Rural land in Mills County may qualify for agricultural valuation

Do not assume a pasture near Goldthwaite already has an ag value. Texas has a special appraisal for farm, ranch, timber, and some wildlife land. It taxes the land by what it can produce, not by its sale price. That value is usually lower than market value.

Mills Central Appraisal District uses local tests. Its 2025 guide says the land should be used the way a normal Mills County farm or ranch would use it. Most rural land also needs five years of ag use in the past seven. The guide names cattle, goats, sheep, hay, crops, orchards, and bees.

For one exact tract, call Mills CAD before you count on the ag appraisal. Bees have a five-to-20-acre state range. Wildlife use usually starts with land that already had open-space or timber appraisal. A later switch out of ag use can bring rollback taxes.