95521 Property Tax Rate
Arcata, California · Part of Humboldt County
Effective Tax Rate
0.58%
43.5% below state avgMedian Annual Tax
$2,770
$231/mo escrow
Estimate Your Tax
Annual Tax
$2,770
Monthly
$231
Eff. Rate
0.58%
Buyer decision brief
What ZIP 95521 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
$231/mo
Based on median annual tax paid
State context
0.12 percentage points below the California average
California average: 0.69%
Data confidence
High confidenceThe Census margin of error is $225, about 8% of the median tax estimate.
Verify before you offer
- Confirm parcel assessed value with Humboldt 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 95521 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
$225 tax MOE, 8% 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
Humboldt County is used for assessor verification and broader context.
Tax bill anatomy
What can change your actual bill in ZIP 95521
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 $478,600, but your bill starts with the local assessed value for a specific parcel.
Effective rate
The displayed rate is 0.58%, 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 $231 per month before insurance, HOA dues, or special assessments.
Assessor verification
Humboldt County assessor or tax collector records are the source of truth for parcel taxes, appeal windows, and exemptions.
How ZIP 95521 Compares
Median Annual Property Tax
ZIP 95521
0.58%
Effective rate
California Avg
0.69%
Effective rate
National Avg
1.10%
Effective rate
State Ranking
Property Tax Rank in California
Lower than 79% of ZIP codes in California(21th percentile, 1,562 ZIPs compared)
Property Tax Analysis
Property Tax Insights for ZIP 95521
Property owners in ZIP code 95521 (Arcata, California) pay a median of $2,770/year in property taxes on homes valued at $478,600. This translates to an effective tax rate of 0.58%, which is 17% below the California state average of 0.69%.
The monthly property tax burden for a median-valued home in 95521 is approximately $231, which factors into escrow payments on mortgages. This ZIP code is located within Humboldt County. This is $2,130 less than the California average of $4,900/year.
Compared to similar ZIP codes in California, 95521 has higher property taxes. ZIP codes with similar effective rates include 92707 (0.58%) and 95663 (0.58%).
In Arcata, property taxes represent approximately 5.1% of the median household income of $54,324, providing context for the relative tax burden on homeowners in this area.
Under California's Proposition 13, your property will be reassessed to your purchase price at closing, with taxes capped at 1% of that new base value and limited to 2% annual increases thereafter. Humboldt County offers a Homeowners' Exemption that reduces your assessed value by a set amount — file with the Humboldt County Assessor's office within 30 days of closing to claim it. Contact the Humboldt County Assessor at (707) 445-7541 or visit their website to confirm the current exemption amount and verify your base year value once the reassessment is recorded.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the property tax rate in ZIP code 95521?
How much are property taxes in Arcata, CA (95521)?
How does ZIP 95521 compare to the California average?
What is the median home value in ZIP 95521?
What county is ZIP code 95521 in?
Margin of Error
The median property tax estimate for this ZIP code has a margin of error of ±$225. ZCTA-level data has wider margins than county-level estimates due to smaller sample sizes.
County-Level Data
ZIP code 95521 is part of Humboldt County, California. View the full county profile for broader context and more data.
View Humboldt County on TaxByCounty →Why compare these ZIPs?
Better comparison set for ZIP 95521
Each ZIP highlights a homebuyer tradeoff: lower rate, stronger value context, shared county rules, city boundary changes, or nearby missing data.
95546
Hoopa, CA
0.31 percentage points lower than ZIP 95521.
Rate
0.27%
Tax
$690
Quality
86
95554
Myers Flat, CA
0.21 percentage points lower than ZIP 95521.
Rate
0.37%
Tax
$1,594
Quality
76
95555
Orick, CA
0.17 percentage points lower than ZIP 95521.
Rate
0.41%
Tax
$1,625
Quality
80
95550
Korbel, CA
0.17 percentage points lower than ZIP 95521.
Rate
0.41%
Tax
$3,500
Quality
76
95525
Blue Lake, CA
0.13 percentage points lower than ZIP 95521.
Rate
0.45%
Tax
$2,201
Quality
86
95526
Bridgeville, CA
0.12 percentage points lower than ZIP 95521.
Rate
0.46%
Tax
$1,551
Quality
86
95562
Rio Dell, CA
0.06 percentage points lower than ZIP 95521.
Rate
0.52%
Tax
$1,602
Quality
86
95536
Ferndale, CA
0.03 percentage points lower than ZIP 95521.
Rate
0.55%
Tax
$3,120
Quality
91
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.