Santa Cruz County
Home > California > Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz County, California
701 Ocean Street
Room 520
Santa Cruz, California 95060
Tel: 831-454-2100
Fax: 831-454-3420
County Website: Santa Cruz county
Assessor Website: Santa Cruz county assessor
Santa Cruz County Property Assessment Adjustment Instructions
- Unresolved differences between the Assessor and the taxpayer over the valuation of property are handled by the Assessment Appeals Board.
- They consider all evidence presented and determines the value of the property in question.
- Appeals of regular assessment must be filed between July 2 and November 30.
- Appeals of supplemental assessments must be filed within 60 days of the supplemental notice date.
- All appeal applications must be filed with Clerk of the Board, Room 500, 701 Ocean Street, Santa Cruz 95060
- If you disagree with your property tax assessment, you have the right to file an Assessment Appeal.
- Valid applications that are submitted timely will be scheduled for hearing before the Assessment Appeals Board
- Applications must be filed for each assessment that you do not agree with (per Assessor Parcel Number or Assessor Account Number).
URLs
Here's how to lower your property taxes in Santa Cruz county
Contact the county assessor
Contact the Santa Cruz county tax assessor's office and ask for a review of the property's value. Visit the Santa Cruz county assessor's website to find the phone number to call. If the assessor determines that your property is worth less than the value on which your taxes are based, your property taxes may be lowered.
Tax exemptions
Start by finding what your tax bill is. Typically you will find your tax bill information on your mortgage statement. Look for tax exemptions or credits that you may be eligible for. Many states and localities offer exemptions or credits for homeowners who meet certain criteria, information such as being over a certain age or having a low income. Santa Cruz county may have these types of exemptions available for homeowners. These exemptions and credits can lower the property tax you owe.
Appeal tax assessment
Appeal the property tax assessment. If you believe that your property's value has been overestimated, you can typically appeal the assessment to your Santa Cruz county tax assessor's office. This is part of the services that your assessor's office provides. You will need to provide evidence to support your claim, such as a recent appraisal or sales data for comparable properties and homes in your area. Usually, you will meet with the Board of Equalization. If your appeal is successful, your property taxes may be lowered.
Challenge the tax rate
Consider challenging the tax rate. In some cases, the amount of property taxes you owe is not based on the value of your property, but on the tax rate set by your local government. If you believe that the tax rate is too high, you can contact your Santa Cruz county government and ask them to consider reducing it.
Property Tax Rules
Stay up-to-date on your property's value and property tax rules. For the purpose of lowering your Santa Cruz county property tax, property value is the assessed property value and not the market property value. Assessed property value is used for taxation purposes while market property value is what a buyer and seller would likely agree on. Typically the assessed value is lower than the market value. Your property's value can change over time due to a variety of factors, such as changes in the local real estate market or improvements you make to your property. To ensure that your property taxes are accurate and fair, it is important to stay informed about your property's value and contact Santa Cruz county local tax assessor's office if you believe there has been a significant change.
Keep in mind that property tax laws and regulations can vary, so it is important to consult with your Santa Cruz county California tax assessor's office for specific information about how to reduce your property taxes.
About Santa Cruz County
Homes in Santa Cruz county have a median home value of $782,976.
Santa Cruz county home values are ranked 6 out of 58 counties in the state of California for median home price. The average median home value in California is $342,213. Modoc county has the lowest median price at $154,850. San Mateo county has the highest median price at $1,162,670.
Compared to the rest of the United States, Santa Cruz county homes have a median home value that is above the national median value of $130,626 by ~499%.
The median household income in Santa Cruz county is $89,986.
Compared to the state of California and the United States, Santa Cruz county's median household income is higher than the state of California's average median household income of $71,109 and the United States average median household income of $54,172.
Santa Cruz county's population has grown from 229,734 in 1990 to 270,861 in 2020, an increase of 18% over that time frame.
For comparison, the state of California's population has grown from 29,811,427 in 1990 to 39,538,223 in 2020, an increase of 33% over that time frame.
In the United States, the population has grown from 248,790,925 in 1990 to 331,449,281 in 2020, an increase of 33% over that time frame.
Santa Cruz county's population change from 1990 to 2020 is less than the population change for California and the United States.
Santa Cruz County California Cities
Aptos, Ben Lomond, Boulder Creek, Brookdale, Capitola, Davenport, Felton, Freedom, La Selva Beach, Mount Hermon, Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley, Soquel
Santa Cruz County California Zipcodes
95003 / 95005 / 95006 / 95007 / 95010 / 95017 / 95018 / 95019 / 95041 / 95060 / 95062 / 95064 / 95065 / 95066 / 95073 / 95076 /
California Counties
Alameda / Alpine / Amador / Butte / Calaveras / Colusa / Contra Costa / Del Norte / El Dorado / Fresno / Glenn / Humboldt / Imperial / Inyo / Kern / Kings / Lake / Lassen / Los Angeles / Madera / Marin / Mariposa / Mendocino / Merced / Modoc / Mono / Monterey / Napa / Nevada / Orange / Placer / Plumas / Riverside / Sacramento / San Benito / San Bernardino / San Diego / San Francisco / San Joaquin / San Luis Obispo / San Mateo / Santa Barbara / Santa Clara / Santa Cruz / Shasta / Sierra / Siskiyou / Solano / Sonoma / Stanislaus / Sutter / Tehama / Trinity / Tulare / Tuolumne / Ventura / Yolo / Yuba
States
Alabama / Alaska / Arizona / Arkansas / California / Colorado / Connecticut / Delaware / Florida / Georgia / Hawaii / Idaho / Illinois / Indiana / Iowa / Kansas / Kentucky / Louisiana / Maine / Maryland / Massachusetts / Michigan / Minnesota / Mississippi / Missouri / Montana / Nebraska / Nevada / New Hampshire / New Jersey / New Mexico / New York / North Carolina / North Dakota / Ohio / Oklahoma / Oregon / Pennsylvania / Rhode Island / South Carolina / South Dakota / Tennessee / Texas / Utah / Vermont / Virginia / Washington / West Virginia / Wisconsin / Wyoming