Texas Property Tax Rates by County 2026: Complete Comparison

Why Texas Property Tax Rates Are So Confusing

Most people think of "the property tax rate" as one number. In Texas, it's at least four numbers, often five.

Your total property tax rate is the sum of:

• County rate — set by your county commissioners court
• City rate — set by your municipal government (or zero if you're in unincorporated land)
• School district rate — typically the largest single component (often 40–55% of your bill)
• Special district rates — MUDs, ESDs, college districts, hospital districts, water districts

That's why two homes on the same street, in the same school district, can have wildly different total tax rates if one is in a MUD and the other isn't. It's also why the right way to compare counties isn't just "the county rate" — it's the combined effective rate paid by the median homeowner.

This guide breaks down 2026 combined effective rates and median tax bills across the 21 highest-volume Texas counties.

2026 Texas Property Tax Rates by County

DFW Metro

Dallas County (DCAD)
Combined effective rate: 2.0–2.6% depending on city/ISD
Median tax bill: $4,500–$7,200
Notable: Highland Park ISD has the highest school rate in the metro.

Tarrant County (TAD)
Combined effective rate: 1.85–2.4%
Median tax bill: $3,700–$6,500
Notable: 98.7% protest success rate, $3,719 average savings.

Collin County (CCAD)
Combined effective rate: 1.7–2.3%
Median tax bill: $5,500–$9,000+ (high-value markets)
Notable: Plano, Frisco, McKinney face aggressive year-over-year increases.

Denton County (DCAD)
Combined effective rate: 1.8–2.4%
Median tax bill: $5,000–$8,000
Notable: Argyle and Northlake ISDs near top of school rate scale.

Rockwall County (RCAD)
Combined effective rate: 1.49–2.0%
Median tax bill: $6,357 (median home $416,497)
Notable: 91% informal / 63% ARB success.

Kaufman County (KCAD)
Combined effective rate: 1.99% base / 2.50%+ with MUDs
Median tax bill: $6,200–$8,800 in MUD-heavy areas
Notable: 90% ARB success, 19,730 protests filed in 2024.

Parker County (PCAD)
Combined effective rate: 1.50–2.10%
Median tax bill: $4,986
Notable: 100% ARB success rate in 2024. Aledo ISD highest in county.

Ellis County (ECAD)
Combined effective rate: 1.35–2.10%
Median tax bill: $4,725 (median home $350K)
Notable: 21,930 protests filed in 2024, $41M total savings.

Johnson County (JCAD)
Combined effective rate: 1.7–2.6%
Median tax bill: $7,300
Notable: Keene at 2.58% — one of highest combined rates in DFW. Cresson at 0.82% — one of lowest.

Houston Metro

Harris County (HCAD)
Combined effective rate: 1.8–2.4%
Median tax bill: $1,479 (lower median home values)
Notable: 93.5% protest success rate. Largest CAD in Texas.

Fort Bend County (FBCAD)
Combined effective rate: 1.9–2.5%
Median tax bill: $4,500–$8,000+ (Sugar Land highest)
Notable: MUDs are common — many homes face 2.5%+ combined rates.

Montgomery County (MCAD)
Combined effective rate: 1.85–2.4%
Median tax bill: $4,200–$7,500
Notable: The Woodlands MUD-heavy areas top out near 2.4%.

Galveston County (GCAD)
Combined effective rate: 1.58–1.96%
Median tax bill: $5,279
Notable: 66% informal / 65% ARB success. STR markets see unique pressure.

Brazoria County (BCAD)
Combined effective rate: 1.70% county / 2.26% Pearland
Median tax bill: $4,960
Notable: 87% informal / 98% ARB success. Pearland is one of highest-rate cities in Houston metro.

Austin Metro

Travis County (TCAD)
Combined effective rate: 1.9–2.4%
Median tax bill: $5,500–$9,000+
Notable: 98.6% protest success, $1,404 average savings.

Williamson County (WCAD)
Combined effective rate: 1.85–2.5% (MUD-heavy)
Median tax bill: $5,800–$8,500
Notable: Round Rock, Cedar Park, Leander rapid growth markets.

