Back to National Overview
State Municipal Index • CA
California Property Tax Drift Index
State Avg Drift Score
58/100
California Municipal Risk Briefing
State Comptroller & US Census Bureau (CA)August 2026
California maintains an average TaxDrift Score of 58/100 across monitored jurisdictions. Overlapping municipal bond issuances and assessment equalization rollbacks determine local millage carrying costs under statutory rules.
Population
38,965,193
Avg Effective Tax Rate
0.8%
Total Tracked Muni Debt
$213.9B
Counties Monitored
10
Statutory Tax Caps & Voter-Approval Rules (CA)
Proposition 13 limits base property tax to 1% and caps annual reassessment increases at 2% until resale.
Audited Counties in California
California County Tax Drift Leaderboard
Showing 10 of 10 Audited Jurisdictions| Rank | Jurisdiction | Risk Tier | Audit | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Alameda County, CA | 60.4 | Elevated | $8,800 | +24.5% | +$2,580/yr | View |
| #2 | San Francisco County, CA | 60.4 | Elevated | $9,600 | +26.0% | +$2,746/yr | View |
| #3 | Los Angeles County, CA | 59.9 | Elevated | $7,800 | +21.2% | +$1,792/yr | View |
| #4 | Riverside County, CA | 59.1 | Elevated | $7,200 | +20.5% | +$1,435/yr | View |
| #5 | Sacramento County, CA | 58.9 | Elevated | $7,100 | +21.0% | +$1,299/yr | View |
| #6 | San Bernardino County, CA | 57.9 | Elevated | $6,900 | +19.8% | +$1,273/yr | View |
| #7 | Contra Costa County, CA | 56.6 | Elevated | $8,200 | +23.0% | +$2,009/yr | View |
| #8 | San Diego County, CA | 56.2 | Elevated | $6,900 | +22.8% | +$1,879/yr | View |
| #9 | Santa Clara County, CA | 55.4 | Elevated | $8,600 | +25.0% | +$3,117/yr | View |
| #10 | Orange County, CA | 55.4 | Elevated | $7,400 | +23.0% | +$2,133/yr | View |