Alameda County Transfer Tax by City: 2026 Rates

When a house in Alameda County sells, a transfer tax is paid at closing. Every sale pays the county’s tax, and eight cities add a tax of their own, so the total runs from about 0.1% of the price to over 2.6% depending on where the house is and what it sells for. This guide lists the rate for every city in the county and explains how the tiered cities work, who usually pays and what changes in 2027.

The county tax everyone pays

State law lets each California county charge a documentary transfer tax of 55 cents for every $500 of the sale price. Alameda County charges that full amount, which works out to $1.10 per $1,000, or 0.11%. On a $1 million sale, the county’s tax is $1,100. Like the other closing costs, it’s paid through escrow out of the sale.

Six cities, Dublin, Fremont, Livermore, Newark, Pleasanton and Union City, don’t add a tax beyond the county’s. State law lets a city collect half of that $1.10 as its own tax, but the county gives a matching credit, so the total in those cities stays at $1.10 per $1,000. Unincorporated communities such as Castro Valley, San Lorenzo, Ashland, Cherryland, Fairview and Sunol pay only the county tax.

Rates by city

Eight cities charge their own transfer tax on top of the county’s: Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, Emeryville, Hayward, Oakland, Piedmont and San Leandro. These are the rates in effect in October 2026, per $1,000 of the sale price. Every $10 per $1,000 equals 1%.

City or area	Sale price	City tax per $1,000	City and county together
Alameda	Any	$12.00	$13.10
Albany	Any	$15.00	$16.10
Berkeley	Up to $1,700,000	$15.00	$16.10
Berkeley	Over $1,700,000	$25.00	$26.10
Emeryville	Under $1,000,000	$12.00	$13.10
Emeryville	$1,000,000–$1,999,999	$15.00	$16.10
Emeryville	$2,000,000 and up	$25.00	$26.10
Hayward	Any	$8.50	$9.60
Oakland	Up to $300,000	$10.00	$11.10
Oakland	$300,001–$2,000,000	$15.00	$16.10
Oakland	$2,000,001–$5,000,000	$17.50	$18.60
Oakland	Over $5,000,000	$25.00	$26.10
Piedmont	Any	$13.00	$14.10
San Leandro	Any	$11.00	$12.10
Dublin, Fremont, Livermore, Newark, Pleasanton and Union City	Any	None added	$1.10
Unincorporated areas	Any	None	$1.10

Rates and tiers change, and Berkeley resets its threshold every January. Before you count on a number, confirm the current rate with the city or your escrow officer.

Tiered cities tax the whole price

Oakland, Berkeley and Emeryville have tiers, and they work differently from income tax brackets. The tier your price falls in sets the rate for the entire price, not just the part above the line. A small change in price can mean a large change in tax.

Berkeley gives its own example: a home that sells for $1.7 million owes the city $25,500, and one that sells for $2 million owes $50,000. In Oakland, a $2,000,000 sale owes the city 1.5%, or $30,000. One more dollar puts the sale in the 1.75% tier, and the city tax becomes about $35,000.

If your likely price sits near one of these thresholds, it helps to know exactly where the line is before you set an asking price or weigh offers. Your escrow officer can calculate the tax for any price you’re considering.

Who pays the transfer tax

Who pays is a matter of agreement, and the purchase contract says how it’s split. Oakland’s rules, for example, make the buyer and the seller jointly responsible for the city tax, so the city doesn’t decide who pays; the contract does.

Title companies report a common custom in Alameda County: the seller pays the county tax, and the buyer and seller split any city tax 50/50. It’s only a custom. Buyers and sellers can agree to something else, and the settlement statement from escrow will show exactly who is paying what.

Here’s how that custom plays out on a $1,000,000 sale:

Fremont: the $1,100 county tax, usually paid by the seller.
Hayward: $8,500 in city tax plus $1,100 county. The seller’s customary share is $5,350.
San Leandro: $11,000 in city tax plus $1,100 county. The seller’s customary share is $6,600.
Oakland: $15,000 in city tax plus $1,100 county. The seller’s customary share is $8,600.

The transfer tax is only one line on a seller’s settlement statement. Commissions, your loan payoff and prorated property taxes usually matter more; our guide to seller closing costs in California walks through each one.

Changes coming in 2027

Berkeley’s rates change on January 1, 2027, and voters in Albany and Piedmont will decide on new rates on November 3, 2026.

Berkeley: Measure W, which voters approved in 2024, keeps the 1.5% rate below $1.6 million and sets 2.5% from $1.6 million, 3% from $1.9 million and 3.5% from $3 million. The city adjusts these thresholds every year and says it will recalculate them before the new rates start, but they can’t drop below those amounts.
Albany: Measure S would replace the flat 1.5% rate with five tiers from 1% to 3%, based on where a price falls among recent Albany sales. If voters approve it, it takes effect January 1, 2027.
Piedmont: Measure GG would raise the city’s rate from $13.00 to $17.50 per $1,000 if voters approve it.

If you’re selling in one of these cities and your closing date could land on either side of a change, ask your escrow officer which rate will apply.

Transfer tax in a direct sale

The transfer tax applies the same way whether you list with an agent or sell straight to a buyer. If you’re weighing a direct sale, the bigger difference is usually commissions and repairs, not the tax.

When you sell to EZ Home Offer, you pay no commission and we cover typical closing costs, so ask us to walk you through what that includes for your city. A cash offer is usually below what a house could bring on the open market after repairs and showings, so compare what you’d net each way before you decide. You can see how a sale with us works, or check the cities we buy in across the county.

Sources

General information about California rules as of October 3, 2026, not legal, tax or financial advice. Laws change and every situation is different, so check the details with an attorney, CPA or other professional.