During the fourth quarter of 2025, property owners in Kensington paid property taxes amounting to 0.8% of their home values, which is roughly 0.9 times the national average according to BlockShopper.com.
BlockShopper.com data show that Kensington’s median home sales price for the quarter was $1,562,500, based on 16 homes sold. For 2025, the city’s median property tax bill reached $11,931, equating to 0.8% of the assessed median value for these properties.
The average effective property tax rate across the U.S. in 2024 was 0.888%.
Contra Costa County’s highest rates were found in East Contra Costa (Unincorporated), Oakley (Unincorporated) and Crockett (Unincorporated).
Effective property tax rates for 2025 in this article are estimated using inflation rates and 2023 county tax data. Actual rates may differ slightly from these figures.
Redfin data show that U.S. home prices increased further in 2025, with the national median nearing $447,000 in June. This represents a 1.13% year-over-year increase. The data also reflect a notable imbalance in supply and demand, with 36% more homes for sale than buyers—a gap of 508,715 properties. For balance, Redfin defines the market as having sellers and buyers within 10% of each other.
The following table shows a comparison of East Contra Costa (Unincorporated) with other Contra Costa County cities based on median effective property tax rates derived from sales and property tax data for the fourth quarter of 2025.
| City | Q4 2025 Sales | Q4 2025 Median Price | Median tax 2025 | Effective tax rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Contra Costa (Unincorporated) | 3 | $292,500 | $4,508 | 1.5% |
| Oakley (Unincorporated) | 2 | $402,500 | $4,741 | 1.2% |
| Crockett (Unincorporated) | 5 | $480,000 | $5,782 | 1.2% |
| Hercules | 30 | $654,500 | $7,448 | 1.1% |
| Brentwood | 124 | $720,000 | $7,725 | 1.1% |
| Oakley | 70 | $599,500 | $6,363 | 1.1% |
| Richmond | 197 | $625,000 | $6,477 | 1% |
| Discovery Bay (Unincorporated) | 34 | $842,000 | $8,542 | 1% |
| Clayton | 37 | $901,000 | $8,966 | 1% |
| Martinez (Unincorporated) | 20 | $566,000 | $5,544 | 1% |
| Orinda | 55 | $1,720,000 | $15,740 | 0.9% |
| Pleasant Hill | 77 | $767,000 | $7,209 | 0.9% |
| El Sobrante (Unincorporated) | 24 | $641,500 | $5,844 | 0.9% |
| Martinez | 81 | $729,000 | $6,338 | 0.9% |
| San Pablo | 27 | $540,000 | $4,858 | 0.9% |
| San Ramon | 121 | $1,312,500 | $11,558 | 0.9% |
| Antioch | 196 | $565,000 | $4,729 | 0.8% |
| El Cerrito | 54 | $1,052,500 | $8,705 | 0.8% |
| Pinole | 36 | $752,750 | $6,271 | 0.8% |
| Richmond (Unincorporated) | 18 | $723,500 | $5,979 | 0.8% |
| San Pablo (Unincorporated) | 26 | $590,000 | $4,998 | 0.8% |
| Danville (Unincorporated) | 40 | $2,112,500 | $16,899 | 0.8% |
| Bay Point (Unincorporated) | 26 | $480,000 | $3,994 | 0.8% |
| Concord (Unincorporated) | 5 | $709,500 | $5,897 | 0.8% |
| Rodeo (Unincorporated) | 14 | $694,250 | $5,788 | 0.8% |
| Concord | 283 | $700,000 | $5,505 | 0.8% |
| Pittsburg | 75 | $535,000 | $4,106 | 0.8% |
| Alamo (Unincorporated) | 41 | $2,250,000 | $17,266 | 0.8% |
| Kensington | 16 | $1,562,500 | $11,931 | 0.8% |
| San Ramon (Unincorporated) | 2 | $3,650,000 | $28,616 | 0.8% |
| Lafayette | 61 | $1,960,000 | $13,617 | 0.7% |
| Pleasant Hill (Unincorporated) | 3 | $1,450,000 | $10,487 | 0.7% |
| Danville | 115 | $1,700,000 | $11,598 | 0.7% |
| Moraga | 31 | $1,700,000 | $11,308 | 0.7% |
| Walnut Creek | 142 | $1,132,500 | $7,781 | 0.7% |
| Walnut Creek (Unincorporated) | 53 | $1,305,000 | $8,820 | 0.7% |
| Lafayette (Unincorporated) | 8 | $2,115,000 | $13,488 | 0.6% |
| Brentwood (Unincorporated) | 3 | $900,000 | $4,215 | 0.5% |
This article is based on information from BlockShopper.com. Source data is available here.