How are Texas property taxes calculated?

Texas Property Taxes

Photo credit: ©iStock.com/Dave Newman

Property taxes in Texas are the seventh-highest in the U.S., as the average effective property tax rate in the Lone Star State is 1.60%. Compare that to the national average, which currently stands at 0.99%. The typical Texas homeowner pays $3,797 annually in property taxes.

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Texas Property Taxes
How Do Texas Property Taxes Work?
Texas Property Tax Rates
Harris County
Dallas County
Tarrant County
Bexar County
Travis County
El Paso County
Collin County
Hidalgo County
Denton County
Fort Bend County
Are property taxes based on purchase price in Texas?
How much are property taxes on a $200000 house in Texas?
At what age do you stop paying property taxes in Texas?
How do property taxes work when you buy a house in Texas?

These taxes are the primary source of revenue for local governments, and fund local services like schools, water systems and law enforcement. In total, there are around 4,000 local entities that can collect property taxes in Texas. That includes every city, county and school district.

For more information on the housing market in Texas, check out our comprehensive mortgage guide, which provides details about rates and getting a mortgage in Texas.

A financial advisor can help you understand how homeownership fits into your overall financial goals. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to three vetted financial advisors who serve your area, and you can interview your advisor matches at no cost to decide which one is right for you. If you’re ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.

How Do Texas Property Taxes Work?

Residential property in Texas is appraised annually by county appraisal districts. The appraisal districts are responsible for determining the current market value of all property within the county, on which tax payments are based. Disagreements about any findings are brought to an appraisal review board made up of local citizens.

Homes are appraised at the beginning of the year, and appraisal review board hearings generally begin in May. Tax bills are sent out beginning on October 1, and are due by January 31 of the following year.

There are a number of exemptions that help lower your property taxes in Texas. The most common is the homestead exemption, which is available to homeowners in their primary residence. It exempts at least $25,000 of a property’s value from taxation.

However, only school districts are required to offer this exemption (other types of taxing districts have the option of doing so). So if your home is worth $150,000 and you receive the homestead exemption, the school district tax rate will only apply to $125,000 of you home value.

Persons who are at least 65 or who are disabled can claim an additional exemption of $10,000. Like the homestead exemption, only school districts are required to offer this exemption.

Texas Property Tax Rates

Property tax rates in Texas are recalculated each year after appraisers have evaluated all the property in the county. They are calculated based on the total property value and total revenue need. In a given area, however, they typically do not change drastically year to year.

Texas levies property taxes as a percentage of each home’s appraised value. So, for example, if your total tax rate is 1.5%, and your home value is $100,000, you will owe $1,500 in annual property taxes.

In the table below, we look at each county’s effective tax rate, which is equal to the amount of property tax that homeowners actually pay as a percentage of their home’s value. The table also includes the average annual tax payment and average home value in each Texas county.

