Solano County property taxes start at 1% of assessed value under Proposition 13, with voter-approved bonds and special assessments added on top. Bills come in two installments, due November 1 and February 1. This covers how the rate is built, what a supplemental bill is, which exemptions apply, and how to challenge an assessment you think is too high.
Key takeaways
- The 1% Proposition 13 base is fixed statewide. Everything above it comes from bonds and assessments tied to your specific Tax Rate Area, which is why two homes on the same street can pay different rates.
- The first installment is delinquent after December 10; the second after April 10. A 10% penalty hits immediately.
- Most buyers get a supplemental bill months after closing, and most escrow accounts do not cover it.
- The Homeowners’ Exemption is worth about $70 a year and takes one form. The Disabled Veterans’ Exemption removes far more and is the one people miss.
How Solano County Property Taxes Are Calculated
Your annual bill is your property’s assessed value multiplied by the combined rate for your Tax Rate Area.
Assessed value is set by the Solano County Assessor. When you buy, it resets to your purchase price. From there, Proposition 13 caps annual increases at 2% for as long as you own the property and do not trigger a reassessment.
The combined rate starts at the 1% Proposition 13 base, which applies to every parcel in California. On a purchase at Fairfield’s May 2026 median sale price of $607,137, that base alone runs about $6,071 a year, or roughly $506 a month. In neighboring Suisun City, where the median sale price runs closer to $529,500, the same 1% base works out to about $5,295 a year, or roughly $441 a month. Everything layered above it depends on where the parcel sits.
What Gets Added on Top of the 1% Base
A Tax Rate Area is the county’s way of tracking which taxing jurisdictions serve a specific parcel. Solano County has hundreds of them. Your TRA determines which of the following apply to you.
| Add-On | What It Funds | Varies By |
|---|---|---|
| School and community college bonds | Facility construction and modernization | School district boundaries |
| City general obligation bonds | Voter-approved municipal projects | City limits |
| Special district assessments | Fire, water, sanitation, mosquito abatement, lighting | District boundaries |
| Mello-Roos special taxes | Infrastructure in newer subdivisions | Community Facilities District boundaries |
This is why a single countywide rate does not exist and why published averages for Solano County disagree with each other depending on methodology. The only figure that describes your parcel is the one on your parcel’s bill.
Pull the most recent tax bill for any specific address before you build a budget around it. The Solano County Treasurer-Tax Collector’s parcel lookup shows the current bill with every line item broken out.
When Are Solano County Property Taxes Due?
The county bills annually and collects in two installments.
| Installment | Due Date | Delinquent After |
|---|---|---|
| First | November 1 | December 10 |
| Second | February 1 | April 10 |
A 10% penalty applies to any installment paid after its delinquency date. If the second installment goes unpaid past June 30, the parcel moves into tax-defaulted status, and additional penalties and interest accrue from there. Not receiving a bill does not waive the deadline or the penalty.
If your taxes are escrowed through your mortgage, your servicer pays both installments out of your monthly deposit. Review the annual escrow analysis to confirm the collection amount matches the actual bill, because an under-collected escrow account produces a shortage and a payment increase the following year.
How to Pay Solano County Property Taxes
The Solano County Treasurer-Tax Collector accepts payment online, by mail, and in person.
To pay online, look up the parcel by address, parcel number, or bill number, select the installment, and choose a payment method. E-check is typically the lower-cost option. Credit and debit card payments carry a third-party convenience fee. Save the confirmation number once the payment posts.
The Solano County Supplemental Tax Bill Catches Most Buyers
This is the single most common property tax surprise in Solano County, and it lands on new owners specifically.
When a property changes hands, the Assessor reassesses it at the new market value, which is normally your purchase price. If that exceeds the prior owner’s assessed value, the county issues a supplemental bill covering the difference for the remainder of the fiscal year, which runs July 1 through June 30.
Three things make it disruptive:
- It arrives on its own schedule, often several months after closing, long after the transaction feels finished.
- It is separate from the regular annual bill, so it shows up in addition to what you already expected.
