California residents saw a more generous homestead exemption as of January 1, 2021, when the standard Homestead exemption increased from $75,000 to a range from $300,000 to $600,000, depending on your county. California exemption amounts are adjusted annually for inflation on April 1, so that amount as of April 1, 2023, is $339,196 to $678,391, depending on your county.
LegalConsumer.com has added a California Exemption Calculator to help you quickly find what the exemption amount is in your county.
The new law states that the homestead exemption amount is based on the following:
- the median county-wide sale price for a home
- in the previous calendar year
- But not less than $300,000 ($313,000)
- and not more than $600,000 ($678,391).
The California Homestead calculator shows you the 2023 median sales price for every county in California based on available numbers from the California Realtors Association. The numbers in the calculator are based on the monthly median number for each county for 2023.
| County | 2023 Avg | Max Exemption |
| Alameda | $1,212,583 | $678,391 |
| Amador | $433,099 | $433,099 |
| Butte | $426,556 | $426,556 |
| Calaveras | $473,250 | $473,250 |
| Contra-Costa | $845,512 | $678,391 |
| Del Norte | $365,500 | $365,500 |
| El Dorado | $655,102 | $655,102 |
| Fresno | $408,866 | $408,866 |
| Glenn | $345,125 | $345,125 |
| Humboldt | $431,160 | $431,160 |
| Imperial | $355,117 | $355,117 |
| Kern | $379,140 | $379,140 |
| Kings | $365,938 | $365,938 |
| Lake | $328,104 | $328,104 |
| Lassen | $236,404 | $236,404 |
| Los Angeles | $819,372 | $678,391 |
| Madera | $417,564 | $417,564 |
| Marin | $1,600,417 | $678,391 |
| Mariposa | $416,750 | $416,750 |
| Mendocino | $501,958 | $501,958 |
| Merced | $383,873 | $383,873 |
| Mono | $950,688 | $678,391 |
| Monterey | $913,434 | $678,391 |
| Napa | $892,271 | $678,391 |
| Nevada | $543,230 | $543,230 |
| Orange | $1,261,667 | $678,391 |
| Placer | $655,273 | $655,273 |
| Plumas | $365,983 | $365,983 |
| Riverside | $612,122 | $612,122 |
| Sacramento | $526,024 | $526,024 |
| San Benito | $757,349 | $678,391 |
| San Bernardino | $473,408 | $473,408 |
| San Diego | $931,918 | $678,391 |
| San Francisco | $1,553,125 | $678,391 |
| San Joaquin | $534,225 | $534,225 |
| San Luis Obispo | $875,432 | $678,391 |
| San Mateo | $1,936,917 | $678,391 |
| Santa Barbara | $1,070,914 | $678,391 |
| Santa Clara | $1,741,333 | $678,391 |
| Santa Cruz | $1,226,833 | $678,391 |
| Shasta | $374,209 | $374,209 |
| Siskiyou | $295,563 | $295,563 |
| Solano | $585,603 | $585,603 |
| Sonoma | $829,037 | $678,391 |
| Stanislaus | $454,625 | $454,625 |
| Sutter | $415,271 | $415,271 |
| Tehama | $321,636 | $321,636 |
| Trinity | $304,432 | $304,432 |
| Tulare | $362,233 | $362,233 |
| Tuolumne | $408,525 | $408,525 |
| Ventura | $890,750 | $678,391 |
| Yolo | $608,150 | $608,150 |
| Yuba | $436,681 | $436,681 |
Source: February home sales and price report - California Association of Realtors
- California Homestead Exemption
- Federal Non-Bankruptcy Homestead Exemptions (available in every State)
- US Bankruptcy Code § 522(d) Homestead Exemption
Homestead Exemptions - State System
(State Law + Federal Non-Bankruptcy Law)
Homestead Exemption Under California Law
$339,196 to $678,391 depending on the county, and the median sale price for a home in prior calendar year.
2023 California Homestead Calculator (by County)
| Amount | Joint amount |
|---|---|
$313,000 to $626,000 depending on county |
$313,000 to $626,000 depending on county |
California Exemption System 1
California Exemption System 2
NOTE: Residency Requirement Caps Maximum Homestead at $189,050 if you've recently moved to a State that allows more than that
Under the 2005 bankruptcy law, you must be have lived in the state for at least 40 months (3 years + 4 months) before you can claim any homestead protection greater than $189,050. (If your state's exemption offers less than this amount, the law is irrelevant to you.) .
Federal Non-Bankruptcy Homestead Exemptions
These are exemptions under federal law, but and are NOT part of the bankruptcy code list of exemptions in 522(d), so states cannot "opt out" from these exemptions. These exemptions available in every State ONLY IF you are using the state exemptions. You cannot use these exemptions if you are using the federal bankruptcy exemption scheme under § 522(d)
-
Homestead Exemptions - Federal Bankruptcy Exemptions
(Exemptions under 11 U.S.C. § 522(d) only)
No. Federal exemptions not available. Instead, California has two systems of exemptions, one of which ("C2") closely mirrors the federal scheme. Cal. Civ. Proc. Code § 703.130
The Federal Bankruptcy Exemptions under 11 U.S.C. § 522(d) are available to you if
- you haven't lived in any state longer than 180 days for a while,
- or
- if your state allows the Federal exemptions as a choice.