Texas Property Taxes Explained

Texas Property Tax Rates by County

Property tax rates vary significantly across Texas. While every homeowner pays taxes to multiple local taxing entities, the combined effective property tax burden can differ considerably depending on where you live.

This guide explains why county property tax rates vary, what those rates include, and how to estimate your annual property taxes using average county tax rates.

Estimate Your Texas Property Tax

Use our free Texas Property Tax Estimator to see how your appraised value and exemptions translate into an estimated annual tax bill – by county.

Open the Texas Property Tax Estimator

Why Property Tax Rates Vary Across Texas

Unlike a state income tax, Texas property taxes are administered locally. Every property owner may pay taxes to several different taxing jurisdictions, including:

County government
School district
City (if incorporated)
Hospital district
Municipal Utility District (MUD)
Community college district
Other special taxing districts

Because each local government sets its own tax rate, the total effective property tax rate varies from one location to another – even within the same county.

County Average Effective Tax Rates

The figures commonly reported for Texas counties are average effective property tax rates. These averages combine the total property tax burden across all taxing entities within a county.

They provide an excellent starting point for estimating annual property taxes but should not be considered your property’s exact tax rate.

Your actual tax bill depends on your property’s precise location and the taxing jurisdictions that apply to your address.

Browse Texas Counties

Select your county below to launch the Texas Property Tax Estimator with your county already selected.

Anderson Andrews Angelina Aransas Archer Armstrong Atascosa Austin Bailey Bandera Bastrop Baylor Bee Bell Bexar Blanco Borden Bosque Bowie Brazoria Brazos Brewster Briscoe Brooks Brown Burleson Burnet Caldwell Calhoun Callahan Cameron Camp Carson Cass Castro Chambers Cherokee Childress Clay Cochran Coke Coleman Collin Collingsworth Colorado Comal Comanche Concho Cooke Coryell Cottle Crane Crockett Crosby Culberson Dallam Dallas Dawson Deaf Smith Delta Denton DeWitt Dickens Dimmit Donley Duval Eastland Ector Edwards Ellis El Paso Erath Falls Fannin Fayette Fisher Floyd Foard Fort Bend Franklin Freestone Frio Gaines Galveston Garza Gillespie Glasscock Goliad Gonzales Gray Grayson Gregg Grimes Guadalupe Hale Hall Hamilton Hansford Hardeman Hardin Harris Harrison Hartley Haskell Hays Hemphill Henderson Hidalgo Hill Hockley Hood Hopkins Houston Howard Hudspeth Hunt Hutchinson Irion Jack Jackson Jasper Jeff Davis Jefferson Jim Hogg Jim Wells Johnson Jones Karnes Kaufman Kendall Kenedy Kent Kerr Kimble King Kinney Kleberg Knox Lamar Lamb Lampasas La Salle Lavaca Lee Leon Liberty Limestone Lipscomb Live Oak Llano Loving Lubbock Lynn McCulloch McLennan McMullen Madison Marion Martin Mason Matagorda Maverick Medina Menard Midland Milam Mills Mitchell Montague Montgomery Moore Morris Motley Nacogdoches Navarro Newton Nolan Nueces Ochiltree Oldham Orange Palo Pinto Panola Parker Parmer Pecos Polk Potter Presidio Rains Randall Reagan Real Red River Reeves Refugio Roberts Robertson Rockwall Runnels Rusk Sabine San Augustine San Jacinto San Patricio San Saba Schleicher Scurry Shackelford Shelby Sherman Smith Somervell Starr Stephens Sterling Stonewall Sutton Swisher Tarrant Taylor Terrell Terry Throckmorton Titus Tom Green Travis Trinity Tyler Upshur Upton Uvalde Val Verde Van Zandt Victoria Walker Waller Ward Washington Webb Wharton Wheeler Wichita Wilbarger Willacy Williamson Wilson Winkler Wise Wood Yoakum Young Zapata Zavala

Counties With Higher Property Tax Rates

Some Texas counties generally have higher effective property tax rates because they include larger cities, more taxing districts, or higher local tax levies.

Examples often include counties surrounding major metropolitan areas such as:

Harris County
Fort Bend County
Dallas County
Tarrant County
Bexar County

Even within these counties, actual tax rates vary depending on your city, school district, and other local taxing units.

Counties With Lower Property Tax Rates

Many rural counties tend to have lower overall effective property tax rates, although this is not always the case.

Factors that influence local rates include:

School district funding needs
Population growth
Infrastructure projects
Local government budgets
Special taxing districts

Comparing only county averages does not tell the entire story, but it can provide a useful estimate when comparing different parts of Texas.

How Exemptions Affect Your Property Taxes

Your property’s taxable value may be reduced by one or more exemptions, including:

Residence Homestead Exemption
Over-65 Additional Homestead Exemption
Disabled Person Exemption
Disabled Veteran Exemptions

These exemptions reduce your taxable value before property taxes are calculated, often saving homeowners hundreds or even thousands of dollars each year.

All 254 Counties Covered

Instead of searching through county tax records, you can estimate your annual property taxes in just a few seconds. Our Texas Property Tax Estimator includes all 254 Texas counties and uses average effective county tax rates published from Texas Comptroller data.

The calculator also allows you to apply common exemptions, including:

Residence Homestead Exemption
Over-65 Additional Exemption
100% Disabled Veteran Exemption
Partial Disabled Veteran Exemptions

Remember: Your Exact Tax Rate May Differ

County averages are intended for planning purposes.

Your actual property tax rate depends on your property’s exact address and the combination of taxing entities serving your location. Two homes located within the same county may have different tax bills because they belong to different cities, school districts, or utility districts.

For your precise tax rate, contact your county appraisal district or county tax assessor-collector.

Compare Counties in Seconds

Whether you’re buying a home, relocating, or planning your budget, our estimator lets you compare estimated property tax bills across any of Texas’s 254 counties.

Estimate My Property Tax

Frequently Asked Questions

Does every home in a county pay the same property tax rate?

No. Different cities, school districts, and special taxing districts create different combined tax rates within the same county.

Why are Texas property taxes relatively high?

Texas does not have a state income tax. Local governments rely heavily on property taxes to fund schools, roads, emergency services, and other public services.

Can property tax exemptions lower my tax bill?

Yes. Homestead, Over-65, Disabled Person, and Disabled Veteran exemptions may significantly reduce your taxable value and annual property taxes.

What is an effective property tax rate?

An effective property tax rate represents the average percentage of a property’s market value paid in property taxes. It reflects the combined burden of all local taxing entities and is commonly used for planning and comparison purposes.

Official Resources: For county-specific tax rate data, visit the Texas Comptroller Property Tax page or contact your local county appraisal district.

Disclaimer

This article is provided for educational purposes only and should not be considered tax, legal, financial, or investment advice. Property tax rates change periodically and vary by taxing jurisdiction. Consult your local county appraisal district or a qualified tax professional regarding your specific situation.