Journal · market # Is my assessed value what my Pasadena home is worth in 2026? No. The assessed value on your Los Angeles County tax bill is a tax figure that usually grows no more than 2% a year, while market value is what a buyer would likely pay for your Pasadena home today. Published October 28, 2026 · Updated October 28, 2026 · 6 min By Sidney Manzo, CA DRE #01108914 · RE/MAX Dream Properties (ASLG Inc), CA DRE #02142193 [Journal](https://realestateworks.com/journal) · market Pasadena · Pasadena home value · assessed value versus market value · property-specific home review · selling a Pasadena home · Los Angeles County assessment roll ## What is the difference between assessed value and market value? Assessed value is a tax number; market value is a sale price. The California State Board of Equalization says all taxable property has both: the assessed value is the dollar value a County Assessor assigns for property taxation, and market value is the price the property would bring if offered for sale on the open market. ## Why is my assessed value so much lower than my home’s worth? Usually because you bought years ago. The Los Angeles County Assessor’s July 14, 2026 announcement says that under Proposition 13 most annual increases are limited to 2%, even in a year when the roll as a whole grew 4.42%. Market prices don’t follow that cap, so long-time Pasadena owners often see a large gap. Your CPA handles the tax side, and Sidney works alongside them. ## What happens to the assessed value when I sell? It resets for the buyer. The Board of Equalization says a home is generally reassessed to its current market value when it changes ownership, which sets a new base for the buyer’s property tax. Your own assessed value stops mattering once the sale closes. ## How do I find out what my Pasadena home would sell for? Ask for a review of the house itself. Location, condition, size, lot, updates and recent nearby sales decide the price, which is why two homes a few blocks apart can differ. See [how much your Pasadena home is worth](https://realestateworks.com/journal/how-much-is-my-pasadena-home-worth), or request a [free Pasadena home value review](https://realestateworks.com/valuation). ## Questions homeowners ask next **Does the county assessed value tell me what my Pasadena home would sell for?** No. Assessed value is the figure the Los Angeles County Assessor uses to calculate property tax, and under Proposition 13 it usually rises no more than 2% a year while you own the home. Market value is what a buyer would likely pay today, based on your home’s condition, location and recent sales nearby. If you have owned your Pasadena home for a long time, the two numbers can be far apart, and the assessed value is usually the lower one. **Does the 2026 Assessment Roll increase raise my property tax by 4.42%?** Not for most owners. The Los Angeles County Assessor reported that the 2026 Assessment Roll grew 4.42% overall. The same announcement says most property owners will not see a corresponding increase in their tax bills, because Proposition 13 limits most annual inflation adjustments to 2%. Larger jumps in the roll usually come from sales and new construction. Your CPA can tell you how this applies to your own bill. **Can my assessed value ever be higher than my home’s market value?** It can happen when prices fall below the value the county has on the roll. The Board of Equalization explains that the Assessor must enroll the lower of a property’s factored base year value or its market value each January 1, so a home whose market value drops can be temporarily assessed lower. If you think that applies to you, contact the Los Angeles County Assessor’s office, which handles these reviews, and ask your CPA how it affects your bill. **Why do online estimates differ from my assessed value and from each other?** They measure different things. Assessed value is a tax figure tied to when you bought, while online estimates are automated guesses built from public records and recent sales. Neither one has seen inside your home, so neither knows about a new kitchen, a worn roof or a better lot than the house next door. That is why estimates for the same Pasadena address can vary widely, and why a review of the actual property is the better guide when you are planning a sale. **Is a home value review the same as an appraisal?** No. An appraisal is a licensed appraiser’s formal opinion of value, usually ordered by a lender when a buyer finances the purchase. A home value review from a listing agent is a pricing opinion built from recent comparable sales to help you decide whether and how to sell. Both look at your home’s condition, size and nearby sales, but only the appraisal is used for the buyer’s loan. Sidney can prepare the review; the lender orders the appraisal later in escrow. Thinking about selling in Pasadena? Sidney will prepare a free home value review. [Get my free home review](https://realestateworks.com/valuation?city=pasadena#valuation-form) ## Sources - [lacounty.gov/2026/07/14/la-county-property-values-surpass-2-2-trillion/](https://lacounty.gov/2026/07/14/la-county-property-values-surpass-2-2-trillion/) - [boe.ca.gov/proptaxes/pdf/lta25023.pdf](https://boe.ca.gov/proptaxes/pdf/lta25023.pdf) - [boe.ca.gov/proptaxes/faqs/changeinownership.htm](https://www.boe.ca.gov/proptaxes/faqs/changeinownership.htm) ## Who can help with this? Sidney Manzo is a local agent in Pasadena who can review your situation and the next step. Sidney Manzo, CA DRE #01108914, licensed in California; 155+ closed sales; RE/MAX Hall of Fame; member of the Pasadena Association of REALTORS® and C.A.R. [About Sidney Manzo](https://realestateworks.com/about) · [Get my free home review](https://realestateworks.com/valuation?city=pasadena#valuation-form). RE/MAX Dream Properties (ASLG Inc), CA DRE #02142193 Published October 28, 2026 · Updated October 28, 2026 This note is not an appraisal and not legal, tax, or foreclosure advice. Nothing on this page creates a listing agreement. Equal Housing Opportunity. ## Also in the catalog - [Sell a Home in Pasadena](https://realestateworks.com/cities/pasadena) - [Property-Specific Home Value Review](https://realestateworks.com/valuation) - [Book a Seller Consultation](https://realestateworks.com/book?kind=seller-consultation) - [What’s the Pasadena Real Estate Market Like in 2026?](https://realestateworks.com/journal/whats-the-pasadena-real-estate-market-like-in-2026) Pasadena real estate in 2026 cannot be answered with a citywide home price, and this note is not an appraisal. Trends and opportunities still rest on the individual property, so a property-specific review of the address is required instead of a 2026 city forecast. - [Who should I hire to sell an inherited house in Pasadena?](https://realestateworks.com/journal/who-should-i-hire-to-sell-an-inherited-house-in-pasadena) You need a small team where each person has one job: the estate's attorney and a CPA handle the legal and financial side, and a listing agent handles the house, from pricing and cleanout to marketing and escrow. The executor or other person in charge makes the decisions, and licensed vendors do the hands-on work. - [Can I sell my house with tenants in it in California?](https://realestateworks.com/journal/can-i-sell-my-house-with-tenants-in-it-california) Yes, you can list a rented home, and the state's just-cause list for ending a tenancy in Civil Code section 1946.2 doesn't include a sale. You can sell with the tenant in place or end the tenancy only for a listed reason with any relocation owed, and Pasadena and unincorporated LA County add their own rules. --- Sidney Manzo, CA DRE #01108914 · RE/MAX Dream Properties (ASLG Inc), CA DRE #02142193 · (626) 296-2900 Source page: https://realestateworks.com/journal/is-my-assessed-value-what-my-pasadena-home-is-worth