Rochester, Texas
Rochester is a small town in Haskell County, located about 60 miles north of Abilene in the Rolling Plains of West Texas. It sits amid flat to gently rolling farm and ranch land where cotton and cattle have long anchored the local economy. The town is a rural farming community surrounded by open agricultural country.
Property here runs through the Haskell 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 Haskell County notes below cover the practical details, with the official county directory for the appraisal district and tax office.
Haskell County notes
What to know around Rochester
Property tax
Who handles property taxes in Haskell County
Haskell County has a separate appraisal district and tax assessor-collector, and the tax office does not collect property taxes, so you need to know where to go.
Water wells
Drilling a water well in Haskell County requires a permit
The Rolling Plains Groundwater Conservation District covers all of Haskell County and requires a permit before you drill a new water well.
Mineral rights / oil and gas
Oil and gas in Haskell County falls under Railroad Commission District 7B
Haskell County has a long oil-producing history, and all oil and gas activity here is regulated by the Railroad Commission of Texas under District 7B, based in Abilene.
Fishing
Lake Stamford: Haskell County's main public water body
Lake Stamford is the main reservoir in Haskell County, offering fishing for bass, catfish, and crappie, though public shoreline access is limited to two marina areas.
County history
How Haskell County got its name and county seat
Haskell County was created by the Texas Legislature in 1858 but not organized until 1885, when the county seat was named for a soldier who died at Goliad in 1836.
Nearby
Places near Rochester
Nearby counties
Local notes for nearby counties
Knox County
6 local notes · Panhandle / High Plains
Stonewall County
6 local notes · West Texas / Permian / Trans-Pecos
King County
5 local notes · Panhandle / High Plains
Jones County
5 local notes · West Texas / Permian / Trans-Pecos
Throckmorton County
6 local notes · West Texas / Permian / Trans-Pecos
Baylor County
6 local notes · DFW / North Texas
Next steps for Rochester
Estimate property tax
Model school and local rates, the homestead exemption, and the appraisal cap.
Open estimator ->Haskell County notes
Property tax, land, outdoors, vehicles, rules, and history for the county.
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