San Rafael recorded a median commercial property tax rate of 1.1% for fiscal year 2025, which was the lowest in Marin County, data from BlockShopper.com shows.
The Marin County median for the same period was 1.2%, placing San Rafael 0.1 percentage points below the county figure.
Rates among Marin County’s two cities ranged from San Rafael’s 1.1% to Novato’s 1.2%.
San Rafael’s median commercial property tax rate reached 1.2% in fiscal year 2024, making it the top-ranked city in the county during that period.
Commercial property tax rates averaged 1.76% in 53 major U.S. cities in 2024, according to the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. The study indicates that a $1 million property, including $200,000 in fixtures, would produce an annual property tax bill of about $21,060. Rates differed greatly, with some cities falling well below 1% and others topping 4%.
Across several states, classification systems can lead to higher effective property tax rates for commercial, industrial, or apartment properties compared with residential properties. In certain locations, businesses pay tax rates several times higher than those applied to residences. For instance, in Charleston, the commercial tax rate can reach approximately six times the residential level.
| Rank | City | Tax Rate % |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Novato | 1.2% |
| 2 | San Rafael | 1.1% |
| Rank | Address | Tax Rate % |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 54 | 2.2% |
| 2 | 4320 Redwood Highway 200 | 1.1% |
| 3 | 40 | 0.9% |
| 4 | 4230 Redwood Highway | 0.8% |
Note: Some property addresses may be incomplete or unavailable because of limitations in county assessor data.
Details in this article were sourced from BlockShopper.com. The original data is available here.
