Understanding Property Tax Changes in Santa Clara County

If you recently opened your Santa Clara County property tax bill and felt your heart skip a beat — you’re not alone. Many homeowners across areas like Almaden Valley, Willow Glen, Cambrian, and Los Gatos have reported significant increases for the 2025–2026 tax year.

For those who purchased long ago and have seen only modest annual changes under Proposition 13, a jump of several hundred — or even over a thousand — dollars can feel confusing and unexpected.

So what’s behind these larger-than-usual increases?

First, a quick refresher on Proposition 13

Prop 13 limits property tax increases on assessed value to no more than 2% per year, unless there’s:

• A change of ownership, or

• New construction that increases value

So if you haven’t made improvements or sold any portion of the property, it’s reasonable to wonder why your bill went up more than that.

Other reasons your property taxes may have increased

Even when your assessed value is capped, several additional factors can cause a noticeable jump:

1. Voter-approved bonds and special assessments

Local measures passed by voters — such as school bonds, parcel taxes, park districts, and utility improvements — are not limited by Prop 13.
These appear as separate line items on your bill and can increase year to year.

2. Restoration of a previous temporary reduction (Prop 8)

If your home temporarily received a reduced assessment due to declining market values in past years, the assessor can increase the value more than 2% until it reaches its original Prop 13-protected base.

3. Partial change of ownership

Transfers such as:

• Adding or removing someone from title

• Trust changes or estate planning transfers

• Refinancing where ownership is restructured

…can trigger a partial reassessment, increasing a portion of the property’s taxable value.

4. Clerical adjustments or assessor updates

Sometimes the county corrects historical data or adjusts assessment calculations.

What you can do next

If you’re unsure what caused your increase, here are helpful steps:

• Review the breakdown on your tax bill to see where the increase occurred

• Compare this year’s assessed value vs. last year’s

• Look up your parcel on the Santa Clara County Assessor’s website

• Contact the Assessor’s office if something looks incorrect

• Consider filing an assessment appeal if you believe the value is too high (typically due in September)

Need help reviewing your bill?

As local real estate experts here in Almaden Valley and the South Bay, we’re happy to help you evaluate what caused the increase and whether an appeal makes sense based on current market conditions.

Feel free to email or call — we’re always here as a resource.