Homeowners in Bonita paid property taxes equal to 0.5% of their properties’ values in the first quarter of 2026—less than half the national average, BlockShopper.com reports.
The median sales price for a Bonita home during this period was $1,433,500, calculated from two home sales. The city’s median property tax bill stood at $6,824 for 2026, representing 0.5% of the median assessed value.
The typical effective property tax rate across the U.S. was 0.888% in 2024.
Imperial Beach, Julian and Hidden Meadows ranked as the top three cities in San Diego County with the highest effective property tax rates.
The effective property tax rate for 2026 in this article uses inflation-adjusted values and 2024 tax information from the county. Actual effective tax rates may differ slightly from these calculations in specific cases.
U.S. home prices continued rising in 2025, with the national median price reaching roughly $447,000 in June. That marks an increase of 1.13% from the prior year, Redfin said. The data also pointed to a noticeable supply and demand imbalance: there were 36% more home sellers than buyers, an excess of 508,715 homes. According to Redfin, a balanced market is one where the numbers of buyers and sellers are within 10% of each other.
The following table presents Imperial Beach compared with select cities in San Diego County by their median effective property tax rates, based on sales and tax data from the first quarter of 2026.
| City | Q1 2026 Sales | Q1 2026 Median Price | Median tax 2026 | Effective tax rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Imperial Beach | 3 | $388,000 | $5,702 | 1.5% |
| Julian | 3 | $275,000 | $3,731 | 1.4% |
| Hidden Meadows | 2 | $855,000 | $9,078 | 1.1% |
| Spring Valley | 8 | $585,000 | $5,606 | 1% |
| San Marcos | 13 | $829,000 | $7,214 | 0.9% |
| Lakeside | 4 | $652,000 | $5,730 | 0.9% |
| Borrego Springs | 4 | $297,250 | $2,613 | 0.9% |
| San Diego Country Estates | 9 | $780,000 | $6,768 | 0.9% |
| La Mesa | 12 | $670,000 | $5,449 | 0.8% |
| Winter Gardens | 5 | $643,000 | $5,251 | 0.8% |
| El Cajon | 27 | $732,500 | $5,702 | 0.8% |
| Valley Center | 6 | $926,750 | $7,175 | 0.8% |
| La Presa | 4 | $644,500 | $4,922 | 0.8% |
| Jamul | 4 | $1,036,500 | $7,789 | 0.8% |
| Alpine | 3 | $930,000 | $7,021 | 0.8% |
| Fallbrook | 7 | $809,000 | $6,033 | 0.7% |
| Bostonia | 2 | $700,000 | $5,215 | 0.7% |
| Chula Vista | 44 | $859,000 | $6,369 | 0.7% |
| Santee | 10 | $720,000 | $5,088 | 0.7% |
| Fairbanks Ranch | 2 | $4,750,000 | $34,360 | 0.7% |
| Escondido | 39 | $750,000 | $5,501 | 0.7% |
| Campo | 3 | $520,000 | $3,603 | 0.7% |
| Harbison Canyon | 2 | $935,000 | $6,493 | 0.7% |
| Ramona | 5 | $809,000 | $6,059 | 0.7% |
| Lemon Grove | 3 | $770,000 | $5,209 | 0.7% |
| National City | 3 | $625,000 | $4,097 | 0.7% |
| San Diego | 304 | $950,000 | $6,135 | 0.6% |
| Vista | 17 | $890,000 | $5,748 | 0.6% |
| Oceanside | 66 | $764,500 | $4,940 | 0.6% |
| Rancho Santa Fe | 4 | $4,450,000 | $27,003 | 0.6% |
| Poway | 9 | $1,280,000 | $7,328 | 0.6% |
| Carlsbad | 33 | $1,565,000 | $8,396 | 0.5% |
| Bonsall | 2 | $1,262,500 | $6,519 | 0.5% |
| Casa de Oro-Mount Helix | 3 | $1,400,000 | $7,163 | 0.5% |
| Rancho San Diego | 7 | $1,315,000 | $6,575 | 0.5% |
| Bonita | 2 | $1,433,500 | $6,824 | 0.5% |
| Coronado | 3 | $2,327,000 | $12,523 | 0.5% |
| Lake San Marcos | 4 | $1,490,000 | $5,823 | 0.4% |
| Granite Hills | 3 | $1,850,000 | $6,923 | 0.4% |
| Solana Beach | 3 | $2,900,000 | $10,394 | 0.4% |
| Encinitas | 7 | $2,580,000 | $8,684 | 0.3% |
Information in this article was obtained from BlockShopper.com. The source data is available here.