- Most escrow accounts do not cover it, which means it comes out of pocket.
The size depends on the gap between the old and new assessed values and how much of the fiscal year remains. A purchase that closes in August generates a larger supplemental bill than one closing in May, because more of the year is left to prorate. Set aside cash for it at closing rather than discovering it later.
Mello-Roos in Solano County
Some newer subdivisions in Fairfield, Vacaville, and Dixon sit inside a Community Facilities District. Properties inside a CFD pay a special tax that repays bonds issued to build the infrastructure serving that development, and it appears as its own line item on the annual tax bill. The newer Fairfield neighborhoods most likely to carry one are mapped in our neighborhood guide.
Two features matter to buyers. Mello-Roos is not based on property value, so it does not follow the Proposition 13 formula. And it counts in the housing expense lenders use for qualification, which means two homes at the same purchase price can produce different loan approvals for the same borrower. Our affordability guide for Fairfield buyers walks through how that calculation runs.
Each district publishes a Rate and Method of Apportionment that sets the formula, the parcel categories, and any annual escalation. Our guide to how Mello-Roos works covers the mechanics in detail. For any specific parcel, the current tax bill is the reliable source.
Exemptions That Lower Your Solano County Bill
Homeowners’ Exemption
California removes $7,000 of assessed value from an owner-occupied primary residence, which saves roughly $70 a year. File Form BOE-266 with the Solano County Assessor by February 15 for the full benefit. Filing after that date still qualifies you for a partial benefit that year.
It is a small amount of money for a single form, and plenty of new owners never file it.
Disabled Veterans’ Exemption
This one is worth real money and gets missed constantly. California removes a portion of assessed value from the principal residence of a qualifying disabled veteran, in two tiers, both compounded annually for inflation under Revenue and Taxation Code section 205.5.
| 2026 Lien Date | Amount |
|---|---|
| Basic exemption | $180,671 |
| Low-income exemption | $271,009 |
| Household income limit, low-income tier | $81,131 |
Eligibility generally requires a 100% service-connected disability rating, or compensation at the 100% rate due to unemployability. Unmarried surviving spouses of qualifying veterans may also claim it. The basic tier is a one-time filing. The low-income tier requires filing annually.
With Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, Solano County has a larger population of rated veterans than most California counties, and this exemption is underclaimed. Our Fairfield VA loan guide covers how the same disability rating also waives the VA funding fee. Claims go through the Solano County Assessor.
Proposition 19 and Transferring Your Assessed Value
Proposition 19 lets certain homeowners carry their existing Proposition 13 assessed value to a replacement primary residence anywhere in California, which can matter more than the sale price itself for someone who has owned a long time.
Three groups qualify: homeowners aged 55 and older, homeowners who are severely and permanently disabled, and homeowners whose property was destroyed by wildfire or another declared natural disaster. The first two groups can use the transfer up to three times. If the replacement home costs more than the one sold, the difference is added to the transferred base rather than triggering a full reassessment.
Proposition 19 also narrowed the parent-to-child exclusion. A child inheriting a parent’s home now generally keeps the low assessed value only if the property becomes the child’s own primary residence, and a value cap applies above that. Property inherited and then rented out is reassessed at market value.
Both provisions carry filing deadlines and documentation requirements handled through the Solano County Assessor. The rules are detailed and the stakes are high, so confirm your situation with the Assessor or a tax professional before acting on either one.
Proposition 13 and the 2% Cap
Proposition 13 does two things. It caps the base rate at 1% of assessed value, and it limits annual increases in assessed value to 2% while you own the property.
The second part compounds in the owner’s favor over time. A household that bought fifteen years ago may be paying tax on an assessed value well below what the home would sell for today, which is the design working as intended rather than a loophole.
Reassessment is triggered by a sale, a transfer of ownership, or completed new construction. A remodel that adds square footage triggers a partial reassessment on the new work while leaving the existing base intact. Routine maintenance and repairs do not.
How to Appeal a Solano County Assessment
If the assessed value exceeds what the property would actually sell for, you can contest it.
