Fact check: How much property tax is collected in California total

1. Summary of the results

Based on the available analyses, the total property tax collection for California cannot be definitively stated. While we know that state-assessed properties alone (utilities and railroads) generate $2.8 billion in property tax revenue ^[1], this represents only a fraction of the total collection. The state-assessed property values increased by 8.4% ($13 billion) from the previous year, resulting in an additional $218 million in tax revenue ^[1].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several important contextual elements need to be considered:

• There is significant variation in property tax collection across counties. For example, Marin County collects the highest median property tax at $5,500 per year, while Modoc County collects the lowest at $953 per year ^[2].
• The $167.2 billion in state-assessed property values only covers 322 companies ^[1], which is not representative of all taxable property in California.
• While the U.S. Census Bureau tracks state government tax collections ^[3], the complete data is not provided in any of the analyses.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The question itself is straightforward, but there are several potential sources of confusion:

• People might mistakenly interpret state-assessed property figures ($2.8 billion) as the total collection ^[1].
• The significant county-by-county variation in property tax collection ^[2] means that statewide averages or totals might not reflect local realities.
• The existence of multiple data sources (State Board of Equalization, U.S. Census Bureau) might lead to different figures being cited depending on what's being measured and when.

*Note: None of the provided analyses gives a complete picture of total property tax collection in California, suggesting this information might require additional sources or more comprehensive data.*