Lowest Property Tax in Texas: All 254 Counties Ranked (2026)
Low property taxes aren't always what they seem. We ranked all 254 Texas counties by rate and by what homeowners actually pay, including low-tax picks near big cities.
Key Takeaways:
- The lowest-tax counties near big cities
- Why a low rate doesn't always mean a low bill
- Why West Texas taxes are so low
Low property taxes put some Texas counties on every homebuyer's radar. But a low rate and a low bill aren't the same thing.
Here's where rates really bottom out, and where that actually saves you money.
By tax rate, Glasscock County has the lowest property tax in Texas: an estimated 0.92% combined for 2025. By effective rate, what homeowners actually pay as a share of home value, McMullen County is lowest at 0.41%. Near big cities, Wise (DFW) and Montgomery (Houston) counties have the lowest rates.
Sources: Texas Comptroller 2025 Tax Rates and Levies; U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024 (B25103, B25077). TaxDrop analysis.
Your county sets the rate. Your appraisal sets the bill, and you can protest it.
It's free to check, and you only pay if you save.
See Your Potential SavingsStart Your Protest βWhat you'll find below
Explore Texas property tax rates by county
Hover over (or tap) any county to see its rate and typical tax bill. Or search for yours.
Tax rate: est. combined county + school + city rate, 2025; rank 1 = highest (Texas Comptroller). Typical bill: median tax paid by homeowners (Census ACS 2020-2024). Gray = no data or flagged figure. Orange outline = the 10 lowest-rate counties.
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Which Texas counties have the lowest property tax rates?
Glasscock has the lowest rate at 0.92%, followed by Martin (0.98%). They're the only two ranked counties under 1%. Karnes is next at 1.11%.
The statewide average is about 1.70%, weighted by taxable value. The median county is about 1.62%.
Top 10 lowest-rate counties
| Rank | County | Tax rate | Typical bill | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Glasscock | 0.92% | $1,346 | 0.55% |
| 2 | Martin | 0.98% | $1,587 | 0.91% |
| 3 | Karnes | 1.11% | $1,392 | 0.93% |
| 4 | Midland | 1.12% | $3,832 | 1.23% |
| 5 | Sabine | 1.12% | $1,260 | 0.82% |
| 6 | Gillespie | 1.13% | $4,496 | 0.98% |
| 7 | Somervell | 1.13% | $2,634 | 0.91% |
| 8 | Upton | 1.14% | $1,177 | 1.08% |
| 9 | Dimmit | 1.16% | $1,223 | 1.43% |
| 10 | Kinney | 1.16% | $1,158 | 1.41% |
Tax rate = estimated combined rate per $100 of value. Typical bill = Census median tax paid. Ranked 1 = lowest here.
See all 254 counties, lowest to highest
Where are the lowest property taxes near Dallas, Houston, Austin and San Antonio?
Each metro has a lower-tax option within reach. Here's the core county, plus the lowest-rate county nearby.
Lower nearby: Wise 1.28%
Lower nearby: Montgomery 1.47%
Lower nearby: Caldwell 1.58%
Lower nearby: Bandera 1.34%
Counties compared: DFW (Dallas, Tarrant, Collin, Denton, Ellis, Hunt, Kaufman, Rockwall, Johnson, Parker, Wise); Houston (Harris, Fort Bend, Montgomery, Brazoria, Galveston, Liberty, Waller, Chambers, Austin); Austin (Travis, Williamson, Hays, Bastrop, Caldwell); San Antonio (Bexar, Comal, Guadalupe, Wilson, Medina, Atascosa, Bandera, Kendall).
City rates per $100 (approximate)
City + same-named school district + county, 2025. Many suburban homes sit in MUDs, which aren't included.
| Metro | Lowest city rates (city + ISD + county) | Highest city rates |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth | Highland Park 1.25; Keller 1.56; Rockwall 1.58 | Terrell 2.31; Burleson 2.26; Cleburne 2.21 |
| Houston | Galveston 1.57; Humble 1.74; Conroe 1.75 | Deer Park 2.24; La Porte 2.16; Alvin 2.14 |
| Austin | Round Rock 1.68; Dripping Springs 1.73; Lago Vista 1.81 | Manor 2.31; Taylor 2.06; Pflugerville 2.02 |
| San Antonio | Alamo Heights 1.63; New Braunfels 1.75 | San Antonio 2.00; Seguin 1.93 |
Does a low tax rate mean a low tax bill?
