Plains, Texas
Plains is a small town on the flat, treeless High Plains of Yoakum County in far West Texas, roughly 63 miles southwest of Lubbock near the western edge of the state. The surrounding country is given over to cotton, grain, cattle ranching, and oil and gas production, the mainstays of this stretch of the Llano Estacado.
Property here runs through the Yoakum 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 Yoakum County notes below cover the practical details, with the official county directory for the appraisal district and tax office.
Yoakum County notes
What to know around Plains
Property Tax
Who handles your property tax in Yoakum County
Two separate offices handle property taxes here. One sets your value, the other collects the bill.
Ag Valuation
Farmland can be taxed on what it produces, not what it sells for
Farm and ranch land may qualify for a lower productivity value if it is used at the local level the law requires.
Water Wells
A local district regulates groundwater wells in Yoakum County
Before drilling a water well in Yoakum County, you must work with the Sandy Land Underground Water Conservation District.
Mineral Rights & Oil/Gas
Oil and gas activity is high here — know who regulates it
Yoakum County has had active oil and gas production since 1936, and the Railroad Commission of Texas regulates all of it.
Hunting
Yoakum County has two deer species and solid dove and quail hunting
Hunters in Yoakum County can pursue both white-tailed and mule deer, plus dove, quail, and waterfowl, though seasons and limits shift each year.
County History
Yoakum County went from nearly empty rangeland to an oil and cotton center
Yoakum County was established in 1876 but had fewer than 30 residents by 1900. Oil and irrigation farming transformed it in the 20th century.
Nearby
Places near Plains
Nearby counties
Local notes for nearby counties
Terry County
4 local notes · Panhandle / High Plains
Cochran County
5 local notes · Panhandle / High Plains
Gaines County
14 local notes · West Texas / Permian / Trans-Pecos
Hockley County
6 local notes · Panhandle / High Plains
Lynn County
6 local notes · Panhandle / High Plains
Dawson County
6 local notes · West Texas / Permian / Trans-Pecos
Next steps for Plains
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Model school and local rates, the homestead exemption, and the appraisal cap.
Open estimator ->Yoakum County notes
Property tax, land, outdoors, vehicles, rules, and history for the county.
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