Rusk, Texas
Rusk is a city in Cherokee County in the East Texas Piney Woods, roughly 39 miles southeast of Tyler amid rolling, heavily forested hill country. It is the eastern terminus of the Texas State Railroad, a state park where a historic steam train runs through the pines between Rusk and Palestine, and the town has long been associated with timber and railroad heritage.
Property here runs through the Cherokee 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 Cherokee County notes below cover the practical details, with the official county directory for the appraisal district and tax office.
Cherokee County notes
What to know around Rusk
Property Tax Basics
One Office Appraises Your Property. Another Collects the Tax.
The Cherokee County Appraisal District sets your property value; separate taxing units bill and collect the tax.
Homestead Exemption
Homestead Exemption Lowers Your Property Tax Bill
If your home is your main residence, you likely qualify for a homestead exemption that reduces the taxable value of your property.
Fishing
Lake Palestine Offers Year-Round Fishing in Cherokee County
Lake Palestine is a 25,560-acre reservoir on the Neches River with strong populations of bass, catfish, crappie, and hybrid striped bass.
Deer Hunting
Cherokee County Has Antler Restrictions for Deer Hunters
Cherokee County is in the TPWD North Zone and has specific antler restrictions that limit which bucks are legal to harvest.
Mineral Rights
Buying Land May Not Include the Minerals Under It
In Cherokee County, oil, gas, and other mineral rights are often owned separately from the surface land, and buyers should check before assuming they own both.
Historic Railroad
The Texas State Railroad Runs Through Cherokee County
The Texas State Railroad, originally built in 1893 to support a state prison and iron ore operations near Rusk, is now a heritage railway attraction.
Nearby
Places near Rusk
Nearby counties
Local notes for nearby counties
Anderson County
19 local notes · East Texas / Piney Woods
Rusk County
25 local notes · East Texas / Piney Woods
Nacogdoches County
18 local notes · East Texas / Piney Woods
Houston County
4 local notes · East Texas / Piney Woods
Smith County
36 local notes · East Texas / Piney Woods
Trinity County
6 local notes · East Texas / Piney Woods
Next steps for Rusk
Estimate property tax
Model school and local rates, the homestead exemption, and the appraisal cap.
Open estimator ->Cherokee County notes
Property tax, land, outdoors, vehicles, rules, and history for the county.
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