SD County tops one million taxable parcels, $550 billion in assessed value in 2019

SAN DIEGO – San Diego County Assessor Ernie Dronenburg has certified and closed the 2019 assessed value roll of all taxable property with a value of $574.9 billion. This is an increase of 5.75% (or $31.2 billion) over last year. The County’s net assessed value after the deduction of property tax exemptions for homeowners, disabled veterans and charitable organizations is $551.9 billion.

Approximately $5.51 billion, using Proposition 13’s statutory 1% tax rate, will be distributed to fund schools, law enforcement, parks and other public services. The 2019 Assessment Roll consisted of 1,001,029 real estate parcels, 57,699 businesses, 13,243 boats and 1,774 aircrafts.

Dronenburg contributes this fifth consecutive year of increases in excess of 5% due to continued improvement in the housing market and the economy as a whole. He stated, “In addition, business property, such as boats, computers, and even penguins, saw an increase of 7.35% this year, closing at a high of just over $19.5 billion.”

Dronenburg noted, “Increases to the business roll are strong indicators that business owners are optimistic about the local economy and are making capital investments in property, plant and equipment.” Dronenburg added, “This year, 85% of San Diego’s taxpayers are protected by Proposition 13’s provisions, which limits their property increase to only 2%.”

Dronenburg continued, “While the Assessor’s mission is to locate, identify and assess all taxable property in the County, it is equally important to ensure taxpayer fairness and be proactive in informing taxpayers of programs designed to reduce their property taxes and provide for affordability. To further this mission, in 2018, I created a Taxpayers’ Rights Advocate office that has been focused on this mission and led our office outreach programs. Through these efforts, my office helped qualify over 20,000 homeowners for the Homeowners’ Exemption, resulting in a reduction of their assessed value by $7,000. We created an innovative and award-winning partnership with the Realtors®, which helped over 1,400 more 100% disabled veterans collectively receive over $1.9 million in property tax reductions. We worked with over 5,000 welfare institutions, such as schools, churches, museums and non-profits, in helping to solve our homeless and housing crisis by providing property tax relief through full or partial property tax exemptions.”

Highlights from the 2019 Assessment Roll

• Imperial Beach, for the second year in a row, realized the highest assessed value growth rate at 11.41%.

• Poway saw the lowest growth rate at 3.60%.

• The City of San Diego had the largest value increase, adding $15.6 billion, an increase of 6.0%.

• Set a new record of over one million taxable parcels and over $550 billion in assessed value.

• The 2019 Assessment Roll consists of 1,001,029 taxable real estate parcels, 57,973 businesses, 13,243 boats, and 1,774 aircrafts.

• We saw a drop of 274 businesses paying business property taxes, and an increase in the number of boats and airplanes being taxed.

• Assessed business property value hit a new record high of $19.5 billion, a 7.35% increase.

Dronenburg recognizes the successful completion of the 2019 Roll would not be possible without the hardworking and dedicated staff of the Assessor’s office.

Assessed values will be available to property owners online beginning July 1, 2019. Please visit the Assessor’s website at http://www.sdarcc.com and click on the “2019 Notification of Taxable Value” link. Property tax exemption applications are also available on the website under the “Forms” menu. Additionally, assessed values and property tax exemption information is available by calling the Assessor’s office at (619) 236-3771.

Submitted by San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk office.