isn’t postmarked by its deadline (December 10 for the first installment and April 10 for the second installment), your taxes become delinquent and you’ll face a 10% penalty. You’ll also be required to pay a $23 collection fee if you miss the deadline on April 10.
Unsecured property tax bills are mailed out by July 31. Tax payments are due in full and must be postmarked by August 31. If you miss this deadline, you’ll get hit with a 10% penalty and a $75 collection fee. If you’re afraid that your secured property or unsecured property tax payment might be late, you can sign up for a free email reminder service.
Note that by failing to pay your unsecured property taxes, you may end up with a tax lien. Before this happens, you’ll receive a notice of the county’s intent to enforce collections. In the worst case scenario, you could face a lawsuit for not paying the unsecured property taxes that you owe. Your bank account or your unsecured property could be seized as well.
There are multiple ways to pay your property tax bill. You can mail in your payment or pay your bill online. While it’s free to pay with an e-check or through an online banking system, you’ll incur a 2.3% fee if you pay with a credit card. You can also pay online through the Automated Clearing House (ACH) or in person by visiting the Office of the Tax Collector located in the Hall of Finance in Santa Ana.
Places Receiving the Most Value for Their Property Taxes
SmartAsset’s interactive map highlights the places across the country where property tax dollars are being spent most effectively. Zoom between states and the national map to see the counties getting the biggest bang for their property tax buck.
Methodology
Our study aims to find the places in the United States where people are getting the most value for their property tax dollars. To do this, we looked at property taxes paid, school rankings and the change in property values over a five-year period.
First, we used the number of households, median home value and average property tax rate to calculate a per capita property tax collected for each county.
As a way to measure the quality of schools, we analyzed the math and reading/language arts proficiencies for every school district in the country. We created an average score for each district by looking at the scores for every school in that district, weighting it to account for the number of students in each school. Within each state, we assigned every county a score between 1 and 10 (with 10 being the best) based on the average scores of the districts in each county.
Then, we calculated the change in property tax value in each county over a five-year period. Places where property values rose by the greatest amount indicated where consumers were motivated to buy homes, and a positive return on investment for homeowners in the community.
Finally, we calculated a property tax index, based on the criteria above. Counties with the highest scores were those where property tax dollars are going the furthest.
Sources: US Census Bureau 2018 American Community Survey, Department of Education
