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San Diego is one of the best places in the world to retire.
Perfect weather. World-class beaches. Great restaurants, incredible healthcare, and enough to do that you'll never run out of reasons to leave the house. If you've worked hard your whole career and dreamed of spending your retirement years somewhere beautiful, San Diego makes a pretty compelling case.
But here's the thing nobody tells you when you're thinking about retirement near the beach: California is expensive. And not just in the "rent is high" kind of way. The tax burden here is real, and if you're not careful, a bigger chunk of your retirement savings than you expected could quietly disappear before you ever get to enjoy it.
The good news? With a little planning, you can dramatically reduce what you owe — and keep more of your money doing what it's supposed to do: funding the retirement you worked so hard to build.
This guide is your starting point. We'll walk through how California taxes your retirement income, which strategies actually work for San Diego retirees, and where the hidden pitfalls tend to show up.
Before we get into strategy, it helps to understand the basic landscape. California's tax system has some quirks that make it meaningfully different from most other states — and some of those quirks may surprise you.
California runs a progressive income tax with rates from 1% all the way up to 13.3% at the top (as of 2026). That top rate, by the way, is the highest state income tax rate in the entire country. Most retirees won't hit it, but plenty end up in the 9%–10% range — which is still substantial.
What makes California different from many states is that it taxes most retirement income the same way it taxes a paycheck: as ordinary income. That means withdrawals from your 401(k) or traditional IRA? Taxed. Pension payments? Taxed. Annuity income? Taxed (at least partially).
There is one bright spot: California does not tax Social Security benefits. That's actually a big deal — plenty of states do — and it provides at least some relief for retirees who are drawing from Social Security as a primary income source.
California's Proposition 13 caps your property tax rate at 1% of assessed value, with annual increases limited to 2%. If you've owned your San Diego home for a while, this is a big advantage — your assessed value may be well below what the home is actually worth today, and that gap could be saving you thousands per year in property taxes.
The catch? If you're buying a home in San Diego's current market, your initial assessed value reflects current market prices. San Diego County's average effective property tax rate runs around 0.75% (as of 2026), but that percentage applies to a very high base number in most neighborhoods. And if you're buying in a newer development, you may also be looking at Mello-Roos assessments on top of that (more on those later).
California's base sales tax is 7.25%, and San Diego typically adds a bit more, putting you around 7.75% total. It won't show up in your tax return, but it does affect your purchasing power — especially if you're living on a fixed budget and spending regularly on everyday goods and services.
This is where most retirees get surprised. Different types of income get treated very differently by the state — and knowing the rules helps you plan smarter.
Good news here. California is one of the states that fully exempts Social Security benefits from state income tax. Whatever you receive from Social Security, the state won't tax you on it.
At the federal level, however, it's a different story. Depending on your overall income, up to 85% of your Social Security benefits can become federally taxable. The IRS uses a "provisional income" formula to figure this out — your adjusted gross income, plus any nontaxable interest, plus half of your Social Security benefits. If that combined number crosses certain thresholds, your benefits start getting taxed. So while California gives you a pass, the IRS may not.
Every dollar you pull from a traditional IRA or 401(k) is taxed as ordinary income — both federally and at the state level. This is the account type where strategic withdrawal planning matters most, because large, unplanned withdrawals can push you into a higher bracket fast.
Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) are a big factor here. Under SECURE 2.0, RMDs now kick in at age 73 (rising to 75 by 2033), which gives you a slightly longer runway to plan. But once they start, you don't get to choose whether to take the money — the IRS sets the floor, and you pay taxes on every dollar.
Qualified withdrawals from Roth accounts are completely tax-free — no federal tax, no California state tax. Because contributions went in after-tax, the government has already had its share, and you get to keep the growth.
Roth accounts also have no RMDs, which means you're never forced to take money out on someone else's schedule. That makes them incredibly flexible later in retirement and one of the most efficient assets you can pass on to heirs.
Public and private pensions are taxed as ordinary income in California — the full amount. This applies whether your pension comes from a private employer, a government job, or military service. If you're receiving a pension, budget accordingly, because the state will take its cut.
Annuities purchased with pre-tax dollars are generally fully taxable when you take withdrawals. Annuities funded with after-tax dollars are only partially taxed — only the earnings portion typically counts as taxable income.
For regular taxable investment accounts (brokerage accounts, for example), here's where California has a quirk that catches many people off guard: California does not give preferential treatment to long-term capital gains. At the federal level, you'd pay 0%, 15%, or 20% on long-term gains. In California, those same gains get taxed at your ordinary income rate — which could be 9%, 10%, or more. That makes tax-efficient investing and careful timing of gains especially important for California retirees.