An appeal is worth considering when comparable sales in the neighborhood came in below your assessed value, when the Assessor worked from outdated or incorrect data, or when a property-specific condition issue was not accounted for.
The process runs in four steps:
- Confirm your current assessed value from the tax bill or the Assessor’s parcel lookup.
- Assemble comparable sales that support a lower value, using sales close to the January 1 lien date.
- File an Application for Changed Assessment with the Solano County Assessment Appeals Board. California’s standard filing window runs July 2 through November 30. Confirm the current Solano deadline with the board, and note that supplemental assessments carry their own 60-day window from the date of the bill.
- Present your evidence at the hearing.
A successful appeal lowers the assessed value and refunds any overpayment. There is no penalty for filing an appeal that does not succeed.
Transfer Tax When You Buy or Sell in Solano County
Separate from annual property taxes, California counties collect a documentary transfer tax when title changes hands. The countywide rate is $1.10 for each $1,000 of value transferred.
In Fairfield, that $1.10 splits evenly, with $0.55 going to the City of Fairfield and $0.55 to Solano County. Some California charter cities levy an additional transfer tax on top of the county rate, so confirm the city-level treatment for the specific address with your title company before finalizing a net sheet.
Who pays the transfer tax is a negotiated term in the purchase contract, though local custom sets the starting point.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the property tax rate in Solano County?
The base rate is 1% of assessed value under Proposition 13, which applies to every parcel in California. Voter-approved bonds and special assessments are added on top, and those vary by Tax Rate Area, so the combined rate differs from parcel to parcel. Properties inside a Mello-Roos district pay more. The current tax bill for a specific address is the only reliable figure.
When are Solano County property taxes due?
Solano County collects in two installments. The first is due November 1 and becomes delinquent after December 10. The second is due February 1 and becomes delinquent after April 10. A 10% penalty applies immediately after each delinquency date.
What is a supplemental tax bill in Solano County?
When a property is sold, or new construction is completed, the Assessor reassesses it and issues a supplemental bill covering the difference between the old and new assessed values for the remainder of the fiscal year. It arrives separately from the regular annual bill, often months after closing, and most escrow accounts do not cover it.
How much are property taxes on a Fairfield home?
The Proposition 13 base of 1% works out to roughly $506 a month at Fairfield’s May 2026 median sale price of $607,137. Bonds, special assessments, and any Mello-Roos push the actual figure higher, and the total varies by parcel.
Do disabled veterans pay property tax in Solano County?
Qualifying disabled veterans have a portion of assessed value removed from their principal residence. For the 2026 lien date, the basic exemption is $180,671 and the low-income exemption is $271,009, with a household income limit of $81,131 for the low-income tier. Eligibility generally requires a 100% service-connected rating. Claims are filed with the Solano County Assessor.
Does Mello-Roos apply to my Solano County home?
It depends on the parcel. Some newer subdivisions in Fairfield, Vacaville, and Dixon sit inside a Community Facilities District and carry a special tax. Older neighborhoods generally do not. The current tax bill shows it as its own line item.
Getting the Escrow Math Right
Property tax is one of the larger pieces of a monthly housing payment, and getting it right at application prevents an escrow shortage later. If you are buying or refinancing in Solano County, we can build the full payment picture, including escrow for taxes, insurance, and any Mello-Roos, before you write an offer.
Ready to talk through a Solano County purchase or refinance? Contact JVM Lending for a free rate quote and a clear look at your full monthly payment.
This post is for educational purposes only. JVM Lending is not a tax professional or financial advisor. Property tax rules are detailed, and outcomes vary by circumstance, so consult a certified tax professional for guidance specific to your situation.
Sources
- California Constitution, Article XIII A (Proposition 13)
- California Revenue and Taxation Code section 205.5, Disabled Veterans’ Exemption
- California State Board of Equalization, Homeowners’ Exemption and Disabled Veterans’ Exemption
- Solano County Assessor-Recorder and Treasurer-Tax Collector
- City of Fairfield, Real Property Transfer Tax
- Redfin, Fairfield, CA housing market data, May 2026
