Guide

Keep Your Low Property Tax When You Move After 55 in California

One of the biggest reasons long time homeowners stay put is their property tax bill. If you bought decades ago, your bill is probably far lower than your neighbors pay. Moving can feel like giving that up. For many homeowners 55 and older, it does not have to be

By CC Summerfield, Realtor · CA DRE #01373421 · Oct 30, 2026

Keep Your Low Property Tax When You Move After 55 in California

For many homeowners 55 and older, it does not have to be.

Why your tax bill is low

In California, property tax is based on your purchase price, called your tax base, not on what your home is worth today. State law limits how much that base can rise each year. So the longer you own, the bigger the gap between your bill and what a new buyer would pay. When you sell and buy, the tax base normally resets to the new purchase price.

The rule that moves your tax base

Under Proposition 19, homeowners 55 and older may transfer their existing tax base to a new home. The key rules:

You can use it up to three times in your life.

The new home can be in any California county, not just San Diego.

You must sell and buy within two years of each other, in either order.

The new home can cost more than your current one.

The benefit is not automatic. You have to file for it. Separate rules apply to severely disabled homeowners and disaster victims.

If the new home costs more

If your new home costs more than your current home sells for, your old tax base does not carry over in full. The new base lands somewhere between your old base and the new home's full price. The San Diego County Assessor can give you the exact figure.

Six questions to ask the County Assessor