Here's where strategy really pays off. The order and timing of your withdrawals can have an enormous impact on your lifetime tax bill — we're talking tens of thousands of dollars in some cases.
The order you withdraw from your investment and retirement accounts matters. Tapping into 401(k) and Traditional IRA accounts in low income years (after age 59.5 and to fill up lower tax brackets) may be beneficial. In higher income years, tapping taxable brokerage accounts where there are minimal capital gains may be better. Tapping Roth IRA and Roth 401(K) accounts last can save tens of thousands in taxes over a 20–30 year retirement as Roth account withdrawals are generally tax free at the federal and state level.
A Roth conversion means moving money from a traditional IRA into a Roth IRA. You pay income tax on the converted amount in the year you do it — but after that, the money grows and withdraws completely tax-free.
For retirees in their 60s before RMDs begin, this can be one of the most powerful tools available. If your income is lower than it will be once Social Security and RMDs are both in play, converting at today's rates locks in a lower tax cost than you'd face in the future.
The key is not converting too much in a single year, which can push you into a higher bracket and potentially trigger IRMAA (Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount) surcharges on your Medicare premiums. Spreading conversions across multiple years — filling up a favorable bracket without overflowing into the next — tends to produce the best results.
This is one that catches retirees off guard all the time. Your Medicare Part B and Part D premiums aren't fixed — they're tied to your income from two years prior. Cross certain income thresholds, and you'll pay IRMAA surcharges that can add hundreds or even thousands to your annual Medicare costs.
In 2026, the threshold for single filers is $109,000 (up from $106,000 in 2025), and $218,000 for married couples. What makes this particularly frustrating is that it's a cliff — cross the threshold by even one dollar, and you jump to the next surcharge level. Careful income management around Roth conversions and capital gains realizations can help you avoid triggering these surcharges unnecessarily.
California isn't all take — there are a few programs that genuinely help retirees, especially homeowners.
If you've owned your San Diego home for 10, 20, or 30 years, Proposition 13 has probably been very good to you. Your assessed value is frozen (with only modest annual increases), which means your property tax bill may be a fraction of what a new buyer would pay for the same home. This is one of the most powerful passive tax advantages available to California homeowners — and one worth thinking carefully about before you sell and move.
If you do decide to downsize or move to a different home in California, Proposition 19 is your friend. It allows homeowners who are 55 or older to transfer their existing property tax base to a new home — anywhere in the state. You can use this benefit up to three times in your lifetime.
This means you can downsize without watching your property tax bill double or triple just because you moved. It's a meaningful benefit that makes staying in California more financially viable for retirees who want to right-size their housing.
San Diego County, like many California counties, offers some exemptions and deferral programs for qualifying seniors. Eligibility is typically based on age and income, and the details vary. It's worth contacting the San Diego County Assessor's Office directly or asking your financial advisor to check whether you qualify.
There's also a modest state income tax credit available for seniors who meet certain income thresholds. It's not a huge number, but every dollar of credit reduces your tax bill directly — so it's worth claiming if you qualify.
If you're charitably inclined, there are some powerful strategies that let your generosity also work for your financial plan.
If you're 70½ or older, you can direct money from your IRA straight to a charity — and it never counts as taxable income. In 2026, the limit is $111,000 per person. This is called a Qualified Charitable Distribution, and it's one of the best tools in retirement tax planning.
Here's why it's so powerful: if you were going to give to charity anyway, doing it through a QCD means the money comes out of your IRA without increasing your taxable income. If you have an RMD due, a QCD can satisfy it — again, without adding to your income. That matters for your Social Security taxation, your Medicare premiums, and your California income tax bill all at once.
Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), the QCD is even more valuable in 2026, because the tax benefit of itemized charitable deductions has been reduced for higher earners. The QCD's above-the-line income exclusion has become the preferred giving strategy for most retirees.
A Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) lets you make a large charitable contribution in a single year — getting the full deduction upfront — and then distribute the money to actual charities over multiple years. This is especially useful in high-income years (like a year when you do a large Roth conversion) where you want to offset income with deductions.
If you own appreciated stock in a taxable brokerage account, donating the shares directly to charity — rather than selling and donating the cash — means you avoid the capital gains entirely. You get a deduction for the full fair market value, and the charity receives the full value too.
Healthcare gets more expensive as you age, and the tax code actually offers some relief — if you plan for it.
