The Property Tax Almanac
Texas · Property Tax

Texas Property Tax by County

Texas has counties — the most of any US state. Effective property tax rates run well above the national average (~1.60% statewide median across counties we cover) — a deliberate trade-off for Texas's no state income tax.

Why move here

  • no state income tax
  • strong job growth (Austin / Houston / Dallas-Fort Worth / San Antonio)
  • $100,000 homestead exemption from school district taxes (HB 2 of 2023)
  • 10% appraisal cap on homestead AV growth
  • no state estate or inheritance tax
  • vast housing supply outside major metros

Why not move here

  • property tax carries the revenue load (one of the highest US effective rates)
  • extreme summer heat statewide
  • hurricane risk on the Gulf Coast
  • rapid growth straining roads + schools in major metros
  • property insurance premiums rising fast

This almanac covers 37 of 254 Texas counties.

Average effective rate
1.67%
Tax bill ÷ market value · Across 37 covered Texas counties
National rank
#10 of 50
Ranked highest to lowest by rate · #41 from the lowest
Average annual bill
$4,868
On a typical $291,079 Texas home
State income tax
None
No state individual income tax
Cheapest county we cover
Burleson
Caldwell · 0.95% effective rate
For retirees
Excellent
$10K extra exemption + school tax freeze (homestead) · Tax freeze available
For disabled veterans
Full exemption
Full exemption on primary residence
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37 of 254 Texas counties covered
Harris County
Houston · pop. 4.8M
2.03% effective rate
$6.5k median bill
Dallas County
Dallas · pop. 2.6M
1.85% effective rate
$5.1k median bill
Tarrant County
Fort Worth · pop. 2.2M
1.80% effective rate
$5.5k median bill
Bexar County
San Antonio · pop. 2.0M
1.75% effective rate
$5.0k median bill
Travis County
Austin · pop. 1.3M
2.10% effective rate
$10.8k median bill
Collin County
McKinney · pop. 1.3M
1.68% effective rate
$7.8k median bill
Denton County
Denton · pop. 1.0M
1.76% effective rate
$7.0k median bill
Fort Bend County
Richmond · pop. 958k
2.23% effective rate
$7.9k median bill
Hidalgo County
Edinburg · pop. 915k
2.38% effective rate
$3.7k median bill
El Paso County
El Paso · pop. 866k
2.43% effective rate
$4.5k median bill
Williamson County
Georgetown · pop. 727k
1.68% effective rate
$7.5k median bill
Montgomery County
Conroe · pop. 660k
1.98% effective rate
$7.2k median bill
Cameron County
Brownsville · pop. 426k
1.85% effective rate
$3.1k median bill
Bell County
Belton · pop. 395k
1.97% effective rate
$4.6k median bill
Brazoria County
Angleton · pop. 390k
2.26% effective rate
$6.9k median bill
Galveston County
Galveston · pop. 370k
2.01% effective rate
$5.6k median bill
Nueces County
Corpus Christi · pop. 360k
1.81% effective rate
$3.9k median bill
Lubbock County
Lubbock · pop. 320k
1.79% effective rate
$3.8k median bill
Webb County
Laredo · pop. 270k
1.97% effective rate
$3.3k median bill
McLennan County
Waco · pop. 265k
1.86% effective rate
$4.0k median bill
Jefferson County
Beaumont · pop. 254k
1.53% effective rate
$2.6k median bill
Hays County
San Marcos · pop. 252k
1.85% effective rate
$7.5k median bill
Brazos County
Bryan · pop. 242k
1.54% effective rate
$4.6k median bill
Smith County
Tyler · pop. 235k
1.55% effective rate
$3.8k median bill
Ellis County
Waxahachie · pop. 213k
1.35% effective rate
$4.7k median bill
Johnson County
Cleburne · pop. 196k
1.24% effective rate
$3.6k median bill
Comal County
New Braunfels · pop. 184k
1.13% effective rate
$4.8k median bill
Guadalupe County
Seguin · pop. 184k
1.43% effective rate
$4.3k median bill
Midland County
Midland · pop. 175k
1.55% effective rate
$4.7k median bill
Kaufman County
Kaufman · pop. 173k
1.68% effective rate
$5.4k median bill
Parker County
Weatherford · pop. 165k
1.40% effective rate
$5.2k median bill
Orange County
Orange · pop. 85k
1.24% effective rate
$2.2k median bill
Hardin County
Kountze · pop. 58k
1.09% effective rate
$2.2k median bill
Chambers County
Anahuac · pop. 51k
1.05% effective rate
$3.5k median bill
Washington County
Brenham · pop. 37k
1.09% effective rate
$3.1k median bill
Grimes County
Anderson · pop. 31k
1.02% effective rate
$2.4k median bill
Burleson County
Caldwell · pop. 19k
0.95% effective rate
$1.8k median bill
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About this site's data and estimates. The Property Tax Almanac is an independent editorial reference. It is not affiliated with any government agency, tax assessor, or tax preparation service. The calculators and data on this site are informational and are not a substitute for advice from a qualified tax professional, attorney, or your official county assessor or appraisal district.

