The median commercial property tax rate reached 3.4% in Rexland Acres for fiscal year 2025, placing the city second-highest among areas in Kern County, data from BlockShopper.com show.
At 0.9% for the same period, the countywide median came in 2.5 percentage points below the rate recorded in Rexland Acres.
Commercial property tax rates among Kern County’s 24 cities ranged from 0.3% in Mojave up to 3.5% in East Bakersfield.
An analysis by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy found that commercial property tax rates averaged 1.76% in 53 major U.S. cities in 2024. The study estimated that a $1 million property with $200,000 in fixtures typically generated an annual tax bill near $21,060, though rates varied, with the lowest below 1% and others reaching close to 4%.
Property classification systems in many states can lead to higher effective tax rates for commercial, industrial, and apartment properties when compared with residential property rates. In cities such as Charleston, businesses may pay tax rates several times higher than homeowners do, sometimes up to six times greater.
| Rank | City | Tax Rate % |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | East Bakersfield | 3.5% |
| 2 | Rexland Acres | 3.4% |
| 3 | China Lake Acres | 2.7% |
| 4 | Potomac Park | 1.5% |
| 5 | Delano | 1.1% |
| 6 | Wofford Heights | 1% |
| 6 | Taft | 1% |
| 6 | Tehachapi | 1% |
| 9 | Bakersfield | 0.9% |
| 9 | East Niles | 0.9% |
| 9 | Inyokern | 0.9% |
| 9 | California City | 0.9% |
| 13 | Lake Isabella | 0.8% |
| 13 | Oildale | 0.8% |
| 13 | Wasco | 0.8% |
| 13 | Rosamond | 0.8% |
| 13 | Lamont | 0.8% |
| 18 | Ridgecrest | 0.7% |
| 18 | Rosedale | 0.7% |
| 18 | Arvin | 0.7% |
| 18 | Golden Hills | 0.7% |
| 18 | Shafter | 0.7% |
| 23 | Greenfield | 0.5% |
| 24 | Mojave | 0.3% |
| Rank | Address | Tax Rate % |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 351 E. Pacheco Road | 5% |
| 2 | 501 Bohannan Ave. | 1.7% |
Note: Some property addresses may appear incomplete or be missing due to limitations in county assessor reporting.
This article’s information comes from BlockShopper.com. Source data is available here.