County	Median Home Value	Median Annual Property Tax Payment	Average Effective Property Tax Rate
Anderson	$110,000	$1,507	1.37%
Andrews	$153,200	$1,974	1.29%
Angelina	$110,500	$1,760	1.59%
Aransas	$183,200	$2,103	1.15%
Archer	$152,000	$2,253	1.48%
Armstrong	$156,100	$2,078	1.33%
Atascosa	$106,000	$1,715	1.62%
Austin	$197,200	$2,765	1.40%
Bailey	$75,200	$1,648	2.19%
Bandera	$202,000	$2,056	1.02%
Bastrop	$199,300	$3,802	1.91%
Baylor	$69,100	$990	1.43%
Bee	$88,700	$1,139	1.28%
Bell	$153,500	$3,365	2.19%
Bexar	$171,200	$4,024	2.35%
Blanco	$261,300	$2,738	1.05%
Borden	$156,300	$782	0.50%
Bosque	$135,500	$1,428	1.05%
Bowie	$123,200	$1,776	1.44%
Brazoria	$213,100	$4,315	2.02%
Brazos	$217,700	$4,717	2.17%
Brewster	$171,700	$2,321	1.35%
Briscoe	$72,500	$745	1.03%
Brooks	$64,200	$647	1.01%
Brown	$109,500	$1,434	1.31%
Burleson	$126,500	$1,421	1.12%
Burnet	$203,300	$2,726	1.34%
Caldwell	$147,200	$2,315	1.57%
Calhoun	$117,400	$1,538	1.31%
Callahan	$100,000	$1,139	1.14%
Cameron	$89,700	$1,852	2.06%
Camp	$109,400	$1,455	1.33%
Carson	$108,700	$1,473	1.36%
Cass	$91,100	$1,150	1.26%
Castro	$83,300	$1,328	1.59%
Chambers	$224,400	$2,865	1.28%
Cherokee	$111,600	$1,476	1.32%
Childress	$86,800	$1,675	1.93%
Clay	$110,000	$1,685	1.53%
Cochran	$38,000	$646	1.70%
Coke	$74,100	$1,188	1.60%
Coleman	$83,100	$1,080	1.30%
Collin	$337,200	$6,750	2.00%
Collingsworth	$57,500	$1,002	1.74%
Colorado	$131,400	$1,839	1.40%
Comal	$293,600	$4,698	1.60%
Comanche	$110,900	$1,770	1.60%
Concho	$107,700	$1,352	1.26%
Cooke	$166,700	$2,416	1.45%
Coryell	$120,700	$2,507	2.08%
Cottle	$44,000	$623	1.42%
Crane	$89,000	$1,253	1.41%
Crockett	$102,200	$381	0.37%
Crosby	$61,300	$1,157	1.89%
Culberson	$63,700	$844	1.32%
Dallam	$95,000	$1,336	1.41%
Dallas	$193,900	$4,306	2.22%
Dawson	$80,100	$1,204	1.50%
Deaf Smith	$91,800	$1,355	1.48%
Delta	$107,600	$1,231	1.14%
Denton	$297,100	$6,384	2.15%
DeWitt	$121,900	$1,327	1.09%
Dickens	$53,100	$630	1.19%
Dimmit	$61,300	$674	1.10%
Donley	$70,200	$1,191	1.70%
Duval	$61,800	$567	0.92%
Eastland	$82,600	$1,075	1.30%
Ector	$147,900	$2,256	1.53%
Edwards	$71,800	$883	1.23%
El Paso	$214,500	$4,280	2.00%
Ellis	$126,500	$3,268	2.58%
Erath	$166,300	$2,454	1.48%
Falls	$76,900	$1,187	1.54%
Fannin	$139,200	$1,790	1.29%
Fayette	$193,200	$2,112	1.09%
Fisher	$63,900	$1,001	1.57%
Floyd	$70,300	$916	1.30%
Foard	$48,500	$755	1.56%
Fort Bend	$277,600	$6,337	2.28%
Franklin	$144,300	$1,784	1.24%
Freestone	$116,800	$1,374	1.18%
Frio	$86,000	$1,372	1.60%
