Bay Farm Island, Alameda vs Orinda
Bay Farm Island, Alameda carries an effective property tax rate of 1.22% of assessed value and Orinda carries 1.08%, both for fiscal year 2025-26. On one identical reference loan the monthly carrying costs are $9,917 and $9,730 — $187 apart, with Orinda lower. To Oakland City Center at AM peak the fastest published commutes are 20 min by car from Bay Farm Island, Alameda and 20 min by BART from Orinda. Every figure is an objective public metric or arithmetic on one, and names its source.
Bay Farm Island, Alameda (Alameda County) · Orinda (Contra Costa County)
| Metric | Bay Farm Island, Alameda | Orinda | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median $/sqft (SFR) | $750 | $1,150 | −$400 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.22% | 1.08% | +0.140% |
| Monthly cost, reference loan | $9,917 | $9,730 | +$187 |
| FiDi SF (Montgomery St BART) — BART | 45 min | 38 min | +7 min |
| FiDi SF (Montgomery St BART) — Drive | 40 min | 45 min | −5 min |
| Oakland City Center (12th St BART) — BART | 35 min | 20 min | +15 min |
| Oakland City Center (12th St BART) — Drive | 20 min | 25 min | −5 min |
| Sunnyvale / Mountain View (Sunnyvale Caltrain) — Drive | 55 min | 70 min | −15 min |
Difference is Bay Farm Island, Alameda minus Orinda. Sources are cited on each submarket page.
Alameda (Bay Farm) is the cheaper foot by $400, 35% below Orinda. What that buys is a different house, not a different bill: at $1,600,000 the two are $187 apart a month at 1.22% and 1.08%.
Square footage per dollar
Orinda comps run $850-$950 per square foot, and flat lots near the village start above $2M. Against that, harbor Bay Isle is the bulk of Bay Farm's detached inventory. At $750 and $1,150 per foot respectively, a fixed budget buys about 53% more floor area in Alameda (Bay Farm).
Carrying $1,600,000 in each
Against an identical $1,600,000 note at 6.5% with 20% down and $2,400 a year of coverage, Alameda (Bay Farm) totals $9,917 a month at 1.22% and Orinda $9,730 at 1.08% — tax lines of $1,627 and $1,440. Harbor Bay Isle dues run $150-$200 a month depending on the village. No Mello-Roos in Orinda, and no HOA outside the Orinda Woods and Wilder tracts at $150-$400 a month.
The trip each morning
To Sunnyvale / Mountain View (Sunnyvale Caltrain): 55 minutes by driving from Alameda (Bay Farm), 70 by driving from Orinda — a 15-minute edge to Alameda (Bay Farm), or 2.5 hours across a ten-trip week. To FiDi SF (Montgomery St BART): 35 minutes by ferry from Alameda (Bay Farm), 38 by BART from Orinda — a 3-minute edge to Alameda (Bay Farm), or 0.5 hours across a ten-trip week. Bay Farm has no BART; Coliseum station is a 12-minute drive. Orinda's station lot fills by 7:15 a.m., so the shuttle or a drop-off plan is part of the commute.
Fire, flood and the premium
Bay Farm Island is not wildland-urban interface. Septic is still live on a share of Sleepy Hollow and Bear Creek lots, on top of Orinda's fire mapping. Verify any parcel against the CAL FIRE Fire Hazard Severity Zone map, the FEMA Flood Map Service Center and the California Geological Survey seismic hazard zones before removing contingencies.
Which search this actually is
Bay Farm answers a townhome-pricing requirement with a flat, short bike commute. Orinda is the choice when lot size and rail access both have to be satisfied. Write the requirement down before the search: these two answer different ones.
Sources. Effective rates and carrying costs: Alameda County Tax Rates by TRA FY 2025-26; Contra Costa TRA Book FY 2025-26, composited in build/assets/metrics.json; TRA-level verification pending, so confirm the rate on the parcel's own bill. Commute times: door-to-door AM-peak estimates, data/commute/static.csv. Price per square foot is a trailing median and is not an appraisal. Qualitative detail is the broker's own field observation.
Compare any two submarkets
| Metric | Bay Farm Island, Alameda | Orinda |
|---|---|---|
| Median $/sqft (SFR) | $750 | $1,150 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.22% | 1.08% |
| Monthly cost, reference loan | $9,917 | $9,730 |
| Fastest to FiDi SF (Montgomery St BART) | 35 min | 38 min |
| Fastest to Oakland City Center (12th St BART) | 20 min | 20 min |
| Fastest to Sunnyvale / Mountain View (Sunnyvale Caltrain) | 55 min | 70 min |
Same reference loan on both sides; the tax line is the only variable. Commute figures are door-to-door AM-peak estimates. Sources are listed on each submarket page.
Bay Farm Island, Alameda detail
| Component | Rate of assessed value |
|---|---|
| Prop 13 general levy | 1.000% |
| County / city voter-approved bonds | 0.042% |
| School district measures | 0.178% |
| Effective rate | 1.22% |
| Mello-Roos / CFD | None recorded |
Source: Alameda County Tax Rates by TRA FY 2025-26 (Alameda County), composited in
build/assets/metrics.json.
Tax Rate Area not yet verified parcel-by-parcel — confirm the rate on the parcel’s own tax bill.
Orinda detail
| Component | Rate of assessed value |
|---|---|
| Prop 13 general levy | 1.000% |
| County / city voter-approved bonds | 0.012% |
| School district measures | 0.068% |
| Effective rate | 1.08% |
| Mello-Roos / CFD | None recorded |
Source: Contra Costa TRA Book FY 2025-26 (Contra Costa County), composited in
build/assets/metrics.json.
Tax Rate Area not yet verified parcel-by-parcel — confirm the rate on the parcel’s own tax bill.
Bay Farm Island, Alameda vs Orinda: questions and answers
- Which has the lower effective property tax rate, Bay Farm Island, Alameda or Orinda?
- Orinda, at 1.08% of assessed value against 1.22% for fiscal year 2025-26 — a gap of 0.140%. Rates are composited from county tax rate books; each parcel bill governs.
- How much do monthly carrying costs differ between Bay Farm Island, Alameda and Orinda?
- $187 per month on the identical reference loan: Bay Farm Island, Alameda $9,917, Orinda $9,730. Orinda is lower. Principal and interest are held constant, so the difference is the tax line. Arithmetic only.
- Which has the shorter commute to Oakland City Center, Bay Farm Island, Alameda or Orinda?
- Bay Farm Island, Alameda. Bay Farm Island, Alameda is 20 min by car; Orinda is 20 min by BART. Door-to-door, AM peak. Source: data/commute/static.csv.
- What is the price per square foot difference between Bay Farm Island, Alameda and Orinda?
- $400 per square foot: Bay Farm Island, Alameda $750, Orinda $1,150. Single-family medians, trailing twelve months. A median is not a valuation of any specific property.