TaxLienSimple

The TaxLienSimple Index / California

The TaxLienSimple Index · CA · 2026

California Tax-Lien & Tax-Deed Investing

What California statute actually pays — return, redemption and bid method — cross-referenced with the live auction inventory we track. Every figure traces to state law or a county source.

53 /100
Tier C National rank #24 of 51
The TaxLienSimple Index is a 0–100 research guide built from statutory terms and the inventory we track — not a yield, a guarantee, or investment advice. Realized returns depend on competition, redemption and your own due diligence. Verify every figure with the county before bidding.
Sale type
Tax Deed
Statutory return / penalty
none — property sold outright at public auction
Redemption period
none after sale (right to redeem ends at close of business the day before the auction)
Bid method
highest bid (deed)
Sale season
varies by county; many sales in spring and fall
What you buy
tax-defaulted property deed sale

Statutory note. Property must be tax-defaulted 5+ years before it can be sold (R&T Code §3691); once the deed sells there is no redemption, making it a clean tax-deed state.

1,564live parcels tracked
4counties with inventory
#24of 51 jurisdictions
Read the score correctly. The TaxLienSimple Index is a 0–100 research guide built from statutory terms and the inventory we track — not a yield, a guarantee, or investment advice. Realized returns depend on competition, redemption and your own due diligence. Verify every figure with the county before bidding.

Remote Investor Snapshot

Verified public-data profile for out-of-area investors — every figure below traces to the cited government source. Blank fields mean the source does not publish that value for this area (we never estimate).

Market & demographics

Population
39,356,104
5-yr population growth
+1% growing
Median household income
$91,905
Median age
37.3
Poverty rate
12.1%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year 2022

Housing market

Median home value
$659,300
Median gross rent
$1,856/mo
Owner-occupied
55.6% 44.4% renter
Vacancy rate
7.7%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year 2022

Property-tax burden

Median real-estate taxes
$4,694/yr
Effective property-tax rate
0.71% of home value

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year 2022

Natural-hazard risk & safety

Unemployment rate
5.7%

Source: FEMA National Risk Index (2023); U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (2023 annual)

Growth & livability signals

New residential permits
111,760 units, 2023
Broadband subscription
91.5%
Bachelor's degree +
35.9%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey (2023); U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2022 (household broadband subscription; FCC availability not yet integrated); U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2022 (educational attainment — school-quality proxy; NCES ratings not yet integrated)

Risk & opportunity flags

Opportunity Zone tracts
879 tax-advantaged
EPA Superfund (NPL) sites
94
EPA Brownfield sites
2,261

Source: U.S. Treasury CDFI Fund / IRS designated Opportunity Zones; U.S. EPA (SEMS National Priorities List; ACRES Brownfields)

Counties we track in California

#CountyTaxLienSimple IndexLive parcels
1 Los Angeles County B 59 1,239
2 Fresno County B 57 219
3 Butte County B 56 105
4 San Bernardino County C 53 1

See the actual parcels in California

Browse the live tax-lien, deed and foreclosure inventory we track — search by county, redemption window and opening bid.

Browse live auction inventory →
The TaxLienSimple Index is a 0–100 research guide built from statutory terms and the inventory we track — not a yield, a guarantee, or investment advice. Realized returns depend on competition, redemption and your own due diligence. Verify every figure with the county before bidding.

© 2026 TaxLienSimple · The TaxLienSimple Index is compiled from state tax statutes and county treasurer/tax-collector offices; live inventory counts reflect parcels currently tracked by TaxLienSimple and update continuously. Nothing here is investment or legal advice.