Gaines	$141,200	$2,153	1.52%
Galveston	$212,600	$4,089	1.92%
Garza	$78,200	$1,129	1.44%
Gillespie	$311,300	$3,325	1.07%
Glasscock	$303,300	$1,204	0.40%
Goliad	$129,000	$1,340	1.04%
Gonzales	$113,700	$1,465	1.29%
Gray	$79,800	$1,135	1.42%
Grayson	$152,400	$2,933	1.92%
Gregg	$144,300	$2,083	1.44%
Grimes	$163,200	$1,964	1.20%
Guadalupe	$207,700	$3,742	1.80%
Hale	$84,500	$1,269	1.50%
Hall	$59,900	$911	1.52%
Hamilton	$123,600	$1,741	1.41%
Hansford	$111,300	$1,656	1.49%
Hardeman	$53,100	$796	1.50%
Hardin	$135,600	$1,486	1.10%
Harris	$189,400	$4,042	2.13%
Harrison	$137,200	$1,830	1.33%
Hartley	$179,200	$2,259	1.26%
Haskell	$60,500	$719	1.19%
Hays	$258,000	$6,011	2.33%
Hemphill	$180,300	$1,902	1.05%
Henderson	$120,700	$1,625	1.35%
Hidalgo	$90,000	$1,959	2.18%
Hill	$112,200	$1,700	1.52%
Hockley	$92,900	$1,552	1.67%
Hood	$208,700	$2,639	1.26%
Hopkins	$119,600	$1,656	1.38%
Houston	$107,500	$1,209	1.12%
Howard	$103,500	$1,396	1.35%
Hudspeth	$54,500	$639	1.17%
Hunt	$135,800	$2,683	1.98%
Hutchinson	$81,600	$1,388	1.70%
Irion	$122,000	$1,379	1.13%
Jack	$95,200	$1,702	1.79%
Jackson	$110,100	$1,502	1.36%
Jasper	$105,200	$1,212	1.15%
Jeff Davis	$134,800	$1,351	1.00%
Jefferson	$120,300	$2,268	1.89%
Jim Hogg	$77,000	$736	0.96%
Jim Wells	$76,900	$1,052	1.37%
Johnson	$168,500	$3,134	1.86%
Jones	$80,800	$1,238	1.53%
Karnes	$109,500	$1,114	1.02%
Kaufman	$195,400	$4,336	2.22%
Kendall	$378,500	$4,870	1.29%
Kenedy	-	$253.00
Kent	$64,700	$253	0.39%
Kerr	$193,900	$2,412	1.24%
Kimble	$151,700	$1,795	1.18%
King	$22,800	$508	2.23%
Kinney	$82,000	$933.	1.14%
Kleberg	$98,500	$1,830	1.86%
Knox	$43,300	$848	1.96%
La Salle	$108,500	$1,385	1.28%
Lamar	$67,900	$854	1.26%
Lamb	$166,500	$2,429	1.46%
Lampasas	$84,000	$882	1.05%
Lavaca	$171,000	$1,615	0.94%
Lee	$162,800	$1,993	1.22%
Leon	$120,300	$821	0.68%
Liberty	$115,300	$1,751	1.52%
Limestone	$115,400	$1,445	1.25%
Lipscomb	$106,700	$1,545	1.45%
Live Oak	$106,200	$915	0.86%
Llano	$235,700	$2,124	0.90%
Lubbock	$149,200	$3,032	2.03%
Lynn	$89,900	$1,538	1.71%
Madison	$96,300	$1,272	1.32%
Marion	$152,700	$2,973	1.95%
Martin	$111,300	$1,240	1.11%
Mason	$113,200	$1,688	1.49%
Matagorda	$98,200	$700	0.71%
Maverick	$145,700	$1,491	1.02%
McCulloch	$219,900	$1,919	0.87%
McLennan	$128,100	$1,618	1.26%
McMullen	$100,900	$1,494	1.48%
Medina	$151,600	$2,062	1.36%
Menard	$87,300	$1,344	1.54%
Midland	$233,200	$3,303	1.42%
Milam	$111,900	$1,495	1.34%
Mills	$141,700	$1,287	0.91%
Mitchell	$67,900	$1,326	1.95%
Montague	$120,100	$1,419	1.18%
