Bear Creek, Texas
Bear Creek is a small village in Hays County on the edge of the Central Texas Hill Country, about 13 miles west of Austin. It sits in rolling, wooded terrain south of the capital, in a rural setting that has increasingly felt the reach of the expanding Austin metropolitan area.
Property here runs through the Hays Central Appraisal District and the county tax office — the homestead exemption, the appraisal cap, protests, and any MUD, PID, or special districts all sit at the parcel level. The Hays County notes below cover the practical details, with the official county directory for the appraisal district and tax office.
Hays County notes
What to know around Bear Creek
Property Tax Basics
Two offices handle your property taxes in Hays County
Hays County splits property tax duties between two separate offices, and knowing which one to call saves time.
Homestead Exemption
Filing a homestead exemption lowers your tax bill in Hays County
If you own and live in your Hays County home, you can file for a homestead exemption to reduce what you owe in property taxes.
Tax Payment Deadline
Pay your Hays County property taxes by January 31 to avoid penalties
Property tax bills in Hays County arrive in the fall, and January 31 is the last day to pay without extra fees.
Agricultural Valuation
Farmland in Hays County can be taxed at a much lower rate through ag valuation
Land used for farming or ranching in Hays County may qualify for a special lower tax rate based on what the land can produce, not what it sells for, and many Hill Country owners hold that valuation by managing for wildlife instead of running livestock.
County Founding
Hays County was carved from Travis County in 1848
The Texas Legislature created Hays County on March 1, 1848, and named San Marcos as the county seat from the start.
City History
San Marcos has been a crossroads since before Texas was a state
People have gathered at the springs near San Marcos for thousands of years, and the city has grown into a regional hub for education and commerce.
Nearby
Places near Bear Creek
Nearby counties
Local notes for nearby counties
Travis County
65 local notes · Austin / Central Texas / Hill Country
Blanco County
7 local notes · Austin / Central Texas / Hill Country
Caldwell County
11 local notes · Austin / Central Texas / Hill Country
Comal County
28 local notes · San Antonio / South Central
Bastrop County
13 local notes · Austin / Central Texas / Hill Country
Williamson County
52 local notes · Austin / Central Texas / Hill Country
Next steps for Bear Creek
Estimate property tax
Model school and local rates, the homestead exemption, and the appraisal cap.
Open estimator ->Hays County notes
Property tax, land, outdoors, vehicles, rules, and history for the county.
Browse county ->Look up another place
Every Texas town and all 254 counties.
Find a place ->