Hays County (HCAD)
Combined effective rate: 1.6–1.7%
Median tax bill: ~$6,500 (median home $409K)
Notable: 80% informal / 78% ARB success. 43,780 protests filed.

San Antonio Metro & Central Texas

Bexar County (BCAD)
Combined effective rate: 1.9–2.5%
Median tax bill: $3,000–$5,500
Notable: 99.9% protest success rate — highest in Texas.

Comal County (CCAD)
Combined effective rate: 1.79% combined / 1.46% true
Median tax bill: $5,871
Notable: 28,680 protests, 59% ARB success, $38.83M in savings.

Guadalupe County (GCAD)
Combined effective rate: 1.69%
Median tax bill: $4,783 (Cibolo highest at $6,226)
Notable: 93% informal success rate — one of highest in Texas.

Bell County (Bell CAD)
Combined effective rate: 1.62–2.35%
Median tax bill: $4,300–$6,300 (Temple highest)
Notable: $1.02B in protested value (county record). Temple ISD ($1.14) significantly higher than Killeen ISD ($0.88).

Highest-Rate Texas Cities in 2026

The cities below face some of the highest combined effective tax rates in Texas. If you own property here, annual protests aren't optional — they're required to keep up with rate compression.

1. Keene (Johnson County) — 2.58% combined
2. Pearland (Brazoria County) — 2.26% combined
3. Aledo (Parker County) — 2.10%+ combined
4. Temple (Bell County) — 2.35% combined
5. Forney + MUDs (Kaufman County) — 2.50%+ combined
6. Highland Park (Dallas County) — 2.5%+ combined (high HPISD rate)

Lowest-Rate Texas Cities in 2026

If you happen to live in one of these markets, you're in the lower-pressure tier — but you should still protest annually. Even a low rate compounded against an inflated assessed value still costs you money.

1. Cresson (Johnson County) — 0.82% combined
2. Nixon (Guadalupe County) — Median tax bill $830
3. Various unincorporated areas across Texas

Why Rates Don't Tell the Whole Story

Comparing rates without comparing assessed values is misleading. Two examples:

Example 1: Harris County's combined rate (1.8–2.4%) is similar to many Austin-area counties, but Harris's median tax bill is $1,479 because median home values are lower. The rate is high; the absolute dollar bill is moderate.

Example 2: Hays County's combined rate (1.6–1.7%) is moderate by Texas standards, but median tax bills run around $6,500 because median home values are $409K. The rate is moderate; the absolute dollar bill is high.

What actually drives your tax bill: assessed value × combined effective rate. Both halves matter. The protest process targets the assessed value half — the only piece a homeowner can directly fight.

How Rates Affect Your Protest Strategy

The higher your combined effective rate, the more every dollar of assessment reduction matters. A $30,000 assessment reduction at Cresson's 0.82% saves you $246/year. The same reduction at Keene's 2.58% saves $774/year.

That's why high-rate cities make the strongest case for professional protest representation. The dollars compound faster.

The 2026 Texas Senate Bill 4 Changes

Following voter approval of Proposition 13 in November 2025, the Texas school district homestead exemption increased from $100,000 to $140,000 for the 2026 tax year. This is the largest exemption increase in modern Texas history.

For homeowners, that's an automatic $500–$1,800 in annual school tax savings — the actual dollar amount depending on your school district's rate. But the exemption only applies to the value the appraisal district assigns to your property. If your home is overassessed, you lose meaningful exemption benefit. Protest first, then exemption stacks on top.

For rental property owners: the new exemption doesn't apply to investment properties. Your rentals still face full assessed value with no homestead protection. See our 2026 Texas Landlord Property Tax Protest Guide for details →

What to Do Right Now

Wherever you live in Texas — high-rate Keene or low-rate Cresson — the 2026 protest deadline is May 15, 2026.

Sign up your property with TaxDrop in 3 minutes. We'll pull your CAD assessment, run a comparable-sales analysis, show you your estimated savings instantly, and file your 2026 protest before the May 15 deadline. 25% contingency. No upfront cost. No fee unless we save you money.