Montgomery	$248,100	$5,065	2.04%
Moore	$113,100	$1,533	1.36%
Morris	$92,100	$999	1.08%
Motley	$60,000	$680	1.13%
Nacogdoches	$137,300	$1,401	1.02%
Navarro	$109,700	$1,674	1.53%
Newton	$80,700	$796	0.99%
Nolan	$80,300	$1,317	1.64%
Nueces	$148,100	$3,009	2.03%
Ochiltree	$104,300	$1,523	1.46%
Oldham	$103,800	$1,750	1.69%
Orange	$116,100	$1,935	1.67%
Palo Pinto	$115,700	$1,716	1.48%
Panola	$117,000	$1,094	0.94%
Parker	$236,300	$4,978	2.11%
Parmer	$110,000	$1,587	1.44%
Pecos	$106,000	$985	0.93%
Polk	$125,500	$1,349	1.07%
Potter	$97,000	$1,840	1.90%
Presidio	$77,200	$992	1.28%
Rains	$131,100	$1,577	1.20%
Randall	$174,100	$3,128	1.80%
Reagan	$98,300	$1,365	1.39%
Real	$146,900	$1,323	0.90%
Red River	$77,900	$1,069	1.37%
Reeves	$91,600	$885	0.97%
Refugio	$85,500	$1,232	1.44%
Roberts	$134,200	$1,351	1.01%
Robertson	$121,600	$1,290	1.06%
Rockwall	$283,000	$6,061	2.14%
Runnels	$85,200	$1,355	1.59%
Rusk	$131,200	$1,397	1.06%
Sabine	$99,900	$983	0.98%
San Augustine	$75,500	$596	0.79%
San Jacinto	$126,700	$1,538	1.21%
San Patricio	$129,400	$2,977	2.30%
San Saba	$119,400	$1,385	1.16%
Schleicher	$80,900	$941	1.16%
Scurry	$87,600	$1,376	1.57%
Shackelford	$110,000	$1,634	1.49%
Shelby	$81,800	$886	1.08%
Sherman	$93,900	$1,708	1.82%
Smith	$164,200	$2,550	1.55%
Somervell	$205,800	$2,040	0.99%
Starr	$76,900	$879	1.14%
Stephens	$81,300	$1,249	1.54%
Sterling	$75,000	$816	1.09%
Stonewall	$53,200	$769	1.45%
Sutton	$101,000	$1,748	1.73%
Swisher	$78,600	$1,197	1.52%
Tarrant	$209,600	$4,736	2.26%
Taylor	$137,600	$2,263	1.64%
Terrell	$81,400	$1,093	1.34%
Terry	$78,500	$1,121	1.43%
Throckmorton	$58,600	$871	1.49%
Titus	$99,900	$1,487	1.49%
Tom Green	$149,700	$2,168	1.45%
Travis	$347,700	$6,783	1.95%
Trinity	$87,500	$1,044	1.19%
Tyler	$91,000	$1,069	1.17%
Upshur	$153,800	$1,838	1.20%
Upton	$78,900	$925	1.17%
Uvalde	$103,000	$1,408	1.37%
Val Verde	$105,400	$1,612	1.53%
Van Zandt	$152,200	$1,751	1.15%
Victoria	$152,900	$2,980	1.95%
Walker	$160,100	$2,119	1.32%
Waller	$222,700	$3,341	1.50%
Ward	$98,700	$397	0.40%
Washington	$193,000	$2,669	1.38%
Webb	$135,000	$2,982	2.21%
Wharton	$148,700	$2,144	1.44%
Wheeler	$83,600	$1,297	1.55%
Wichita	$103,200	$2,053	1.99%
Wilbarger	$73,200	$1,256	1.72%
Willacy	$62,100	$1,015	1.63%
Williamson	$282,700	$6,507	2.30%
Wilson	$210,600	$2,886	1.37%
Winkler	$82,800	$921	1.11%
Wise	$178,200	$3,074	1.73%
Wood	$151,400	$1,672	1.10%
Yoakum	$152,900	$1,617	1.06%
Young	$122,100	$1,712	1.40%
Zapata	$88,700	$912	1.03%
Zavala	$59,400	$935	1.57%

