Lake San Marcos homeowners paid 0.4% of their property’s value in taxes during the first quarter of 2026, a rate that is less than 0.4 times the national average, BlockShopper.com reports.
Data from four property sales show the median home price during this period was $1,490,000 in Lake San Marcos. The median property tax bill was $5,823 in 2026, reflecting 0.4% of the typical home value taxed that year.
The average effective property tax rate nationally stood at 0.888% in 2024.
Within San Diego County, Imperial Beach, Julian, and Hidden Meadows recorded the three highest effective property tax rates.
This article’s 2026 effective property tax rate estimates use 2024 county tax data and estimated inflation values. The actual effective rate may differ in some cases.
U.S. home prices continued to climb in 2025, with the national median reaching approximately $447,000 in June, a 1.13% increase compared to the previous year, Redfin data show. There was also a notable gap between sellers and buyers, with 36% more sellers—amounting to 508,715 homes. Redfin considers a balanced market to have seller and buyer counts within a 10% range.
The following table presents a comparison of Imperial Beach and other select San Diego County cities by their median effective property tax rate, calculated using first-quarter 2026 property tax and sales data.
| 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% |
The information in this article comes from BlockShopper.com. Find the source data here.