The sales tax rate in the 95616 zip code is 9.25 percent. That covers most of Davis, California, in Yolo County, and it applies to nearly every retail purchase of physical goods within the city.1California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. California City and County Sales and Use Tax Rates
Zip code boundaries and tax district boundaries don’t always match exactly. For almost every address in 95616 the rate is 9.25 percent, but if you need certainty for a specific street address, the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) runs an address lookup tool that returns the precise rate.2California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. Find a Sales and Use Tax Rate
How the 9.25 Percent Breaks Down
The rate is stacked from two layers. California’s statewide base rate is 7.25 percent and applies everywhere in the state. Of that, 1.25 percent is the local share, with 0.25 percent earmarked for county transportation and 1.00 percent going to the city or county where the sale occurs.3California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. Detailed Description of the Sales and Use Tax Rate
On top of that, Davis voters have approved a city transactions and use tax of 2.00 percent. In November 2024, Measure Q doubled the city’s local rate from 1.00 percent to 2.00 percent. Revenue from Measure Q funds city services including public safety, road maintenance, and homelessness programs, and generates roughly $11 million per year.4City of Davis. November 5, 2024 General Municipal Election
7.25 percent statewide plus 2.00 percent local equals the 9.25 percent you pay at the register in Davis.
What Gets Taxed in 95616
The 9.25 percent applies to tangible personal property: physical goods you can pick up, weigh, or measure. Clothing, electronics, furniture, household goods, and motor vehicles are all taxable.
California exempts several categories from sales tax:
- Most groceries bought for home consumption, including produce, dairy, meat, bread, cereal, and canned goods. Hot prepared food, food sold with utensils, and carbonated beverages don’t get the exemption.5California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. Sales and Use Tax Regulations – Article 8
- Prescription medicine. Over-the-counter drugs like aspirin and cough syrup are still taxable.6California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. Tax Guide for Grocery Stores
- Certain medical devices, including prosthetics and orthopedic devices prescribed by a physician.
The grocery line trips people up most often. A cold sandwich from a deli case is generally exempt; the same sandwich heated up and handed to you with a napkin and fork is taxable.
Deliveries and Online Orders
California uses destination-based sourcing for district taxes on delivered goods. When something ships to your address in 95616, you owe the Davis rate of 9.25 percent regardless of where the seller is located. The tax follows where you receive the item, not where the warehouse sits.7California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. District Taxes (Sales and Use Taxes)
Sellers outside Davis who regularly deliver into the city are required to collect the district use tax. A retailer using its own vehicles to deliver is automatically treated as engaged in business in the district. For sellers shipping through common carriers like UPS or FedEx, that obligation kicks in once their sales of tangible personal property into California exceed $500,000 in the preceding or current calendar year.7California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. District Taxes (Sales and Use Taxes)
When You Owe Use Tax Instead
If you buy something from a seller who doesn’t collect California sales tax and you use the item in Davis, you owe use tax at the same 9.25 percent rate. This shows up most often with purchases from small out-of-state retailers, private-party sales, and items bought while traveling in states with lower or no sales tax.
You can report and pay use tax directly on your California income tax return using the worksheet in the instructions. The CDTFA also publishes a lookup table that estimates use tax by income bracket if you’d rather not track every purchase.8California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. California Use Tax, Good for You. Good for California Vehicles, vessels, and aircraft are the exception: use tax on those goes directly to the CDTFA rather than through your income tax return.
Most people owe little use tax now because major online retailers collect California sales tax automatically. But regular purchases from smaller sellers, or large private-party buys, can add up.
Watching for Rate Changes
California sales tax rates change more often than people expect. District taxes are approved and repealed by local voters, and the CDTFA updates its rate tables twice a year, on January 1 and April 1. The jump in Davis from 8.25 percent to 9.25 percent after Measure Q passed in late 2024 is a recent example.4City of Davis. November 5, 2024 General Municipal Election
If you sell in 95616, check the CDTFA rate lookup at the start of each quarter. Collecting at the old rate after a change has taken effect means you’ll owe the difference out of pocket.9California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. California City and County Sales and Use Tax Rate Information