Two Yolo County homes at the same price can carry very different tax bills. Under Proposition 13, the base tax is 1% of assessed value plus voter-approved debt. The rest of the bill is made up of special taxes and assessments: Mello-Roos districts in newer neighborhoods, landscaping and lighting districts, levee and reclamation charges, and local bonds. Those lines are what buyers most often underestimate.
The assessed-value tax, a community facilities district’s special tax and a maintenance assessment can follow different formulas. Separating those lines makes a meaningful ownership-cost comparison possible. The Yolo County overview provides the wider setting.
Woodland’s Spring Lake shows how special taxes work
Woodland’s Spring Lake neighborhood is a clear example. According to the city’s September 2021 published FAQ, a Mello-Roos community facilities district was formed there in 2004 to pay for backbone infrastructure, with up to $112.5 million in bonds authorized, of which about $81.3 million had been issued. The special tax can rise by up to 2% a year, ends by 2050 and can be prepaid. Spring Lake homes may also pay a separate sports park maintenance district and a landscaping and lighting district, whose annual engineer’s reports set the year’s charges.
Other newer neighborhoods in Yolo, including in West Sacramento and Davis, may have their own districts. Don’t assume a home is free of special taxes because it isn’t in Spring Lake, or that every Spring Lake home pays the same amount.
Read every line of the current bill
Look up the parcel on the county tax collector’s site and read the current secured tax bill. Separate the base 1% tax and voter-approved debt from the special charges, and write down each special line by name and amount. Then ask the seller, or the district named on the bill, for the documents that explain each charge: how it is calculated, whether it can rise, and when it ends.
State law requires sellers to make a good-faith effort to give buyers notice of any Mello-Roos tax, and the natural hazard disclosure report often lists special districts. Use both, but treat the tax bill as the primary record; see our guide to the NHD report.
Levee, flood and reclamation charges
In West Sacramento, the Delta and river towns, levee and reclamation district charges can appear on the bill. Ask which district protects the parcel and whether new assessments are planned. Our flood records guide covers the levee side of these questions.
Your bill will not be the seller’s bill
After a purchase, the assessed value resets to roughly the purchase price, so the base tax will usually rise, and the county will send a supplemental bill for the rest of the tax year; see our guide to the supplemental tax bill. Fixed special taxes such as Mello-Roos usually don’t reset with the sale, but they may rise on their own schedule. Ask your lender to include the full expected tax in your payment.
HOA dues and other recurring costs
Many newer Yolo neighborhoods also have HOAs. Read the budget, reserves and any planned special assessments, and add dues to the monthly total. If the home is in a floodplain, add the flood insurance premium. If it is a rental in Davis, add the cost of registration and any required inspections; our rental rules guide explains them.
| Bill item | Source | Ask | Keep separate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base 1% tax and voter-approved debt | Current secured bill | What will it be at your purchase price? | Seller’s assessed value versus yours |
| Mello-Roos special tax | Tax bill; district documents; seller’s notice | How is it calculated, can it rise, when does it end, can it be prepaid? | This year’s amount versus future amounts |
| Landscaping, lighting and park districts | Tax bill; annual engineer’s report | What does this year’s report set? | One district versus another on the same bill |
| Levee and reclamation charges | Tax bill; district | Are new assessments planned? | Current charge versus planned work |
| Supplemental bill | County after closing | When will it arrive and for how much? | Annual bill versus one-time supplemental |
Compare homes on total monthly cost
Once each line is filled in from the actual records, compare homes on their total monthly cost, not price alone. A slightly cheaper home with a large special tax and flood insurance can cost more each month than a pricier home without them. Our buyer services team can pull tax bills and district documents for the homes you like.
Sources & notes
Sources checked October 29, 2026. This guide explains property and ownership considerations; no individual parcel, permit, insurance policy or tax bill was reviewed.
