Calculate your property tax for TX. Enter your home value, apply exemptions, and see your estimated annual tax.
Texas has no state income tax, and it funds schools, counties, cities, and special districts largely through property taxes instead. That trade-off puts Texas among the states with the highest effective property tax rates in the country — commonly in the 1.6% to 1.8% range of a home's market value, roughly double the national average. There is no statewide property tax at all; every dollar is levied locally, which means your total rate is the sum of the rates set by each taxing unit that overlaps your address. Understanding how your county appraisal district sets value, which exemptions cap your bill, and how the protest process works is the single best way to keep a Texas property tax bill under control. This guide explains all of it, and the calculator further down the page lets you estimate your own bill.
The formula is (Appraised Value − Exemptions) × Combined Tax Rate = Annual Tax. Each County Appraisal District (CAD) appraises every property at its market value as of January 1. You then subtract any exemptions you qualify for, and the remaining taxable value is multiplied by the combined rate of all local taxing units — typically your school district (the largest slice), county, city, and any special districts such as municipal utility districts (MUDs), hospital districts, or community college districts. Because school taxes dominate, exemptions that apply to the school portion deliver the biggest savings.
Texas expresses rates in dollars per $100 of value, but for comparison we convert to an effective percentage. A combined rate of $2.10 per $100 equals 2.10% of taxable value. On a $300,000 home with a standard homestead exemption, the school-taxable value alone might be well below $300,000, which is why the exemption structure matters so much to the final number.
The homestead exemption is the cornerstone of Texas property tax relief, and it was expanded again by constitutional amendment. For an owner-occupied principal residence, the school district homestead exemption is $140,000 of appraised value for 2026 (raised from $100,000 by the 2025 legislative package and voter approval), with an additional $60,000 for homeowners who are 65 or older or disabled, bringing their school exemption to $200,000. Counties, cities, and special districts may offer their own local homestead exemptions on top. To claim it you file a one-time application (Form 50-114) with your CAD; you generally must own and occupy the home as of January 1, and you can only have one homestead.
Two additional homestead protections matter. First, the 10% appraisal cap: once you have a homestead exemption, your taxable appraised value cannot increase more than 10% per year regardless of how fast the market rises (new improvements are added separately). Second, the school tax ceiling (freeze): when a homeowner turns 65 or is disabled, the school district portion of the tax bill is frozen at that year's amount and generally cannot go up as long as they own and live in the home, even if values or rates climb.
Beyond the over-65 and disabled homestead add-on and the school tax ceiling, Texas offers one of the most generous disabled veteran programs in the nation. Veterans with a 100% service-connected disability rating (or individual unemployability at the 100% rate) receive a total exemption from property tax on their residence homestead — the home is fully exempt. Veterans with partial ratings receive tiered exemptions ($5,000 to $12,000 of value depending on the disability percentage), and surviving spouses of service members killed in action or of 100% disabled veterans can also qualify for continued relief. There is no statewide senior "circuit breaker" income program, but the tax ceiling plus deferral options (below) fill much of that role.
Texas also lets homeowners who are 65 or older, or disabled, defer collection of property taxes on their homestead. A deferral does not erase the tax — interest accrues at a modest statutory rate and the balance is due when the home is sold or the estate settles — but it stops foreclosure for nonpayment and can be a lifeline for house-rich, cash-poor retirees.
Texas rates vary widely by county and by the specific overlapping districts at each address. The effective rates below are drawn from our county datasets; select any county to open its dedicated calculator and local detail.
| County | Effective Rate | Est. tax on $300,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Hays | 1.58% | $4,740 |
| Collin | 1.64% | $4,920 |
| Williamson | 1.65% | $4,950 |
| Harris | 1.66% | $4,980 |
| Bexar | 1.69% | $5,070 |
| Denton | 1.69% | $5,070 |
| Fort Bend | 1.72% | $5,160 |
| Tarrant | 1.72% | $5,160 |
| Travis | 1.78% | $5,340 |
| Dallas | 1.81% | $5,430 |
Estimates apply each county's effective rate to a $300,000 market value for comparison only; your actual bill depends on your own assessed value, exemptions, and local levies.
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| January 1 | Appraisal date — value and exemption status set for the year |
| Around April | CAD mails appraised value notices |
| May 15 (or 30 days after notice) | Deadline to file a protest with the Appraisal Review Board |
| October | Tax bills mailed once rates are adopted |
| January 31 | Taxes due for the prior year |
| February 1 | Unpaid taxes become delinquent (penalty and interest begin) |
Delinquent Texas taxes accrue penalty and interest that grow quickly through the spring, and additional collection fees can apply after July 1. If your mortgage servicer pays through escrow, confirm the county shows the payment posted before February.
Texas has an active, homeowner-friendly protest culture, and protesting is often worthwhile. After you receive your notice of appraised value, you may file a protest with your CAD by May 15 (or 30 days after the notice date, whichever is later). You first meet informally with an appraiser; if unresolved, you present evidence to the Appraisal Review Board (ARB), an independent panel. Effective evidence includes recent comparable sales, an independent appraisal, photos documenting condition or damage, and the appraisal district's own equity data showing similar homes appraised for less. Winning a protest lowers your taxable value for the year and can compound in future years because increases build off a lower base. Many owners protest annually as a matter of routine.
Suppose you own a $300,000 home in a county with a combined rate near 1.7% and you have the standard homestead exemption. The $140,000 school exemption sharply reduces your school-taxable value, while county and city portions apply to a smaller reduction. After exemptions your blended effective bill might land near $4,000–$4,500 depending on your exact districts — meaningfully less than the roughly $5,100 you would owe on the full $300,000 at 1.7% with no exemption. If you are 65 or older, the extra $60,000 school exemption plus the school tax ceiling can hold your bill flat for years. Run your own numbers in the calculator below.
Does Texas have a state property tax? No. There is no statewide property tax. All property tax in Texas is levied locally by school districts, counties, cities, and special districts.
How much is the Texas homestead exemption in 2026? $140,000 of school-district appraised value for an owner-occupied home, with an extra $60,000 (total $200,000) for homeowners 65 or older or disabled, plus any local exemptions.
What is the Texas 10% cap? Once you have a homestead exemption, your taxable appraised value cannot rise more than 10% per year, protecting you from sudden market spikes (new construction is added separately).
Do disabled veterans pay property tax in Texas? Veterans rated 100% service-connected disabled receive a total exemption on their residence homestead. Partial ratings receive tiered exemptions of $5,000 to $12,000.
When are Texas property taxes due? Bills are mailed in October and are due by January 31; unpaid taxes become delinquent February 1 with penalty and interest.
Enter your home value, select your state, and see your estimated annual property tax.