Interactive Map · California

Transfer Tax Map

Click any California city to see its combined county + city + Measure ULA-style transfer tax. Sale-price slider lets you model any deal size.

iAll numbers shown are estimates only. They are not tax, legal, or financial advice. Consult a licensed California real estate agent and a CPA before relying on any figure for a real transaction.

Hypothetical sale price

Click any gold marker to see that city's transfer tax breakdown.

City Detail

Click a marker on the map to see that city's transfer tax breakdown for your sale price.

All cities

The short answer

California’s county documentary transfer tax is $1.10 per $1,000 of the sale price (that is, $0.55 per $500). Many cities add their own transfer tax on top — and some, like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Oakland, charge substantially more on higher-value sales — so your total transfer tax depends on both the county and the city where the property sits.

Frequently asked questions

The base county documentary transfer tax is $1.10 per $1,000 of value ($0.55 per $500). On a $1,000,000 sale that’s $1,100 at the county level. Cities with their own transfer tax add to that, sometimes significantly.

A number of charter cities impose their own rates — including San Francisco, Los Angeles (its “Measure ULA” mansion tax on high-value sales), Oakland, Berkeley, Santa Monica, and others. These city taxes can dwarf the county portion on expensive properties, so always check the specific city.

It’s negotiable and follows local custom. In much of California the seller customarily pays the county transfer tax, while city transfer taxes may be split or assigned differently by local practice or contract. Confirm the split in your purchase agreement.

Measure ULA is an additional City of Los Angeles transfer tax on high-value real estate sales above set thresholds (in the multimillion-dollar range), charged on top of the county and base city transfer taxes. It applies to the full sale price, not just the amount over the threshold, so it can be a large line item.

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