Ovilla, Texas
Ovilla lies on Red Oak Creek in the rolling blackland prairie south of Dallas, straddling the line between Dallas and Ellis counties about 17 miles south of downtown Dallas and 16 miles south of Grand Prairie. One of the older settlements in the area, it began as a rural farming community and grew slowly after being bypassed by the railroads, remaining a small town before suburban growth reached it from the north. Today it is a low-density residential city set among pastures and wooded creek bottoms on the southern edge of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.
Property here runs through the Dallas 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 Dallas County notes below cover the practical details, with the official county directory for the appraisal district and tax office.
Dallas County notes
What to know around Ovilla
Property Tax Basics
Who Appraises Your Property in Dallas County
The Dallas Central Appraisal District sets the value of your property each year, and that value drives your tax bill.
Homestead Exemption
The Homestead Exemption Cuts Your School Taxes
Texas law requires school districts to exempt $140,000 of your home's value from school property taxes if you qualify.
Age 65 / Disability Exemption
Extra Tax Break for Seniors and Disabled Homeowners
If you are 65 or older, or have a qualifying disability, you get an additional $60,000 off your home's school-taxable value.
Veteran Exemption
Veterans with Disabilities Get a Property Tax Break
Texas gives disabled veterans a property tax exemption based on their VA disability rating.
Protest / ARB
You Can Fight Your Appraisal Every Year
If you disagree with DCAD's value of your property, you have the right to protest before the Dallas County Appraisal Review Board.
Unincorporated Area / ETJ
Unincorporated Dallas County Has Its Own Rules
Small patches of Dallas County lie outside any city, and building or developing there requires a county permit instead of a city permit.
Nearby
Places near Ovilla
Nearby counties
Local notes for nearby counties
Next steps for Ovilla
Estimate property tax
Model school and local rates, the homestead exemption, and the appraisal cap.
Open estimator ->Dallas County notes
Property tax, land, outdoors, vehicles, rules, and history for the county.
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