Shasta County guide · Updated September 13, 2026
California's rules are simple on paper, one percent of what you paid, and confusing in practice: the tax bill is set by where the house sits, a second bill arrives a few months after closing, and your lender pays some of it but not all. Here is how it works for a Redding-area purchase, with the county's own 2025–26 rates.
The rules
Under Proposition 13 the county assesses your home at what you paid for it, taxes it at 1% of that value, and can raise the assessed value by no more than 2% a year after that, regardless of what the market does. The assessment resets to market value only when the home sells or you add new construction. So the longer you own, the further your tax bill falls behind your neighbour's who bought last year.
On top of the 1% come the voter-approved bonds for the school districts, Shasta College and any special districts covering the parcel. In and around Redding these add roughly 0.03% to 0.12%, so a $400,000 purchase carries an annual bill of about $4,150 to $4,500, or $345 to $375 a month inside your mortgage payment. Direct charges, such as a landscape maintenance district, appear as separate line items on the bill.
You buy a home in the Enterprise school district in southeast Redding for $400,000. Assessed value: $400,000. Base tax: $4,000. Enterprise Elementary bonds (2008 and 2018): $209. Shasta Union High School bonds: $92. Shasta College bonds: $56. Total about $4,357 a year, or $363 a month. File the homeowner's exemption and the assessed value drops by $7,000, saving about $75 a year.
By neighbourhood
Base 1% plus the bond rates in the Shasta County Auditor-Controller's FY 2025–26 tax rate document. Direct charges are extra.
| Area | School districts | Approx. total rate | On a $400,000 home |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central and west Redding | Redding Elementary or Columbia Elementary + Shasta Union HS + Shasta College | about 1.037% | $4,150 / yr |
| East and southeast Redding | Enterprise Elementary + Shasta Union HS + Shasta College | about 1.089% | $4,355 / yr |
| South Redding | Cascade Elementary + Shasta Union HS + Shasta College | about 1.107% | $4,430 / yr |
| North Redding and Shasta Lake | Gateway Unified + Shasta College | about 1.120% | $4,480 / yr |
| Palo Cedro (unincorporated) | Junction Elementary + Shasta Union HS + Shasta College | about 1.057% | $4,230 / yr |
Independent estimates agree: Ownwell puts the median effective rate at 1.06% for Shasta County and 1.05% for Redding (April 2026). Parcels inside the Bella Vista Water District, Cottonwood Fire District or a hospital district carry additional rates; the exact figure is on the seller's last tax bill, which your agent can pull.
The surprise bill
The one every first-time buyer asks about, usually after it arrives.
The seller's tax bill was based on what they paid, years ago. When you buy, the Assessor reassesses the home at your price and bills you for the difference for the rest of the tax year. That is the supplemental tax bill. It is separate from the regular bill, it arrives a few months after closing, and, in the Tax Collector's words, it is mailed to you, not your lender. Your impound account does not pay it unless you send it in and ask.
Buy for $400,000 a home last assessed at $250,000, and the supplemental assessment is $150,000. At about 1.05% that is $1,575 for a full year, prorated for the months left in the tax year (July to June). Close in September and you'll owe roughly ten twelfths, about $1,310. Close between January and May and you get two supplemental bills: one for the rest of the current year and one for the whole of the next, because the annual roll was already set.
Budget for it at closing. We put an estimate in your closing-cost worksheet so it isn't a surprise, and if you'd rather have the impound account handle it, forward the bill to your servicer as soon as it arrives.
The calendar
The annual bill arrives, covering July 1 to June 30. The first half is due now and late after December 10 (10% penalty).
The second half is due, late after April 10 (10% penalty plus $10). Unpaid by June 30 and the property is tax-defaulted.
If your loan has an impound (escrow) account, the lender collects one twelfth of the annual tax with each payment and pays both installments for you. Most loans over 90% of the price require one; on others it is your choice.
At closing the lender collects a cushion of two to three months of taxes and insurance to start the account. Taxes were also prorated between you and the seller in escrow, so nobody pays for days they didn't own.
Ways to pay less
Knocks $7,000 off the assessed value of the home you live in, about $75 a year at Redding rates. File once with the Assessor by February 15 for the full amount (80% if filed by December 10). After a purchase, file within 30 days of the supplemental notice to apply it there too.
If you are 55 or older, severely disabled, or lost your home to wildfire, you can move your old assessed value to a replacement home anywhere in California, up to three times, within two years of selling. Buy something pricier and only the difference is added. For long-time Redding owners this can save thousands a year.
Since February 2021 the exclusion applies only to a principal residence the child moves into, with about $1 million of value protected. Anything else is reassessed at market value when it changes hands. Worth a call before an inherited home is retitled.
Property tax questions
Figures are from the county's 2025–26 rate book; the Assessor sets your actual bill.
One percent of assessed value plus voter-approved bonds. For 2025–26 that comes to about 1.04% to 1.12% depending on the school district: roughly 1.04% in central and west Redding, 1.09% in the Enterprise district to the southeast, 1.11% in the Cascade district to the south, and 1.12% in the Gateway district to the north. Special districts can add more.
About $4,150 to $4,500 a year, or $345 to $375 a month, before the $7,000 homeowner's exemption. Your lender uses an estimate like this in your qualifying payment, and collects it monthly into the impound account.
It is the bill for the difference between the seller's old assessed value and your purchase price, prorated for the rest of the tax year. The county mails it to you, not your lender, and your impound account will not pay it unless you forward the bill and ask. Closings between January and May get two supplemental bills.
The first installment is due November 1 and late after December 10; the second is due February 1 and late after April 10. Late installments carry a 10% penalty. With an impound account the lender pays both on your behalf.
California only lets a lender require one on an owner-occupied home in certain cases, the common one being a loan above 90% of the price. FHA, VA and USDA loans and most 3% and 5% down conventional loans fall there. On a 20% down loan it is usually your choice.
The assessed value can rise at most 2% a year under Prop 13, so the base tax on a $400,000 purchase can go from $4,000 to at most $4,080 the next year. Bond rates change as districts pay off or pass measures, and the total can move by a few hundredths of a percent either way.
Very little. The City of Redding lists a single community facilities district, and some newer subdivisions carry landscape maintenance district charges as direct assessments. Both show as separate lines on the tax bill. Ask for the seller's last bill before you offer; we check the line items when we build your payment.
Not necessarily. Under Prop 19 you can transfer your current assessed value to a replacement home anywhere in California within two years of selling, up to three times. If the new home costs more, only the difference is added to your old base. We can run both payments for you before you list.
File form BOE-266 once with the Shasta County Assessor for the home you live in on January 1. By February 15 for the full $7,000; by December 10 for 80% of it. After buying, file within 30 days of the supplemental assessment notice so it applies to that bill too.
Figures checked September 13, 2026. Rules and rates change; call before relying on a number.
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