Not always. Your bill is your taxable value times your rate. A low rate on an expensive home can cost more than a high rate on a cheap one.
Gillespie's rate is just 1.13%, but its typical bill is $4,496. Kleberg has the highest rate in Texas, and its typical bill is $2,369.
Near Dallas, Wise's rate is 1.28% with a $3,466 typical bill. Collin's is 1.65% with $7,521.
Your county sets the rate. Your appraisal sets the bill, and you can protest it.
It's free to check, and you only pay if you save.
See Your Potential SavingsStart Your Protest βThe lowest effective tax rates
The effective rate is what homeowners pay as a share of home value. McMullen is lowest at 0.41%.
| # | County | Effective rate | Typical bill | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | McMullen | 0.41% | $400 | $97,100 |
| 2 | Borden | 0.42% | $460 | $108,900 |
| 3 | Glasscock | 0.55% | $1,346 | $245,200 |
| 4 | Jeff Davis | 0.60% | $1,365 | $226,200 |
| 5 | Ward | 0.64% | $965 | $150,700 |
| 6 | San Augustine | 0.68% | $676 | $99,900 |
| 7 | Kent | 0.68% | $835 | $122,200 |
| 8 | Leon | 0.69% | $1,283 | $186,400 |
| 9 | Irion | 0.70% | $1,424 | $204,400 |
| 10 | Marion | 0.74% | $749 | $101,500 |
Why are property taxes so low in West Texas?
Many of the lowest-rate counties are in the Permian Basin, including Glasscock, Martin, Midland, Upton and Howard.
A common reason is that oil, gas and other mineral property make up a big share of the taxable value there. In some rural counties, wind farms can play a similar role. With a large base, local taxing units can raise what they need at a lower rate.
Why do lists of the lowest property taxes in Texas disagree?
This page ranks adopted tax rates. Other lists rank the Census effective rate or total dollars. That's why you'll see Glasscock on one list and McMullen on another.
Which Texas counties raised or cut property tax rates in 2025?
Comparing 2025 with 2024 Comptroller files, 134 counties' estimated combined rates went down and 107 went up (flagged counties left out). Lower rates don't always mean lower bills, because values can rise.
Biggest increases:
- Hamilton: 1.36% β 1.68% (+0.33 pts)
- Starr: 1.87% β 2.11% (+0.25 pts)
- Sterling: 1.38% β 1.61% (+0.24 pts)
- Delta: 1.45% β 1.67% (+0.22 pts)
- Tom Green: 1.92% β 2.14% (+0.21 pts)
Biggest decreases:
- Cochran: 1.99% β 1.53% (-0.46 pts)
- San Augustine: 1.59% β 1.35% (-0.24 pts)
- King: 1.95% β 1.74% (-0.21 pts)
- Motley: 1.51% β 1.32% (-0.20 pts)
- Morris: 1.59% β 1.39% (-0.19 pts)
Curious about the other end? See the highest property tax rates in Texas.
Can you lower your bill in a low-rate county?
Yes. Your rate is set locally, but your appraised value is yours to protest. A lower value saves money at any rate.
Savings Potential
92% of Texas protests TaxDrop closed in 2026 got a reduction (174 of 189 with usable values). The median client's taxable value dropped $10,736, about $236 a year in tax at a 2.2% rate. Results vary and a reduction is never guaranteed.
Source: TaxDrop 2026 Texas client data and methodology
How do you protest your property taxes in Texas?
- Watch for your Notice of Appraised Value. It usually arrives in April or May.
- File by the deadline. It's May 15 or 30 days after your notice was mailed, whichever is later. May 15, 2027 is a Saturday, so the 2027 deadline is Monday, May 17, 2027.
- Gather evidence. Comparable sales, photos of condition problems and repair estimates all help.
- Go to an informal review or an ARB hearing. The Appraisal Review Board (ARB) is the panel that hears protests.
- Still not satisfied? You can take it to binding arbitration or district court.
