Property tax in Campbell, California starts at the 1% base rate set by Proposition 13, then climbs with voter-approved bond measures and flat special assessments that vary by parcel. Most Campbell homeowners end up paying somewhere a little above 1% of their assessed value, plus a handful of fixed charges. The exact figure depends on which tax rate area your parcel sits in, because Campbell overlaps several school and special districts. The Santa Clara County Controller publishes a Property Tax Rate Book each fiscal year with the precise rate for every tax rate area in the county.1Santa Clara County Controller. Property Tax Rate Book
The 1% Base Rate
Every property in California pays a 1% ad valorem tax on its assessed value. That rate was locked in by Proposition 13 in 1978, which added Article XIII A to the California Constitution.2California State Board of Equalization. Publication 800-10 Information Sheet On a Campbell home assessed at $900,000, the base levy alone is $9,000 a year.
Revenue from the 1% general levy gets divided among many agencies in the county, including the city of Campbell, Santa Clara County government, and local school districts, under a formula set by the Revenue and Taxation Code.3County of Santa Clara. Property Tax Dollars You don’t choose how the pie is sliced; your bill shows a single 1% line and the county handles the rest.
Bonds That Push the Rate Above 1%
The line items above 1% on a Campbell bill are almost always voter-approved school bonds. The Campbell Union School District has approved bonds with a levy of $30 per $100,000 of assessed value for K–8 school repairs and upgrades.4Campbell Union School District. School Bonds The Campbell Union High School District’s Measure P, approved in November 2024, added another $24 per $100,000 of assessed value to fund classroom modernization, science lab improvements, and security upgrades.5Ballotpedia. Campbell Union High School District, California, Measure P, School Upgrades Bond Measure (November 2024)
These bond rates aren’t fixed. They move each year based on remaining debt and scheduled payments, and the Santa Clara County Controller recalculates them annually in the Property Tax Rate Book.1Santa Clara County Controller. Property Tax Rate Book The bond share is still a percentage of your assessed value, not a flat fee, so it rises with your assessment.
Flat Special Assessments
Your tax bill also carries flat-dollar charges that have nothing to do with your home’s value. These assessments are the same whether the property is worth $500,000 or $2 million.
One of the most common is the Santa Clara County Vector Control District assessment. For a single-family home in 2026, that charge is $15.75.6Mosquito and Vector Control District. How We Are Funded Condominiums pay $9.45, and multi-family properties with five or more units pay $4.41 per unit. Depending on the parcel, you may also see school parcel taxes, sewer service charges, and storm drain maintenance fees. These vary by which special districts overlap your property.
How Your Assessed Value Is Set
The assessed value on your bill is almost certainly not your home’s current market value. Under Proposition 13, every property has a “base year value” set at the time of its last change in ownership or completion of new construction.7Office of the Assessor, County of Santa Clara. Understanding Proposition 13 If you bought your Campbell home in 2015 for $750,000, your base year value started there and has grown by no more than 2% per year since.
That 2% annual cap is one of Proposition 13’s defining features. The actual yearly increase is tied to the California Consumer Price Index, but it can never exceed 2% regardless of how fast the market moves.2California State Board of Equalization. Publication 800-10 Information Sheet In Campbell, where prices have climbed steeply over the past decade, the gap between assessed value and market value can be enormous. A long-time homeowner and a recent buyer on the same street can have very different tax bills.
When a property sells, the Santa Clara County Assessor reassesses it at the purchase price, creating a new base year value.7Office of the Assessor, County of Santa Clara. Understanding Proposition 13 If you add a room, remodel a kitchen, or build an accessory dwelling unit, only the new construction gets assessed at current market value. Your existing structure keeps its old, lower base year value.
Supplemental Bills After a Purchase or Remodel
New Campbell homeowners are often caught off guard by supplemental tax bills. These are separate from the regular annual bill and reflect the increase in assessed value from a change in ownership or new construction, prorated from the month the event happened through the end of the fiscal year on June 30.8California State Board of Equalization. Supplemental Assessment
The Assessor takes the difference between your new assessed value and the previous owner’s assessed value, then charges tax on that difference for the remaining months in the fiscal year. If you buy between January and May, you could get two supplemental bills, one for the current fiscal year and one for the full upcoming fiscal year.8California State Board of Equalization. Supplemental Assessment These bills can add up to thousands of dollars and typically arrive several months after closing. Budget for them if you’re buying in Campbell, especially a home that last sold many years ago at a much lower price.
The Homeowner’s Exemption
If you live in your Campbell home as your primary residence, you qualify for the homeowner’s exemption, which cuts your assessed value by $7,000. That works out to roughly $70 in annual savings at the 1% base rate alone.9California State Board of Equalization. Homeowners’ Exemption It takes a one-time filing of Form BOE-266 with the Santa Clara County Assessor. If you’ve owned your home for years and never filed the claim, you’re leaving money on the table every year.
Payment Deadlines and Penalties
The Santa Clara County Department of Tax and Collections sends annual property tax bills payable in two installments. The first installment is due November 1 and must be paid by December 10 to avoid a penalty. The second installment is due February 1 with a final deadline of April 10.10County of Santa Clara. Tax Bill and Collections Miss either deadline and a 10% penalty attaches to the delinquent installment. On a $5,000 installment, that’s $500 for being a day late.
You can pay online through the county’s portal using e-check at no extra cost, or with a credit or debit card for a convenience fee of 2.22% (minimum $1.49 per transaction).11Department of Tax and Collections, County of Santa Clara. Make Payments Online On a large payment, that card fee adds up quickly, so e-check is the better option unless rewards points outweigh the cost. Mailed payments count as of their postmark date, so a check postmarked by December 10 or April 10 is on time.
Challenging an Assessment You Think Is Too High
If the Assessor’s value looks too high, you have two options in Santa Clara County. The informal route is a decline-in-value review under Proposition 8, where you ask the Assessor to lower your assessment because the property’s current market value has dropped below the assessed value. The Assessor’s office opens and closes that filing window periodically during the year.
The formal route is an assessment appeal filed with the Clerk of the Assessment Appeals Board. The regular filing period runs from July 2 through September 15.12County of Santa Clara. Assessment Appeal Dates and Deadlines You’ll want comparable sales data as close to January 1 of the assessment year as possible. A professional appraisal strengthens your case but typically costs $300 to $500 or more for a single-family home. If you win, the reduced assessment generally applies for the current fiscal year, though a Proposition 8 reduction can bounce back faster than the usual 2% cap once market values recover.