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Texas County Tax Guide: 2026
Property tax rates vary dramatically across Texas counties, from under 1% in rural areas to over 3% in urban areas. Understanding your county's rates helps you plan and budget effectively.
Understanding Texas Tax Rates
Texas has 254 counties and the rates in them are not spread the way people assume. The median county sits at 1.60%, and 70% of all counties fall between 1.5% and 2.0%. The whole state runs from 0.60% to 2.68% - a range of about two points, not the five or six that gets quoted. Only 2 counties out of 254 are above 2.5%.
The thing most people get backwards: the big urban counties are not the expensive ones. Harris is 2.13%, Dallas is 1.73%, Travis is 1.99% - all of them at or under the state median. Urban counties have large tax bases, so the same amount of money comes off a lower rate. What actually drives your bill is the school district, which is roughly 50% of it, and the value the appraisal district put on your house.
Under 1.5%
51 counties
Rural, small tax base
- • Fewer taxing units on the bill
- • Often no city rate at all
- • The floor is 0.60%
1.5% to 2.0%
178 counties
Where Texas actually is
- • 70% of the state
- • Median county: 1.60%
- • Most large counties land here
Above 2.0%
25 counties
Fast-growing suburbs, border counties
- • New school bonds and MUDs
- • Only 2 clear 2.5%
- • The ceiling is 2.68%
Major Texas Counties
Search Counties
| County | Total Rate | Population | Annual Tax on $300K Home* |
|---|---|---|---|
Harris County Houston Metro | 2.13% | 4,731,145 | $3,408 |
Dallas County Dallas Metro | 1.73% | 2,613,539 | $2,768 |
Tarrant County Fort Worth Metro | 2.16% | 2,110,640 | $3,456 |
Bexar County San Antonio Metro | 1.88% | 2,009,324 | $3,008 |
Travis County Austin Metro | 1.99% | 1,290,188 | $3,184 |
Collin County North Dallas Suburbs | 1.71% | 1,064,465 | $2,736 |
Denton County North Texas | 1.72% | 906,422 | $2,752 |
Hidalgo County Rio Grande Valley | 1.87% | 870,781 | $2,992 |
El Paso County West Texas Border | 2.16% | 865,657 | $3,456 |
Fort Bend County Southwest Houston | 1.87% | 811,688 | $2,992 |
Williamson County North Austin | 1.82% | 754,272 | $2,907 |
Montgomery County North Houston | 2.20% | 620,443 | $3,520 |
| 1.48% | 58,458 | $2,368 | |
| 0.88% | 18,610 | $1,408 |
*With $140,000 homestead exemption (approved November 2025). Actual rates may vary slightly.
Texas Tax Rate Components
Typical Rate Components
- School District:0.9% - 1.4%
- County:0.2% - 0.8%
- City:0.1% - 0.8%
- Junior College:0.1% - 0.3%
- Other Districts:0.1% - 0.5%
- Typical Total:1.5% - 3.0%
Factors Affecting Rates
- School quality: Better schools = higher rates
- County services: More services = higher rates
- Property values: Higher values = lower rates
- Commercial development: More commercial = lower rates
- Municipal debt: More debt = higher rates
Appraisal District Variations
Understanding Texas's 254 Counties
Each Texas county has its own appraisal district with unique procedures and policies. This creates significant differences in how exemptions, protests, and assessments are handled.
Large Urban Districts:
- • More resources and staff
- • Sophisticated online systems
- • Faster processing
- • More informal review options
Medium Districts:
- • More personalized service
- • Staff knowledgeable about local area
- • Flexible procedures
- • More dialogue opportunities
Small Rural Districts:
- • Limited staffing
- • Simpler procedures
- • Deep local knowledge
- • More direct relationships
What to do about your rate
The rate is set by the taxing units and you have almost no say in it. The value is set by the appraisal district and you have a great deal of say in it. That asymmetry is the whole strategy: two homeowners on the same street under the same rate can pay very different bills, and the difference is exemptions and appraised value, not geography.
If you are in one of the higher counties
A high rate multiplies every mistake in your appraised value, so the protest is worth more here than anywhere else. File the homestead exemption first — it is free, it is permanent, and it takes the school district’s $140,000 off your taxable value before the rate is applied. Then protest annually. The appraisal district reopens your value every year, so a win one year does not carry to the next.
Check your notice for a MUD or PID line. Those sit on top of the county rate and are the usual reason a suburban bill looks nothing like the county average.
Highest of the counties we cover:
- • Montgomery County: 2.20%
- • Tarrant County: 2.16%
- • El Paso County: 2.16%
- • Harris County: 2.13%
On a $400,000 home, one point of rate is $4,000 a year.
If you are in one of the lower counties
A low county rate is not the same as a low bill. The county line is one of eight or so entities on the notice, and the school district is about 50% of what you pay. Two houses in the same county in different districts are not comparable.
Take the exemptions anyway. Homestead applies at any rate, and if you turn 65 the school tax ceiling freezes the school portion of your bill at that year’s amount — which is worth more the longer you stay.
Lowest of the counties we cover:
- • Andrews County: 0.88%
- • Anderson County: 1.48%
- • Collin County: 1.71%
- • Denton County: 1.72%
Statewide median: 1.60%
💡 Tax Tip: Your property taxes are deductible on your federal return! File free with FreeTaxUSA and claim your property tax deduction.
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