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California - Local Standards: Housing and Utilities

Disclaimer: IRS Collection Financial Standards are intended for use in calculating repayment of delinquent taxes. These Standards are effective on April 2, 2012 for purposes of federal tax administration only. Expense information for use in bankruptcy calculations can be found on the website for the U.S. Trustee Program.

The housing and utilities standards are derived from U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey and Bureau of Labor Statistics data, and are provided by state down to the county level. The standard for a particular county and family size includes both housing and utilities allowed for a taxpayer's primary place of residence. Generally, the total number of persons allowed for determining family size should be the same as those allowed as exemptions on the taxpayer's most recent year income tax return.

Housing and utilities standards include mortgage or rent, property taxes, interest, insurance, maintenance, repairs, gas, electric, water, heating oil, garbage collection, residential telephone service, cell phone service, cable television, and internet service. The tables include five categories for one, two, three, four, and five or more persons in a household.

The taxpayer is allowed the standard amount, or the amount actually spent on housing and utilities, whichever is less. If the amount claimed is more than the total allowed by the housing and utilities standards, the taxpayer must provide documentation to substantiate those expenses are necessary living expenses.

Maximum Monthly Allowance
County Housing and Utilities for a Family of 1 Housing and Utilities for a Family of 2 Housing and Utilities for a Family of 3 Housing and Utilities for a Family of 4 Housing and Utilities for a Family of 5 or more
Alameda County 2,489 2,923 3,080 3,435 3,490
Alpine County 2,175 2,555 2,692 3,002 3,050
Amador County 1,742 2,046 2,155 2,403 2,442
Butte County 1,530 1,797 1,894 2,112 2,146
Calaveras County 1,748 2,053 2,164 2,413 2,452
Colusa County 1,649 1,937 2,041 2,276 2,312
Contra Costa County 2,528 2,970 3,129 3,489 3,545
Del Norte County 1,426 1,675 1,765 1,968 1,999
El Dorado County 2,191 2,574 2,712 3,024 3,073
Fresno County 1,600 1,879 1,980 2,208 2,244
Glenn County 1,477 1,735 1,828 2,038 2,071
Humboldt County 1,520 1,785 1,881 2,098 2,132
Imperial County 1,531 1,798 1,895 2,113 2,147
Inyo County 1,530 1,797 1,894 2,112 2,146
Kern County 1,517 1,781 1,877 2,093 2,127
Kings County 1,501 1,763 1,857 2,071 2,104
Lake County 1,604 1,884 1,986 2,214 2,250
Lassen County 1,499 1,761 1,855 2,069 2,102
Los Angeles County 2,235 2,625 2,766 3,084 3,134
Madera County 1,630 1,915 2,018 2,250 2,286
Marin County 3,069 3,604 3,798 4,235 4,303
Mariposa County 1,573 1,848 1,947 2,171 2,206
Mendocino County 1,836 2,156 2,272 2,534 2,574
Merced County 1,620 1,903 2,005 2,236 2,272
Modoc County 1,166 1,370 1,444 1,610 1,636
Mono County 1,830 2,149 2,265 2,525 2,566
Monterey County 2,242 2,633 2,775 3,094 3,144
Napa County 2,399 2,818 2,969 3,310 3,364
Nevada County 1,975 2,320 2,444 2,725 2,769
Orange County 2,448 2,875 3,029 3,378 3,432
Placer County 2,244 2,636 2,778 3,097 3,147
Plumas County 1,525 1,791 1,888 2,105 2,139
Riverside County 1,998 2,347 2,473 2,757 2,802
Sacramento County 1,904 2,236 2,357 2,628 2,670
San Benito County 2,484 2,917 3,074 3,427 3,483
San Bernardino County 1,831 2,150 2,266 2,526 2,567
San Diego County 2,277 2,674 2,818 3,142 3,192
San Francisco County 2,856 3,355 3,535 3,941 4,005
San Joaquin County 1,988 2,334 2,460 2,743 2,787
San Luis Obispo County 2,099 2,465 2,597 2,896 2,943
San Mateo County 2,874 3,375 3,557 3,966 4,030
Santa Barbara County 2,224 2,612 2,753 3,069 3,119
Santa Clara County 2,779 3,264 3,439 3,835 3,897
Santa Cruz County 2,525 2,966 3,125 3,484 3,541
Shasta County 1,566 1,840 1,939 2,162 2,197
Sierra County 1,387 1,629 1,717 1,914 1,945
Siskiyou County 1,353 1,590 1,675 1,868 1,898
Solano County 2,150 2,525 2,661 2,967 3,015
Sonoma County 2,264 2,659 2,802 3,124 3,174
Stanislaus County 1,793 2,106 2,219 2,474 2,514
Sutter County 1,655 1,944 2,048 2,284 2,321
Tehama County 1,375 1,615 1,702 1,898 1,928
Trinity County 1,315 1,544 1,627 1,814 1,843
Tulare County 1,428 1,678 1,768 1,971 2,003
Tuolumne County 1,674 1,966 2,072 2,310 2,348
Ventura County 2,395 2,813 2,965 3,306 3,359
Yolo County 2,033 2,388 2,516 2,806 2,851
Yuba County 1,651 1,939 2,043 2,278 2,315

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Page Last Reviewed or Updated: 2012-08-01