What's the sales tax in San Diego?
7.75% in the City of San Diego. It changes at the city line — Chula Vista, National City, Escondido and Del Mar are 8.75%, a full point higher, on the same purchase.
- City of San Diego
- 7.75%
- Highest in the county
- 8.75%
- California base rate
- 6.00%
Chula Vista, National City, Escondido, Del Mar and others
Plus 0.25% county, plus district taxes
The short version
- City of San Diego: 7.75%. That is California's 6% state rate plus a 0.25% county rate plus local district taxes.
- Neighbouring cities are not the same: Chula Vista, National City, Escondido, Del Mar, Imperial Beach and Solana Beach all sit at 8.75%.
- The rate follows where the sale happens, not where you live — which is why a big purchase can be worth crossing a city line for.
California's statewide base is 6%, San Diego County adds 0.25%, and individual cities layer district taxes on top of that. The result is that "the San Diego sales tax" is not one number — it is sixteen-odd numbers that change when you cross a street.
Combined sales tax rate by city
| City | Rate |
|---|---|
| San Diego | 7.75% |
| Coronado | 7.75% |
| Encinitas | 7.75% |
| Poway | 7.75% |
| El Cajon | 8.25% |
| Oceanside | 8.25% |
| La Mesa | 8.50% |
| Chula Vista | 8.75% |
| National City | 8.75% |
| Escondido | 8.75% |
| Del Mar | 8.75% |
| Imperial Beach | 8.75% |
| Solana Beach | 8.75% |
Carlsbad, Santee and Vista contain more than one tax district, so the rate there depends on the specific address. Rates as published September 2026.
SOURCES
Everything above traces back to one of these. Follow them — if one has changed and we haven't, that's our mistake, not yours.
SalesTaxHandbook · Checked September 8, 2026
The per-city combined rates and the state and county base rates.
California Department of Tax and Fee Administration · 2026
The state agency's own rate schedule — the authority if a figure is ever disputed.