San Diego County · California
San Diego sales tax rate (CA)
California's 7.25% base already bundles a 1.25% mandatory local share; only the district add-ons vary, and San Diego city carries fewer of them than most large California cities.
Quick answer
The combined sales tax rate in San Diego, CA is 7.75% as of January 1, 2026 — 7.25% state + 0.5% special district. On a $100 purchase that is $7.75 in tax, for a total of $107.75. California's statewide base is 7.25%.
- Combined rate
- 7.75%
- State share
- 7.25%
- Local share
- 0.5%County + city + districts
- Tax on $100
- $7.75
Calculate San Diego sales tax
Pre-filled with the San Diego combined rate.
Sales tax calculator
The full combined rate of 7.75% applies to general merchandise.
Enter a pre-tax amount to see the tax due in San Diego, CA.
- Pre-tax
- $100
- Sales tax at 7.75%
- $7.75
- Total
- $107.75
Tax is rounded to the nearest cent on the full transaction, which is how most registers compute it. Line-item rounding can differ by a cent or two on long receipts.
Is 7.75% high?
Where San Diego sits against the state and the covered-metro median, in points and in dollars.
- vs covered median
- -0.2 ptsMedian 7.95%
- Local share
- 6%0.5% of the total
- Cost per household
- $2,015Per year on $26,000 taxable spend
- Jurisdiction layers
- 2Stacked into the combined rate
7.75% in San Diego — ordinary. It ranks 51 of 94 covered metros, -0.2 pts against the 7.95% median. On $26,000 of taxable household spending that is $2,015 a year, $52 below it.
Local government sets 0.5% of the total, 6% of the bill; the state takes 7.25%. 2 layers stack: California state (incl. mandatory local) 7.25%, San Diego County TransNet and countywide districts 0.5%. The San Diego County TransNet and countywide districts increment at 0.5% is the largest local piece — 100% of everything local, worth $130 a year on its own.
10 of 11 covered California metros, -1 pts from the 8.75% state median. The in-state spread runs 7.75% in Anaheim to 10.25% in Long Beach — 2.5 points wide. San Diego is the cheapest covered metro in California; no in-state line is worth crossing.
Same bracket nationally: Chandler, AZ (7.8%); Anaheim, CA (7.75%); Toledo, OH (7.75%). A household relocating between San Diego and any of them sees no meaningful change in sales tax.
Scale: 1,381,162 residents, roughly 552,465 households. At $26,000 of taxable spend each, the 0.5% local share pulls about $71,820,450 a year from residents alone — before any visitor or business spending, which in a metro this size is where the rest comes from.
California's 7.25% base already bundles a 1.25% mandatory local share; only the district add-ons vary, and San Diego city carries fewer of them than most large California cities.
Rates move when a district measure passes or a local option expires. Confirm the current figure with the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration before filing or quoting it to a customer.
Jurisdiction breakdown
Every layer that makes up the combined rate, and how much of the total each one contributes.
| Jurisdiction | Level | Rate | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|
| California state (incl. mandatory local) | state | 7.25% | 94% |
| San Diego County TransNet and countywide districts | special district | 0.5% | 6% |
| Combined rate | 7.75% |
San Diego sales tax reference table
Tax due at 7.75% on common purchase amounts.
| Purchase | Sales tax | Total |
|---|---|---|
| $10 | $0.78 | $10.78 |
| $25 | $1.94 | $26.94 |
| $50 | $3.88 | $53.88 |
| $100 | $7.75 | $107.75 |
| $500 | $38.75 | $538.75 |
| $1,000 | $77.50 | $1077.50 |
| $5,000 | $387.50 | $5387.50 |
| $25,000 | $1937.50 | $26937.50 |
Reverse out sales tax
Enter a receipt total and we split the item price from the 7.75% tax collected.
Backing out 7.75% for San Diego, CA.
- Item price before tax
- $100
- Sales tax collected
- $7.75
What this rate applies to
California publishes the taxable base separately from the rate. Groceries, prescription drugs, clothing and services are treated differently state to state, and several categories in California are taxed at reduced rates or exempt entirely. California's 7.25% base already bundles a 1.25% mandatory local share; only the district add-ons vary, and San Diego city carries fewer of them than most large California cities. Check the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration guidance for the category you are pricing before assuming 7.75% applies.
San Diego at a glance
- Population
- 1,381,162
- Median household income
- $98,657
- County
- San Diego County
- ZIP codes covered
- 12
Compare with other California cities
Other covered California metros and how they compare.
Neighboring districts tax profiles
The closest covered jurisdictions by county and ZIP sectional centre, with the rate difference against this metro.
Compare San Diego with another metro
Side-by-side rate stacks and the dollar difference on a $1,000 purchase.
Cities near San Diego
Straight-line distance, estimated drive time and the rate charged there.
Download this metro's data
The San Diego jurisdiction stack, combined rate (7.75%), effective date and Census figures are published as open files. Free to use with attribution — no key, no signup.
More San Diego data
Other San Diego datasets on this site.
- San Diego population and income
- San Diego property tax
- San Diego cost of living
- San Diego home values and rent
- San Diego crime rates
- San Diego public schools
- San Diego weather normals
- San Diego commute times
- San Diego jobs and wages
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