Accuracy, sources, and scope. Tax rate data is compiled from publicly available sources — including the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance, the Illinois Department of Revenue, the Florida Department of Revenue, the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury, the Arizona Department of Revenue, the North Carolina Department of Revenue, the Wisconsin Department of Revenue, the Michigan Department of Treasury, the Iowa Department of Revenue and Iowa Department of Management, the Minnesota Department of Revenue, the California State Board of Equalization, individual county appraisal and assessor offices, and the US Census Bureau — and is believed to be accurate as of the "revised" date shown on each page. Rates change annually (and sometimes mid-year) through local budget adoptions, legislative action, and voter-approved measures. Rates displayed reflect the primary tax district of the county seat; rates in other cities, school districts, Municipal Utility Districts (MUDs), Emergency Services Districts (ESDs), Mello-Roos Community Facilities Districts (CFDs), and special taxing units within the same county may be meaningfully higher or lower. Census population figures are from the 2020 Decennial Census and are rounded to the nearest 100.

How to use these estimates. The calculator produces a rough estimate based on the county seat's combined rate, statutory deductions and exemptions available statewide, and the value you enter. Your actual bill depends on your specific parcel's assessed or appraised value, the exact taxing entities covering your address, any local-option exemptions you qualify for, any assessment caps or circuit-breaker protections (e.g., Florida's Save Our Homes, Arizona's Prop 117 LPV cap, Indiana's 1% circuit breaker, North Carolina's Elderly/Disabled Exclusion, Wisconsin's Lottery & Gaming Credit, Michigan's Proposal A 5%/IRM cap, Iowa's residential rollback, Minnesota's Homestead Market Value Exclusion, California's Proposition 13 acquisition-value system and 2% annual cap), and any appeal or protest outcomes. For an authoritative figure, consult your county appraisal district (Texas), county assessor (Indiana, Illinois, Tennessee, Arizona, North Carolina, Iowa, Minnesota, California), county property appraiser (Florida), or municipal/township assessor (Wisconsin and Michigan — assessments are set at the city/village/township level rather than the county level; some Iowa and Minnesota cities also have city-level assessors). The contact information for the primary authority in each county is listed at the top of that county's page.

No legal or tax advice; no warranty. Nothing on this site constitutes legal, tax, financial, investment, or real estate advice. The Property Tax Almanac, its authors, and its publisher make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability, or availability of the content on this site. Any reliance you place on the information is strictly at your own risk. We are not liable for any loss or damage — including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage — arising from the use of this site or from decisions made based on its content.

Found an error? Property tax rules are complex and change often. If you spot an inaccuracy, please contact us — corrections help every reader who comes after you.

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