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County News Center | Office of Communications and Public Affairs
County News Center | Office of Communications and Public Affairs

Office of the Assessor

The Office of the Assessor is responsible for annually determining the assessed value of all real and business property in Santa Clara County. The assessment roll is comprised of 543,937 assessable roll​ units and is the basis upon which property taxes are levied. Property taxes are an essential source of revenue to support basic public services provided by schools and local governments. These public jurisdictions form the foundation of our region’s quality of life.

2019 Accomplishments 

  • Delivered on time a $516.1 billion assessment roll that increased by 7 percent over the prior year, while returning $1.3 million of the Department’s $40.6 million annual budget back to the County’s general fund.
  • Assisted roughly 21,000 taxpayers who contacted the Office by telephone, and an additional 18,600 taxpayers who visited the Assessor’s public service counter.
  • Achieved a Department-wide customer satisfaction rating of 87 percent, based on an independent survey of taxpayers who contacted the Office of the Assessor.
  • Resolved about 2,800 assessment appeals; retained 96.1 percent of the assessed value in dispute and reduced by 29 days the average time to resolve all assessment appeals. 

2020 Goals

  • Continue to use comprehensive performance management to complete the assessment roll in a timely and accurate manner.
  • Improve the time and cost to complete all work activities, while improving quality.
  • Enhance the discovery of real and business personal property.
  • Continue the program to replace outdated legacy technology software.