Interactive tool
Is the drive worth it? Sales-tax savings calculator
Los Angeles vs. Orange County: what a lower sales-tax rate saves at the register, what the trip costs, and what California says you still owe.
From October 1, 2026, the sales tax in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills is 10.25%. In Newport Beach, Costa Mesa and Irvine it is 7.75%. On a $25,000 purchase that’s $625 at the register. Is it worth the drive — and do you actually get to keep it?
Why the rates differ
Every California sale starts from a 7.25% statewide base: 6% to the state, 1% to the city or county where the sale is made, and 0.25% for local transportation. On top of that, voters approve “district” taxes for specific counties and cities. Los Angeles County has several, including Measure ER, a 0.5% countywide tax approved on June 2, 2026 that takes effect October 1, 2026. Orange County has one 0.5% transportation tax, so most of its cities sit at 7.75%.
| City | Jul 1 – Sep 30, 2026 | From Oct 1, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 9.75% | 10.25% |
| Beverly Hills | 9.75% | 10.25% |
| Santa Monica | 10.75% | 11.25% |
| Culver City | 10.75% | 11.25% |
| Pasadena, Long Beach, Glendale, Burbank, West Hollywood | 10.50% | 11.00% |
| Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, Irvine, Anaheim | 7.75% | 7.75% |
| Santa Ana | 9.25% | 9.25% |
| San Diego | 7.75% | 7.75% |
Source: California Department of Tax and Fee Administration rate tables effective July 1 and October 1, 2026. City rates apply inside city limits only; check a specific address with CDTFA’s lookup tool.
The catch: district use tax
California’s district taxes come in pairs: a sales tax where the item is sold and a matching use tax where it is used. If you buy something at a lower district rate for use at home in a higher-rate district, you generally owe the difference as district use tax, with credit for the district tax you already paid. If the store didn’t collect it, the buyer is responsible for reporting it — on the state income tax return or a one-time use-tax return. Cars, boats and aircraft are taxed at the rate where they’re registered, and retailers with more than $500,000 in California sales collect your home district’s rate on deliveries.
So the calculator shows two numbers: the difference at the register, and what you would legally keep.
Why it still matters
Even when the tax difference is owed, the sale happens in the lower-rate city. That city keeps its 1% local share of the sale, and its store books the revenue. That’s why California cities compete for retail — and why tax rates can move shopping even when they don’t move the final tax bill. Read the full explainer: Why drive an hour to buy a handbag?
This calculator illustrates incentives. It is not tax advice.