If you itemize your deductions, unreimbursed medical expenses above 7.5% of your adjusted gross income are generally deductible. This includes Medicare premiums, long-term care costs, hearing aids, dental work, and more. The bar is high, but for retirees facing significant medical or long-term care expenses, it can add up to real savings.
Premiums on qualifying long-term care insurance policies may be deductible (within IRS-set age-based limits). If you're already incurring significant deductible medical expenses in a given year, adding LTC premiums to the pile can help you clear the 7.5% threshold more easily.
If you contributed to a Health Savings Account before enrolling in Medicare, those funds are yours to keep — and they can still be used tax-free for qualified medical expenses in retirement. Just note that once you're on Medicare, you can no longer contribute new money to an HSA. But spending down an existing balance on healthcare costs is a perfectly good use of those funds.
California doesn't have a state estate tax or inheritance tax. The federal estate tax applies to estates over $15 million per person (as of 2026), so most retirees won't need to worry about it at the federal level either.
That said, estate planning is still important for several reasons:
When your heirs inherit appreciated assets — say, a taxable brokerage account you started decades ago — they generally receive what's called a "step-up" in cost basis. This means their basis is reset to the current market value at the time of your death, potentially eliminating a lifetime of embedded capital gains. It's one of the most valuable (and underappreciated) provisions in the tax code, and it's a good reason to think carefully about which assets you spend during your lifetime and which you leave behind.
In 2026, you can give up to $19,000 per person ($38,000 per couple) per year without it counting against your lifetime estate tax exemption. Regular gifting can be a simple, effective way to transfer wealth to your family members over time.
Various types of trusts can provide tax benefits, asset protection, and control over how assets are distributed. A revocable living trust is common in California and can help avoid probate. Charitable remainder trusts, irrevocable life insurance trusts, and other vehicles can provide estate tax benefits for those with larger estates. These get complicated quickly — working with an estate attorney is important here.
San Diego's real estate market has some nuances worth knowing if you're buying, selling, or deciding whether to stay.
Newer neighborhoods — particularly planned communities built in the last 20–30 years — often sit within Mello-Roos Community Facilities Districts. These special assessments fund local infrastructure (roads, schools, parks) and can add anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand dollars per year to your effective property tax bill. Always review a sample property tax bill for any home you're considering, not just the base rate.
If you sell your primary residence, you can exclude up to $250,000 in capital gains ($500,000 if married filing jointly) under both federal and California rules. San Diego home values have appreciated dramatically over the past two decades, so this exclusion can shelter a substantial gain — but only if you've lived in the home for at least two of the last five years.
Inflation deserves its own mention because it affects your tax planning in ways that aren't obvious.
As prices rise, you may need to withdraw more from your retirement accounts just to maintain the same lifestyle — which can push you into higher tax brackets over time. California's progressive income tax means even modest income creep can translate into higher marginal rates. And inflation can quietly erode the real value of fixed income streams like pensions or annuities, while healthcare and long-term care costs tend to outpace general inflation significantly.
The takeaway: your withdrawal strategy shouldn't be static. Reviewing and adjusting your plan every year or two — accounting for inflation, bracket changes, and shifting expenses — is part of what keeps a retirement plan working over a 20- or 30-year horizon.
If you walked away from this article with just a handful of things, here's what they'd be:
California taxes most retirement income — but not Social Security. Everything else (IRAs, 401(k)s, pensions) gets taxed as ordinary income at state rates.
The order of your withdrawals matters enormously. Thoughtful sequencing across taxable, tax-deferred, and Roth accounts can save you significant money over the course of retirement.
Roth conversions before RMDs are one of the best moves available. If you have pre-tax savings and income-light years before age 73, consider converting gradually to reduce future required distributions and create more tax-free income for you (and your heirs).
QCDs are one of the most efficient ways for retirees to give to charity. If you're 70½+, giving from your IRA is usually more advantageous than writing a check.
Watch for IRMAA cliff triggers. A single large withdrawal or capital gain can push your Medicare premiums higher for the following year.
Proposition 19 is worth understanding before you sell your home. If you plan to stay in California, you may be able to take your tax base with you.
Get help. California's tax rules, combined with federal retirement planning complexity, add up to a lot of moving parts. The strategies in this guide work best when they're coordinated — and having a financial advisor and tax professional who understands both the federal and California picture can make a real difference.
None of the information provided herein is intended as investment, tax, accounting, or legal advice. Your use of this information is at your sole risk. Consult with qualified professionals regarding your specific situation.
Grant Webster, CFP®, TPCP®
Founder, Wealth Advisor