Decatur, Texas
Decatur is the principal city of Wise County, in the Cross Timbers region of North Texas about 27 miles west of Denton. Set on a hill above the surrounding ranch land, it is best known for the Wise County Courthouse, an ornate pink-granite building completed in 1896 and designed by architect J. Riely Gordon, which stands on the town square. Railroads that arrived in the late 1800s shaped the town's early growth in cattle, cotton, and grain, and it later became a center for oil and gas activity in the area.
Property here runs through the Wise 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 Wise County notes below cover the practical details, with the official county directory for the appraisal district and tax office.
Wise County notes
What to know around Decatur
Property Tax
Who Sets Your Property Value in Wise County
The Wise County Appraisal District sets the value of your property, and a separate tax office collects the bill.
Property Tax
The Homestead Exemption Saves Money on Your Tax Bill
If your home in Wise County is your main residence, you can apply for a homestead exemption to lower your property tax.
Special Districts
Special Districts Can Add to Your Property Tax Bill
Wise County tax bills can include MUDs, WCIDs, or ESDs, so a house in the same school district may still carry a different local-tax stack.
School Districts
Seven School Districts Cover Wise County
Your property's school district determines a big part of your tax bill, and Wise County has seven of them.
Mineral Rights
In Wise County, the Land and What's Under It Can Have Different Owners
Buying land in Wise County does not always mean you own the oil and gas beneath it.
Septic Systems
Rural Properties in Wise County Need a Septic Permit
A Wise County tract outside public sewer still has to clear Texas OSSF rules before a septic system is built, changed, or repaired.
Nearby
Places near Decatur
Nearby counties
Local notes for nearby counties
Next steps for Decatur
Estimate property tax
Model school and local rates, the homestead exemption, and the appraisal cap.
Open estimator ->Wise County notes
Property tax, land, outdoors, vehicles, rules, and history for the county.
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