94596 Property Tax Rate
Walnut Creek, California · Part of Contra Costa County
Effective Tax Rate
0.70%
77.6% above state avgMedian Annual Tax
$8,704
$725/mo escrow
Estimate Your Tax
Annual Tax
$8,704
Monthly
$725
Eff. Rate
0.70%
Buyer decision brief
What ZIP 94596 means for your housing budget
Use this ZIP page to compare recurring tax burden before you compare listing prices. The numbers below are Census ZCTA estimates, so they are strongest for neighborhood comparison and weakest for parcel-specific tax planning.
Monthly escrow signal
$725/mo
Based on median annual tax paid
State context
Near the California average
California average: 0.69%
Data confidence
High confidenceThe Census margin of error is $559, about 6% of the median tax estimate.
Verify before you offer
- Confirm parcel assessed value with Contra Costa County assessor.
- Check homestead, senior, veteran, and disability exemptions.
- Ask whether purchase triggers reassessment or value-cap reset.
- Review school district and special assessment boundaries.
Lower-rate similar ZIPs
This is informational content, not tax, legal, or mortgage advice. Local assessor records remain the source of truth for a specific property.
Data confidence ledger
Can you trust ZIP 94596 for comparison?
ACS vintage
2019-2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
Five-year Census ZCTA estimates.
ZCTA caveat
Census area, not parcel boundary
USPS ZIP routes and taxing districts can differ inside the same area.
Field completeness
3/3 required fields
Median tax, home value, and derived rate are present.
MOE status
Strong ACS confidence
$559 tax MOE, 6% of the median tax estimate.
Last site refresh
March 10, 2026
Dataset and page-quality audit run locally before publication.
County fallback
County advisory available
Contra Costa County is used for assessor verification and broader context.
Tax bill anatomy
What can change your actual bill in ZIP 94596
Use the ZIP estimate to compare neighborhoods, then verify these parcel-level inputs before relying on a payment estimate.
Assessed value
The ZCTA median home value is $1,245,000, but your bill starts with the local assessed value for a specific parcel.
Effective rate
The displayed rate is 0.70%, derived from median tax paid divided by median home value.
Exemptions
Homestead, senior, veteran, disability, and local exemptions can reduce taxable value. Confirm eligibility before estimating escrow.
Reassessment
A purchase can change assessed value depending on California and county rules. Ask how sale price affects the next assessment cycle.
Escrow impact
The median tax paid in this ZCTA equals about $725 per month before insurance, HOA dues, or special assessments.
Assessor verification
Contra Costa County assessor or tax collector records are the source of truth for parcel taxes, appeal windows, and exemptions.
How ZIP 94596 Compares
Median Annual Property Tax
ZIP 94596
0.70%
Effective rate
California Avg
0.69%
Effective rate
National Avg
1.10%
Effective rate
State Ranking
Property Tax Rank in California
Higher than 57% of ZIP codes in California(57th percentile, 1,562 ZIPs compared)
Property Tax Analysis
Property Tax Insights for ZIP 94596
Property owners in ZIP code 94596 (Walnut Creek, California) pay a median of $8,704/year in property taxes on homes valued at $1,245,000. This translates to an effective tax rate of 0.70%, which is near the California state average of 0.69%.
The monthly property tax burden for a median-valued home in 94596 is approximately $725, which factors into escrow payments on mortgages. This ZIP code is located within Contra Costa County. This is $3,804 more than the California average of $4,900/year.
Compared to similar ZIP codes in California, 94596 has higher property taxes. ZIP codes with similar effective rates include 93602 (0.70%) and 94560 (0.70%).
In Walnut Creek, property taxes represent approximately 6.3% of the median household income of $137,660, providing context for the relative tax burden on homeowners in this area.
Under California's Proposition 13, your home reassesses to purchase price at sale with taxes capped at 1% and limited to 2% annual increases until the next sale. Contra Costa County offers a Homeowners' Exemption reducing assessed value by $7,000—file your claim with the Contra Costa County Assessor within 30 days of taking title. After closing, obtain your Preliminary Assessment Notice from the Contra Costa County Assessor, verify the base year value, and file any protest within 60 days if the assessed value is incorrect.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the property tax rate in ZIP code 94596?
How much are property taxes in Walnut Creek, CA (94596)?
How does ZIP 94596 compare to the California average?
What is the median home value in ZIP 94596?
What county is ZIP code 94596 in?
Margin of Error
The median property tax estimate for this ZIP code has a margin of error of ±$559. ZCTA-level data has wider margins than county-level estimates due to smaller sample sizes.
County-Level Data
ZIP code 94596 is part of Contra Costa County, California. View the full county profile for broader context and more data.
View Contra Costa County on TaxByCounty →Explore Walnut Creek, CA
View all 4 ZIP codes in Walnut Creek with property tax comparisons.
View Walnut Creek Property Tax Rates →Why compare these ZIPs?
Better comparison set for ZIP 94596
Each ZIP highlights a homebuyer tradeoff: lower rate, stronger value context, shared county rules, city boundary changes, or nearby missing data.
94598
Walnut Creek, CA
0.06 percentage points lower than ZIP 94596.
Rate
0.64%
Tax
$8,310
Quality
96
94507
Alamo, CA
0.20 percentage points lower than ZIP 94596.
Rate
0.50%
Tax
$10,001
Quality
75
94528
Diablo, CA
0.20 percentage points lower than ZIP 94596.
Rate
0.50%
Tax
$10,001
Quality
72
94549
Lafayette, CA
0.19 percentage points lower than ZIP 94596.
Rate
0.51%
Tax
$10,001
Quality
77
94563
Orinda, CA
0.15 percentage points lower than ZIP 94596.
Rate
0.55%
Tax
$10,001
Quality
77
94506
Danville, CA
0.14 percentage points lower than ZIP 94596.
Rate
0.56%
Tax
$10,001
Quality
84
94556
Moraga, CA
0.07 percentage points lower than ZIP 94596.
Rate
0.63%
Tax
$10,001
Quality
77
94526
Danville, CA
0.07 percentage points lower than ZIP 94596.
Rate
0.63%
Tax
$10,001
Quality
84
Data from U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates (ZCTA level). ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census approximations of USPS ZIP codes.
Estimates are informational only and should not be used as financial or legal advice.