Step 1
Find the appraisal value.
Use the county appraisal district account, not the listing site. Look for market value, appraised value, and exemptions.
Texas property tax estimator
Estimate the tax bill before you trust the escrow number.
Texas property tax is local. The appraisal district sets the value record. Taxing units adopt rates. The county tax office collects the bill. This estimator turns those local pieces into a planning number.
Estimator
Texas property tax planning number
Pick your county to start with its average rates, or enter the local rates as dollars per $100 of taxable value. Use your county appraisal district and tax office for the exact parcel.
Local homestead exemptions are left out on purpose. A city, county, junior college, or special district can each use a different exemption, so one percentage would give you false precision.
Estimated annual tax
$8,190
About $683 per month in escrow, before insurance.
- Combined rate entered
- $2.1000 per $100
- Effective tax rate on market value
- 1.82%
- School taxable value
- $310,000
- Other taxable value used, before local exemptions
- $450,000
School part: $2,790. Other local part: $5,400.
Check these before you rely on the number
- - The 10 percent homestead appraisal cap is not modeled for the first year. It generally helps after the home has qualified as your homestead.
- - City, county, junior-college, and special-district exemptions are not subtracted. Each taxing unit can use a different taxable value, so check the parcel record or an official local estimator for the exact bill.
This is a planning estimate, not legal, tax, appraisal, or financial advice. It does not model tax ceilings, all senior or disabled exemptions, agricultural valuation, disaster exemptions, delinquency, protests, late exemptions, or every local option. Confirm the parcel record and bill with the appraisal district and tax office.
Step 2
Use local rates per $100.
Texas rates are usually shown per $100 of taxable value. Split the school rate from the other local rates.
Step 3
Check exemptions and caps.
Homestead exemption and over-65 or disabled status can change the taxable value. So can the 10 percent appraisal cap.
Words you will see on Texas records
Use the official labels, then translate them before you rely on them.
Appraisal district
The county-level office that sets property values and handles exemptions and protests.
Look here for market value, appraised value, ownership, exemptions, and protest options.
Tax rate per $100
Texas rates are usually dollars of tax for each $100 of taxable value.
A rate of 1.9000 means about $1.90 per $100, not 1.9 mills.
Residence homestead
The home you own and live in as your principal residence.
File the exemption with the appraisal district, not the lender.
ARB
Appraisal Review Board, the local board that hears property-owner protests.
If you miss the deadline, the ARB path may be much harder.
Where to find the numbers
Three records to pull before you estimate
These are sample labels, not real documents. County sites and tax offices use different layouts.
CAD record
Value and exemption
The appraisal district record shows value, ownership, exemptions, and protest context.
- Market value
- $450,000
- Appraised value
- $450,000
- Exemptions
- HS
HS usually means homestead, but read the local legend.
Tax office
Adopted rates
Use the exact school and local rates for the parcel.
- School district
- 0.9000
- City
- 0.4500
- County and other
- 0.7500
Rates are usually dollars per $100 of taxable value.
Closing estimate
Escrow check
Compare the lender's monthly escrow to your own tax estimate.
- Estimated annual tax
- $8,190
- Monthly escrow
- $683
- Insurance escrow
- Separate
If the lender used last year's partial bill, ask for a new estimate.
The Texas version
The Texas surprise is local. Appraisal value, adopted rates, exemptions, special districts, and escrow assumptions can all drift. That pulls the bill away from the number a buyer saw on a listing.
The appraisal district usually values property as of Jan. 1. The tax bill comes later, after local units adopt rates. That lag is why a lender's estimate can feel calm at closing. The number can then change after the real bill or escrow review.
The homestead exemption is powerful, but it is not automatic. If the official eligibility rules fit your situation, file with the appraisal district. Then check that it appears on the record.
This calculator subtracts the statewide school exemption. It does not subtract optional city, county, junior college, or special-district exemptions because those units can use different taxable values on the same home.
Keep the tax pieces together
Guide
Texas homestead exemption
File the exemption and learn what it changes.
Read guide ->Guide
Appraisal protests
Read the notice, gather evidence, and watch the deadline.
Read guide ->Timeline
Homebuyer calendar
Turn closing into reminders for the next tax cycle.
Build timeline ->Places
Local checks
Find CAD and tax-office links for curated Texas places.
Browse places ->Quick answers
The questions people ask most
Does Texas have a state property tax?
No. Texas property taxes are local. State law still shapes the appraisal, exemption, protest, and tax-rate process.
What homestead exemption does this estimator use?
The estimator uses the Texas school district residence homestead exemption. The Comptroller lists it as $140,000. When selected, it also adds the extra school exemption for age 65 or disabled homeowners.
Why does the estimator leave out local homestead exemptions?
Each city, county, junior college, and special district can make a different exemption choice. The estimator combines those rates, so one local percentage would not match every taxing unit. Use the taxable values on the parcel record for an exact local calculation.
Sources
The estimator uses official Texas property-tax concepts. It also uses the local values you enter.
- Data vintage:
- Texas Comptroller guidance current as reviewed July 2026
- Last reviewed:
- July 10, 2026
- Texas Comptroller property tax basics - local appraisal, Jan. 1 value date, tax bills, and payment timing
- Texas Comptroller property tax exemptions - residence homestead, school exemption, age 65 or disabled exemption, and filing guidance
- Texas Comptroller appraisal protests and appeals - ARB protest rights, notice timing, evidence, and protest deadlines
- Texas property tax rate lookup - official local tax-rate notices, budgets, and adopted rates by address or taxing unit
Before you act: Texas Porch estimates from user-entered rates and values. It does not subtract optional local-unit exemptions because each unit can use a different taxable value. Appraisal districts, tax assessor-collectors, and taxing units control the parcel-specific numbers. How to use Texas Porch carefully.
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