Property taxes in Sunnyvale

Sunnyvale property tax: the 1 Mello-Roos district the city formed, the levies and the Prop 13 rules, with each source. The county sets and collects the tax.

Each block below is marked county or state data, Sunnyvale code or CA state law, and links to its source (checked October 2026). General information, not legal advice.

Mello-Roos districts

State data Sunnyvale has formed 1 Mello-Roos community facilities district. A home inside one pays a special tax on its property tax bill, in addition to the rate above.

Sunnyvale CFD No 1 (bonds run to 2032)

The state data gives no tax amounts. Your tax bill shows them; the address lookup lists the districts named for the city. School, water and other districts may have formed districts here too. Source: California State Treasurer, DebtWatch (reporting year 2025).

The state rules underneath

CA state law California law sets this statewide. 1% property tax limit (Prop 13): The general property tax on real property may not exceed 1% of its full cash value; voter-approved bond debt is levied on top (Cal. Const. art. XIII A, § 1(a), (b)). 2% annual cap on assessed value: The base year value rises each year by the California CPI change, but never more than 2% (Rev. & Tax. Code § 51(a)(1)(D)). California property tax rules — the full state rule →

Utility users tax

Sunnyvale code What Sunnyvale's code adds
Tax on electricity	2% of electricity charges. Applies: The rate stated in the code. The council may raise it by ordinance, up to an overall cap of 3%. § 3.12.070 · code text The tax imposed by this section and Sections 3.12.080 and 3.12.090 shall be at the rate of two percent of the charges made for such energy, including minimum charges for service but excluding charges for electrical energy supplied to street lights
Tax on gas	2% of gas charges. § 3.12.100 · code text The tax imposed by this section and Sections 3.12.110 and 3.12.120 shall be at the rate of two percent of the charges made for such gas
Tax on water, phone or cable	2% of telecommunication service charges. Applies: Telecommunication services. § 3.12.060 · code text The tax imposed by this section shall be at the rate of two percent of the charges made for such services

Who this affects

HomeownersBuyersReal estate agents

Frequently asked questions

Does Sunnyvale have Mello-Roos districts?

Yes. Sunnyvale has formed 1 Mello-Roos community facilities district (State Treasurer data). Only homes inside a district pay its special tax.

Does Sunnyvale charge a utility users tax?

Sunnyvale's code: 2% of electricity charges. (The rate stated in the code. The council may raise it by ordinance, up to an overall cap of 3%.) (§ 3.12.070); 2% of gas charges. (§ 3.12.100).

General information, not legal advice.