Full walkthrough: how to protest property taxes in Texas. Prefer to hand it off? A Texas property tax consultant can file and handle the hearing for you.
Use this data
Want city and school district detail? See our Texas property tax rates by county comparison.
Cite this data
Reporters and creators are welcome to use these figures and the map. Please credit "Source: TaxDrop analysis of Texas Comptroller public records" with a link to this page. Download the CSV (all 254 counties).
Methodology, sources and data download
Methodology
Tax rate. We used the Texas Comptroller's 2025 Tax Rates and Levies files (county, school district and city), versions dated Jan. 28, 2026. These are the latest final rates and set the bills due by Jan. 31, 2026. For each county we added: the county's total rate; the school district rate averaged across every district in the county, weighted by taxable value; and city levies inside the county divided by the county's taxable value. Special districts (MUDs, hospital, college and emergency services districts) are excluded, so your address's real rate can be higher. The statewide average (1.70%) weights each county by taxable value. The simple average and median are both about 1.62%.
Data checks. We compared each county's reported 2025 county rate with 2024. We flagged and left out of the rate ranking counties where it moved more than 40% in a year or where a rate component appears to be entered twice: Baylor, Zavala, Irion, Jeff Davis, Reagan, Van Zandt, Callahan, Dawson, Willacy, Borden, Mason, Robertson. Culberson had no 2025 county rate. For example, the Comptroller file lists Willacy County at 1.2551 per $100 in 2025, up from 0.7833 in 2024. Willacy's own 2025 rate worksheet shows rates well below that. Willacy would otherwise top the list at 2.54%. That leaves 241 ranked counties. All 254 are in the CSV with a flag column.
Effective rate. Census ACS 5-year estimates (2020-2024): median real estate taxes paid (B25103) divided by median home value (B25077), owner-occupied homes. It's a ratio of two medians, not a true per-home rate, and small-county estimates have wide margins of error. 250 counties have both figures.
Rate change. Same method on the 2024 Comptroller files. Changes are in percentage points of the combined rate, for counties not flagged.
Metro city rates. City rate + the same-named school district + county rate, per $100, for cities with at least $2 billion in taxable value. This is an approximation. Many addresses in a city fall in a different school district or a MUD.
Sources
- Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, Property Tax Assistance Division, Tax Rates and Levies: 2025 and 2024 County, School District and City Rates and Levies (XLSX), accessed Oct. 14, 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, tables B25103 (median real estate taxes paid) and B25077 (median home value), ACS summary file.
- Willacy County, 2025 Tax Rate Calculation Worksheet (general fund), county website.
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 cartographic boundary file (counties), for the map.
- TaxDrop 2026 Texas client data. See methodology.
Paying Too Much in Property Taxes?
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FAQs
Which Texas county has the lowest property tax?
By tax rate, Glasscock County, at an estimated 0.92% combined in 2025 from Texas Comptroller data. By effective rate, what homeowners pay as a share of home value, McMullen County is lowest at 0.41% (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Where in Texas has low property taxes near a big city?
Among counties in and around the big metros, the lowest 2025 rates are Wise (1.28%) near Dallas-Fort Worth, Bandera (1.34%) near San Antonio, Montgomery (1.47%) near Houston and Caldwell (1.58%) near Austin. By city, Highland Park, Keller and Frisco have some of the lowest DFW city rates.
Does Texas have counties with no property tax?
No. Every Texas county with reported 2025 rate data has a property tax. The lowest, Glasscock County, has an estimated combined rate of about 0.92%. Texas has no state income tax, so local governments and schools rely heavily on property taxes.
Why are property taxes so low in West Texas?
Many of the lowest-rate counties are in the Permian Basin. A common reason is that oil, gas and other mineral property make up a big share of the taxable value there, so local taxing units can raise what they need with lower rates.
Why do lists of Texas's lowest property taxes disagree?
They measure different things. Tax-rate rankings use adopted rates (Glasscock is lowest at 0.92%). Effective-rate rankings divide Census median tax paid by median home value (McMullen is lowest at 0.41%). Survey years and special districts also differ.
Ryder Meehan
Ryder Meehan is the Co-Founder of TaxDrop and a Licensed Property Tax Protest Consultant