Looking to calculate your potential monthly mortgage payment? Check out our mortgage calculator.

Harris County

Harris County, which contains Houston and the surrounding suburbs, has some of the highest property taxes not just in Texas, but in the entire country. The average effective property tax rate in Harris County is 2.13%, significantly higher than the national average.

That average rate incorporates all types of taxes, including school district taxes, city taxes and special district levies. The general countywide rate is 0.391%. The highest rates, however, are those levied by school districts. The Houston School District rate is about 1.037%.

Dallas County

Property tax rates in Dallas County are slightly lower than those in Harris County, but still significantly higher than the national average. The average homeowner in Dallas County pays $4,306 annually in property taxes, and pays taxes at an effective rate of 2.22%. More than half of that tax goes to local schools.

If you have questions about how property taxes can affect your overall financial plans, a financial advisor in Dallas can help you out.

Tarrant County

Tarrant County sits west of Dallas and contains the cities of Fort Worth and Arlington. It has the fifth-highest property taxes in the entire state, with an average effective rate of 2.26%. That means that if your home is worth $200,000, you could expect to pay about $4,520 annually in taxes.

Property taxes are higher in Fort Worth than in Arlington. Residents of both cities pay the county’s general rate of 0.234%. In Fort Worth, however, the city rate is 0.748% and the school district rate is 1.378%, which adds up to a total rate of 2.36%. In Arlington, the total rate is less at about 2.244%.

Bexar County

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The fourth-largest Texas county by population, Bexar County has property taxes that are slightly higher than the state average. The average homeowner in Bexar County pays $4,024 annually in property taxes on a median home value of $171,200.

In San Antonio, the county’s largest city and the second-largest city in the entire state, the tax rate is 2.35%. That includes the city, school and municipal utility rate, but does not include any special districts.

Many areas of Bexar County are subject to a levy that pays for one of a dozen Emergency Services Districts. Those rates range from 0.05% to 0.10%.

Travis County

Travis County contains the state capital of Austin, as well as some of the surrounding cities and towns. The countywide property tax rate is 1.95%. In addition to that rate, cities and school districts levy their own rates. In Austin, the city rate is 0.5410% and the school district rate is 1.0167%. Other nearby cities have even higher rates.

El Paso County

El Paso County is in western Texas, bordering both Mexico and the state of New Mexico. The average homeowner in the county pays $3,268 annually in property taxes, almost $500 more than the U.S. median. However, the median home value in El Paso County is significantly lower than the U.S. mark, which means county residents in fact pay higher property tax rates than most Americans. The average effective property tax rate in El Paso County is 2.58%.

Collin County

The sixth-most populous county in Texas, Collin County has a property tax rate of 2.00%, with homeowners paying a median of $6,750 in real estate taxes. This is driven largely by the high rates used to fund local school districts. Homeowners in these areas should remember to claim the homestead exemption.

Hidalgo County

Hidalgo County sits in south Texas, along the Mexican border. The average effective property tax rate in Hidalgo County is 2.18%, seventh-highest in the state. That makes the median property tax payment in the county $1,959, which is well below the statewide mark.

Denton County

Denton County is part of the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area, and sits north of those two cities. The average Denton County homeowner pays $6,384 annually in property taxes on a median home value of $297,100.

The city of Denton has some of the highest total property taxes in the area.

Fort Bend County

Fort Bend County is one of the largest counties in Texas. It also has one of the highest average property tax payments in the state. The average homeowner in the county pays $6,337 each year in taxes, with an average effective tax rate of 2.28%. These are both more than double national averages.

The high number of special tax districts in the county drive, in part, the high tax rates. Fort Bend County has more than 200 special districts that levy property taxes for specific purposes.

Are property taxes based on purchase price in Texas?

Generally, all property must be taxed based on its current market value. That's the price it would sell for when both buyer and seller seek the best price and neither is under pressure to buy or sell.

How much are property taxes on a $200000 house in Texas?

The average property tax rate in Texas is 1.80%. This is currently the seventh-highest rate in the United States. Breaking this out in dollars, if your home is valued at $200,000, your personal property taxes at the average rate of 1.80% would be $3,600 for the year.

At what age do you stop paying property taxes in Texas?

Property Tax and Appraisals For many senior homeowners, rising property taxes can be a threat to their financial stability, even though their mortgages may be paid off. The Texas Tax Code, Section 33.06, allows taxpayers 65 years of age or older to defer their property taxes until their estates are settled after death.

How do property taxes work when you buy a house in Texas?

Who Pays the Property Tax on a Home Sale in Texas? Property taxes are typically paid in advance for the full year, either by the owner or through an escrow account with their mortgage lender. Exactly who pays will depend on the sale's closing date, the date taxes are due, and the sales agreement.