High Desert Property Values Jump 8.5%, Adding $1 Billion to San Bernardino County Assessment Roll

SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, Calif. (VVNG.com) –– The High Desert continued to be one of San Bernardino County’s fastest-growing regions, posting an 8.5% increase in assessed property values and adding approximately $1 billion to the county’s 2026 annual assessment roll. 

Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk Josie Gonzales officially signed and delivered the 2026 assessment roll to Deputy Chief Property Tax Division Franciliza Zyss of the Auditor-Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector’s Office. The assessment roll includes 905,255 parcels with a total assessed value of $376.9 billion across San Bernardino County.

“San Bernardino County continues to demonstrate strong and steady growth,” Gonzales said. “Through our National Association of Counties award-winning program, From Confusion to Clarity: Revolutionizing Property Tax Outreach, my office is committed to connecting property owners with valuable property tax-saving programs and the information they need to access them.”

The assessment roll showed the unincorporated High Desert experienced one of the county’s strongest gains, with assessed values increasing 8.5% over 2025. According to the Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk’s Office, that growth translated into an additional $1 billion in assessed value, reflecting continued investment and development throughout the desert communities. 

Countywide, the 2026 assessment roll encompasses 905,255 parcels with a total assessed value of $376,926,409,190. Incorporated cities reached a combined assessed value of $320 billion, a 4.2% increase, while all unincorporated areas totaled $56 billion, up 5.4%.

Ontario remained the county’s highest-valued city with $49 billion in assessed value, followed by Rancho Cucamonga at $40 billion and Fontana at $36 billion.

The assessment roll also highlights several property tax relief programs administered by the Assessor’s Office. This year, 219,368 homeowners received the Homeowner’s Exemption, resulting in more than $15.3 million in property tax savings. Another 7,628 disabled veterans qualified for more than $13 million in tax savings, while 2,758 schools, churches, museums and nonprofit organizations received more than $58.6 million in tax relief.

The Assessor’s Office also identified communities impacted by the December 2025 storms and applied appropriate reductions to affected property assessments.

According to a written statement, the annual assessment roll reflects the total gross assessed value of locally assessed real, business and personal property as of the Jan. 1 lien date. Under Proposition 13, real property is assessed at the lower of its current market value or its adjusted base-year value, which generally may increase by no more than 2% annually unless ownership changes or new construction occurs. 

Residents can learn more about property tax-saving programs by visiting arc.sbcounty.gov/property-tax-savings/. Property owners can also visit arc.sbcounty.gov or call 877-885-7654 for additional assessment information.

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