Cottonwood, Texas
A small city in Kaufman County, Cottonwood lies in the rolling farm and prairie country of North Texas roughly 32 miles southeast of Dallas. It sits within the broad band of Blackland Prairie that once supported cotton and grain farming across this part of the state. The community is a rural, largely residential place within commuting distance of the Dallas metropolitan area.
Property here runs through the Kaufman 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 Kaufman County notes below cover the practical details, with the official county directory for the appraisal district and tax office.
Kaufman County notes
What to know around Cottonwood
Property Tax Basics
Two offices handle your property tax in Kaufman County
The appraisal district sets your home's value; the tax assessor-collector sends the bill and takes payment.
Homestead Exemption
File your homestead exemption with KCAD to lower your tax bill
Texas requires school districts to give homeowners a $140,000 exemption on their primary residence, but you must apply with the appraisal district to get it.
MUDs and PIDs
Many new homes in Kaufman County sit inside special tax districts
Kaufman County's 2026 tax-unit roster includes multiple MUDs, and Forney PIDs can add special assessments on top of the regular tax bill.
Floodplain Development
Building in a floodplain in unincorporated Kaufman County requires a permit
Any work on land that FEMA maps show as a floodplain, including new buildings, additions, or fill placement, requires a county flood plain permit first.
Septic / OSSF
You need a permit before installing a septic system in Kaufman County
Kaufman County requires a permit for any new septic system, and the installer must hold a TCEQ license.
City Limits vs. ETJ
Living near a city doesn't mean you're in the city, and ETJ rules matter
Many homes near fast-growing Forney and Terrell are in the ETJ, a buffer zone outside city limits where cities can control how land is divided but cannot zone it.
Nearby
Places near Cottonwood
Nearby counties
Local notes for nearby counties
Ellis County
27 local notes · DFW / North Texas
Navarro County
24 local notes · DFW / North Texas
Rockwall County
30 local notes · DFW / North Texas
Dallas County
64 local notes · DFW / North Texas
Van Zandt County
19 local notes · East Texas / Piney Woods
Henderson County
23 local notes · East Texas / Piney Woods
Next steps for Cottonwood
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Model school and local rates, the homestead exemption, and the appraisal cap.
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