A millage rate (also called mill levy or mill rate) is the amount of tax you pay per $1,000 of your property's assessed value. One "mill" equals $1 per $1,000 of value, or 0.1%.
For example, if your millage rate is 25 mills and your assessed value is $300,000, your tax calculation is: $300,000 ÷ 1,000 × 25 = $7,500.
Your total millage rate is actually a combination of rates from multiple taxing entities: school districts, cities, counties, hospital districts, and special districts. Each entity sets its own rate, and they're added together to determine your total tax burden.
Here's the thing about millage rates: You can't change them. They're set by elected officials and taxing entities. You can vote, but you can't appeal.
What you CAN control is your assessed value. Since your tax bill equals assessed value × millage rate, lowering your assessed value directly lowers your bill—regardless of the rate.
That's why property tax appeals matter. Even if your millage rate stays the same or increases, reducing your assessed value keeps more money in your pocket.
A homeowner in Fort Worth, Texas has an assessed value of $350,000. Their combined millage rate includes:
• Fort Worth ISD: 12.33 mills
• City of Fort Worth: 6.79 mills
• Tarrant County: 2.29 mills
• Tarrant County Hospital: 2.24 mills
• Tarrant County College: 1.47 mills
Total millage: 25.12 mills
Annual tax: $350,000 ÷ 1,000 × 25.12 = $8,792
If they successfully appeal and reduce their assessed value to $320,000, their new tax would be $8,038—a savings of $754.
The term comes from the Latin word "millesimum," meaning thousandth. One mill equals one-tenth of one cent, or $1 per $1,000 of assessed value.
Various taxing entities set their own rates: school boards, city councils, county commissioners, and special district boards. These rates are typically set during annual budget processes and can change year to year.
No. Millage rates are set through the political process, not individual appeals. However, you can attend public budget hearings to voice concerns. The only way to directly reduce your tax bill is by lowering your assessed value through a property tax appeal.