Hays County, home to San Marcos and some 0.3 million Texans, has a property tax structure composed of 4 overlapping taxing entities. A homeowner inside San Marcos pays the school district, city, county, and several additional special districts — each with their own rate. This guide explains every line, how to calculate your bill, and which exemptions you are almost certainly leaving on the table.
How the bill is built
Your annual property tax bill is the product of two numbers: your property's taxable value (its appraised value minus any exemptions you qualify for) and the combined tax rate levied by every entity whose jurisdiction includes your parcel. In Hays County, the combined rate reaches approximately 2.08% for a typical San Marcos address, with the single largest line — school district tax — representing roughly half the bill.
The calculator to the right lets you input your appraised value and toggle the most common exemptions. The breakdown below reflects the adopted 2025 rates used to bill the 2026 tax year, drawn from the Hays Central Appraisal District's official roll.
2026 Hays County rate breakdown (per $100 AV, San Marcos district)
| Taxing entity | Rate |
|---|
| Hays Consolidated ISD | 1.0292 |
| Hays County (general) | 0.3867 |
| City of San Marcos | 0.5703 |
| Austin Community College | 0.0987 |
| Combined total | 2.0849 |
As of April 27, 2026 · From Hays Central Appraisal District.
Note: Hays County is the southern Austin metro suburb — anchored by San Marcos (Texas State University, ~38K students) and the explosive-growth Kyle/Buda corridor along I-35 between Austin and San Antonio. Population grew 53% from 2010 to 2020, among the fastest in the United States. Dripping Springs anchors the western Hill Country wine region; Wimberley is a popular Austin escape destination on the Blanco River.
Note: Hays sits in the Austin-area MUD (Municipal Utility District) belt — many newer Kyle, Buda, and Dripping Springs subdivisions add $0.30-$1.20 per $100 AV in MUD levies on top of the standard county/ISD/city rates. Combined effective rates in MUD areas can exceed 2.5%, among the highest in Texas. Always verify MUD status before purchase.
Note: Texas's $140K Homestead Exemption for school district taxes (HB 5 of 2023, indexed) is structurally important here — it removes substantial AV from the highest-rate component of the bill. Combined with the 10% annual AV cap on homesteads, long-term Hays residents pay substantially less than recent buyers and non-homestead investors.
Exemptions you should actually file
Residence Homestead — everyone who owns their primary residence
As of 2023, Texas exempts the first $100,000 of your home's value from school district property tax. The exemption must be filed with HCAD by April 30 of the tax year for which you want it to apply. There is no fee. You need a Texas driver's license or ID showing the property address and proof of ownership.
Over-65 or Disabled — additional $10,000 school, plus tax ceiling
Homeowners who are 65 or older receive an additional $10,000 school district exemption, and their school district taxes are frozen at the amount owed the year they turned 65. They cannot go up even if rates or appraisals increase.
100% Disabled Veteran — full exemption
Veterans with a 100% service-connected disability pay zero property tax on their primary residence. Partial disability ratings receive partial exemptions on a sliding scale.
Protesting your appraisal
The single highest-ROI hour a San Marcos-area homeowner can spend each year is filing a protest with HCAD, which must be submitted by May 15 (or 30 days after you receive your notice, whichever is later). Roughly half of all Texas homeowners who protest receive some reduction in their appraised value.
Cities and towns in Hays County
Hays County contains 6 incorporated municipalities, ranging from San Marcos to the smallest village. Search volume for property tax is often city-specific, so here is the complete list — with population from the 2020 US Census, rounded to the nearest 100.
Data: US Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census. Populations rounded. Cities marked as "split" straddle a county border — the portion inside Hays County is subject to Hays County's tax rolls, while the portion outside is subject to the adjacent county's.
| City or town | Type | Population (2020) |
| San Marcos County seat | city | 70,900 |
| Kyle | city | 60,800 |
| Buda | city | 18,800 |
| Dripping Springs | city | 4,900 |
| Wimberley | city | 2,900 |
| Woodcreek | city | 1,700 |
About city-level property tax rates: The rate breakdown and calculator on this page reflect the San Marcos tax district. Other cities in Hays County may pay into different school districts, city rates, and special districts — so their combined rates can differ, sometimes substantially. Always verify the specific rates for your address with the Hays Central Appraisal District before relying on any estimate.
Compare with neighboring counties
Frequently asked questions
When are Hays County property taxes due?
Texas property tax bills are mailed in October for the current tax year and are due by January 31 of the following year. Payments postmarked February 1 or later begin accruing penalties and interest.
What if I think my appraisal is too high?
File a Notice of Protest (Form 50-132) with HCAD by May 15 or 30 days after your notice is mailed, whichever is later. You'll first have an informal meeting; unresolved cases go to the Appraisal Review Board.
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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