The property tax rate in San Leandro, CA generally lands around 1.4% of a property’s assessed value. That figure combines California’s base 1% levy with voter-approved bond charges that vary slightly depending on where the property sits within the city. A home in the 94577 area may carry a marginally different total than one in 94579, and your annual bill itemizes every component.
What Makes Up the Rate
California caps the general property tax at 1% of assessed value under Proposition 13, passed in 1978.1California State Board of Equalization. California Property Tax An Overview That 1% is split among the city, Alameda County, and other local agencies to fund day-to-day operations. Everything above the 1% comes from voter-approved bonds, and those bonds are where the variation between neighborhoods comes from.
San Leandro property owners typically see bond charges from the San Leandro Unified School District and the Chabot-Las Positas Community College District. In 2024, voters considered Measure J, a $174 million school district bond with an estimated average annual tax rate of $37.28 per $100,000 of assessed value.2Alameda County Registrar of Voters. Measure J – San Leandro Unified School District Bond Measure The community college district’s Measure A, a $950 million bond approved in 2016, also appears on bills within that district’s boundary.3Chabot-Las Positas Community College District. Bond Programs Smaller amounts for flood control, transit, or municipal infrastructure can also show up.
To find your exact combined rate, the Alameda County Auditor-Controller maintains a tax rate lookup where you can search by address or parcel number. Your annual bill lists each levy line by line.
How the Dollar Amount Is Calculated
The rate alone does not tell you what you will owe. The county applies the rate to your property’s assessed value, which under Proposition 13 is locked in at the purchase price (or the value at the time of new construction) and can increase by no more than 2% per year while ownership stays the same.1California State Board of Equalization. California Property Tax An Overview A longtime owner who bought in 2005 for $450,000 is paying taxes on an assessed value well below today’s market price. That gap is the whole design of the system.
Buying a property resets everything. The county reassesses at current fair market value, and that becomes the new base year value. Add a room or build an accessory dwelling unit and only the added value gets assessed; the original structure keeps its existing base year value. Each year, the base year value is adjusted by the lesser of 2% or the change in the California Consumer Price Index.4California Board of Equalization. Decline in Value – Proposition 8 That figure, the factored base year value, is the number multiplied by your rate.
So a home currently assessed at $700,000 in a tax rate area totaling 1.4% will owe roughly $9,800 for the year before any exemptions.
Supplemental Bills After You Buy
New buyers in San Leandro routinely get caught off guard by supplemental tax bills. These arrive separately from the regular annual bill and cover the difference between the previous owner’s assessed value and your purchase price, prorated for the remaining months of the fiscal year.5California Board of Equalization. Supplemental Assessment Close in October and you owe the increased amount from November through June.
The timing of your purchase changes how many bills show up. Buy between June and December and you receive one supplemental bill. Buy between January and May and you may receive two: one for the current fiscal year and one for the entire following fiscal year.5California Board of Equalization. Supplemental Assessment Important: your mortgage lender does not receive these bills. They come straight to you, even if your regular tax is paid through escrow. You pay them yourself, and missing them triggers the same penalties as any other late payment.
Exemptions That Reduce Your Bill
A few exemptions lower the assessed value the rate is applied to.
- Homeowners’ Exemption. If you own and occupy your home as your primary residence on January 1, you qualify for a $7,000 reduction in assessed value, which translates to roughly $70 to $80 in annual tax savings. File once and the exemption remains in place until you move.6Alameda County Assessor. Exemptions
- Disabled Veterans’ Exemption (Basic). Veterans rated 100% disabled or unemployable due to a service-connected condition receive a $180,671 exemption from assessed value for the 2026–27 tax year, saving approximately $2,168 annually.7Alameda County Assessor. For Veterans
- Disabled Veterans’ Exemption (Low-Income). If a qualifying veteran’s household income is at or below $81,131, the exemption increases to $271,009, saving approximately $3,252 annually.7Alameda County Assessor. For Veterans
Unmarried surviving spouses of qualifying veterans may also be eligible. Active-duty military stationed outside California can receive additional relief on personal property such as boats or manufactured homes under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act.7Alameda County Assessor. For Veterans
When Payment Is Due
The property tax fiscal year in San Leandro runs from July 1 through June 30. Bills are mailed in October and split into two installments.
- First installment: due November 1. Delinquent at 5:00 p.m. on December 10, when a 10% penalty attaches immediately.8California Legislative Information. California Revenue and Taxation Code RTC 2617
- Second installment: due February 1. Delinquent at 5:00 p.m. on April 10, triggering a 10% penalty plus a $10 administrative cost.
Payment runs through the Alameda County Treasurer-Tax Collector’s online portal, where electronic check payments carry no fee. If you mail a check close to a deadline, note that as of December 2025 the U.S. Postal Service treats the date an item is first processed by automated equipment as the postmark, not the date you drop it in the mailbox.9Treasurer Tax Collector. Treasurer Tax Collector – Alameda County Request a manual postmark at the counter to protect yourself.
If you have a mortgage, your servicer likely collects a share of the tax each month into escrow and pays the county on your behalf. You remain responsible for making sure payment actually reaches the county, so check your annual bill against county records.
If You Think the Assessment Is Too High
The rate is fixed, but the assessed value isn’t always right. If you believe the Alameda County Assessor has overvalued your property, you can file a formal appeal. The regular filing window runs from July 2 through September 16, assuming value notices were mailed by August 1. If no notice went out by that date, the deadline extends to November 30. Appeals for supplemental assessments must be filed within 60 days of the notice or postmark date.10Alameda County. Assessment Appeal Application
The application carries a $50 non-refundable fee per parcel and must state your opinion of the property’s value. Leaving that out gets the application rejected.10Alameda County. Assessment Appeal Application File in duplicate with the Alameda County Assessment Appeals Board in Oakland, and bring comparable sales, an independent appraisal, or other evidence that the assessed value exceeds market value. Filing an appeal does not pause your obligation to pay the current bill on time. A favorable ruling produces a refund.
When Market Values Fall
Proposition 8 offers separate protection when values drop. If your property’s market value on the January 1 lien date falls below its factored base year value, the assessor is required to enroll the lower market value instead. The reduction is temporary. The assessor reviews declined properties each year and can raise the assessed value by more than 2% in a single year as the market recovers, but never above your factored base year value unless there’s a change in ownership or new construction.4California Board of Equalization. Decline in Value – Proposition 8 If market value has dipped below your assessed value and the assessor hasn’t adjusted it, you can request a review or file an appeal.
Who to Contact
Property tax administration happens at the county level even though your property sits in San Leandro. The Alameda County Assessor’s Office handles valuation: locating taxable property, setting assessed value, identifying ownership, and applying exemptions.11Alameda County Assessor’s Office. About the Alameda County Assessors Office Go there for exemption filings, reporting new construction, or disputing value.
The Alameda County Treasurer-Tax Collector handles everything after valuation: calculating the tax from each entity’s rate, mailing bills, collecting payment, and distributing funds back to the city, schools, and other agencies.9Treasurer Tax Collector. Treasurer Tax Collector – Alameda County Questions about amounts, due dates, or delinquent balances go there.