Property tax by ZIP code in Texas
Enter a Texas ZIP and see the median property tax paid, median home value, and effective tax rate from the 2020–2024 American Community Survey — plus how it compares to the Texas state median.
Look up a Texas ZIP code
Enter a 5-digit Texas ZIP code above to see its property tax data.
ZIP doesn't have ACS data — typically because it's a PO-box-only ZIP, a single-business ZIP, or a very rural area where the Census suppresses small-sample estimates. Try a nearby ZIP.
ZIP isn't a Texas ZIP code. This page covers Texas only. Other states are launching state by state — check back, or use our state-by-state median page in the meantime.
How Texas property tax works
Texas runs property tax through 254 county appraisal districts — one per county. Each district reappraises every parcel as of January 1 each year at full market value, with notices typically mailed in April and a May 15 protest deadline.
The school-district homestead exemption was raised from $100,000 to $140,000 by Proposition 13 in November 2025 (retroactive to tax year 2025). Once a property qualifies for the homestead, taxable value can't increase more than 10% per year, regardless of how much market value moves — so long-term homeowners often pay meaningfully less than recent buyers in fast-appreciating areas.
Local tax rates are set in August and September each year. With no state income tax, property tax carries more of the load for funding cities, counties, and schools than it does in most other states — a structural reason Texas effective rates run on the higher end nationally even after the recent exemption increases.
Why your actual bill differs
The numbers above describe a typical homeowner in this ZIP code — not your specific bill. Three things move bills away from the median:
- Rates change every year. Counties, cities, school districts, and special districts (MUDs, PIDs, TIRZ) each set their portion of your tax rate annually in August and September. Your bill moves with whichever districts cover your address.
- Assessed value changes on its own cycle. Texas reappraises every parcel annually as of January 1. Your bill moves with reassessment even when the rate is flat, though the homestead 10% cap limits how fast taxable value can rise.
- Exemptions and special districts vary by household. Homestead, senior ($150K total in 2025), veteran, and disability exemptions can cut your bill substantially. MUD and PID assessments in suburban subdivisions can add to it.
For your current-year bill, look up your property through the Texas Comptroller's appraisal district directory. One link covers all 254 county appraisal districts.
Methodology
Source. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 vintage (released December 11, 2025). The Census publishes this data at the ZCTA (ZIP Code Tabulation Area) level — its geography that approximates USPS ZIP service areas. ZCTAs and ZIP codes don't always match perfectly, but they cover the same territory in nearly all cases.
What "median" means. Half the owner-occupied homeowners in the area pay more, half pay less. Medians ignore outliers — a single high-value property doesn't pull the number up the way an average would.
Trailing data. ACS 5-year estimates aggregate five survey years to support reliable numbers at small geographies. The midpoint of 2020–2024 is roughly three years ago, so the figure reflects the typical homeowner over that period — not the most recent year. The $140,000 homestead exemption from November 2025 is too recent to appear in this vintage; expect lower medians in the 2021–2025 vintage that releases December 2026.
Topcoding. The Census topcodes property tax at $10,000 to protect respondent privacy. Median tax appears as $10,001 for any ZIP where the true median exceeds $10,000 — common in high-value Austin, Houston, and Dallas neighborhoods. Effective-rate calculations for these ZIPs are floor estimates, not exact.
Owner-occupied only. Rentals and commercial property are excluded.
Comparison medians. The "vs. Texas state median" and "vs. US national median" values come from the ACS-published, population-weighted state-level (Texas: $4,232 on $283,800, 1.49%) and US-level ($3,119 on $332,700, 0.94%) medians — not computed from the per-ZIP medians on this page. Per-ZIP medians weight every ZIP equally regardless of population, which would bias the comparison toward suburban areas.
ZIP coverage. ZCTAs the Census suppresses for privacy or small-sample reasons are omitted. After filtering, this page covers 1,651 Texas ZIPs of roughly 1,950 ZCTAs in the state.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the median tax in my ZIP different from what I pay?
Median is the middle of the distribution, not your specific bill. In Texas, the 10% homestead cap means homeowners with longer tenure often pay meaningfully less than recent buyers. Exemptions you qualify for (homestead, senior, veteran) and MUD/PID assessments your subdivision may carry both shift your bill away from the median in either direction.
Why does my ZIP show $10,001 as the median tax?
That's the Census topcode. To protect respondent privacy, ACS reports property tax responses above $10,000 as $10,001. Your ZIP's actual median is at least $10,000 — possibly meaningfully higher. Most affected ZIPs are in high-value parts of Austin (78703, 78704, 78705), West Houston (77024, 77005), University Park / Highland Park (75205, 75225), and parts of Dallas's Park Cities corridor.
Where do I find my actual Texas property tax bill?
Through your county's appraisal district. The Texas Comptroller's directory links to all 254 CADs. Each has a property-search tool with current valuations and bills.
When does Texas data update on this page?
Annually, in mid-December, when the Census Bureau releases the new ACS 5-year vintage. The next release (2021–2025) is expected December 2026 and will be the first vintage to include any tax years under the $140,000 homestead exemption.
Why don't you cover other states yet?
State-by-state rollout. Each state needs its own context section (assessment cycle, homestead exemption rules, local taxing-unit structure) to be genuinely useful. Texas is live first; other high-search-volume states follow.