Smithville, Texas
Smithville is a city in Bastrop County, on the Colorado River in the wooded, rolling country of Central Texas about 39 miles southeast of Austin. The town is well known as a filming location, having served as the setting for movies including Hope Floats, and it maintains a historic downtown and residential district near the river. Its position along the Colorado River and at the edge of the Lost Pines woodlands gives the area a mix of river bottomland and pine forest.
Property here runs through the Bastrop 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 Bastrop County notes below cover the practical details, with the official county directory for the appraisal district and tax office.
Bastrop County notes
What to know around Smithville
Property tax
Homestead Exemption Cuts Your School Tax Bill
If you own and live in your home in Bastrop County, you can apply for a homestead exemption that removes $140,000 from your school district taxable value.
Property tax
Two Offices Handle Your Property Tax — Know Which Does What
Bastrop Central Appraisal District sets your property value; the Bastrop County Tax Assessor-Collector sends your bill and collects payment.
Property tax / Agriculture
Agricultural Valuation Can Sharply Lower Your Land Tax
Land in Bastrop County actively used for farming, ranching, or wildlife management can be taxed on its agricultural production value rather than its market value.
Flood
Building Near the Colorado River Means a Floodplain Permit
Bastrop County requires a permit before you build in or near the 100-year floodplain, with stricter rules for structures inside the flood zone.
Water / Septic
Septic System Permit Required Outside City Sewer Service
Most rural land in Bastrop County has no public sewer. You need a licensed professional and a county permit before you can install a septic system.
Water / Wells
Lost Pines Groundwater Conservation District Regulates Wells
The Lost Pines Groundwater Conservation District, created by voters in 2002, issues water well permits and oversees groundwater use in Bastrop and Lee counties.
Nearby
Places near Smithville
Nearby counties
Local notes for nearby counties
Fayette County
7 local notes · Austin / Central Texas / Hill Country
Lee County
6 local notes · Austin / Central Texas / Hill Country
Caldwell County
11 local notes · Austin / Central Texas / Hill Country
Travis County
65 local notes · Austin / Central Texas / Hill Country
Gonzales County
6 local notes · San Antonio / South Central
Lavaca County
5 local notes · Gulf Coast / Coastal Bend
Next steps for Smithville
Estimate property tax
Model school and local rates, the homestead exemption, and the appraisal cap.
Open estimator ->Bastrop County notes
Property tax, land, outdoors, vehicles, rules, and history for the county.
Browse county ->Look up another place
Every Texas town and all 254 counties.
Find a place ->