Houston buyer guide
What Your Property Tax Bill Actually Looks Like in Houston, 2026
If you are relocating to Greater Houston, property taxes deserve a more useful conversation than a single “tax rate” number.
Published September 21, 2026
Texas has no state property tax. Instead, a home can be taxed by several local jurisdictions—often a school district, county, city, and special districts. Each jurisdiction adopts its own rate, and the exemptions that apply can differ by taxing unit.
For an eligible Texas residence homestead, school districts must provide a $140,000 exemption from appraised value. Eligible homeowners who are 65 or older or have a qualifying disability receive an additional $60,000 school-tax exemption. Local taxing units may also offer their own exemptions, so the right estimate starts with the exact address and its jurisdictions rather than a metro-wide average.
The homestead distinction worth knowing
There is another distinction worth knowing: the residence-homestead appraisal cap. Once the cap applies, the appraised value used for tax purposes generally cannot rise by more than 10% in a year, plus the value of qualifying new improvements. It is not a promise that the total tax bill will rise by no more than 10%; adopted tax rates and local exemptions still matter.
The practical approach is simple: compare the current tax record, likely homestead eligibility, the relevant taxing units, and a conservative insurance estimate before you decide what a home truly costs to own. A listing price is only the first line of the decision.
A concrete starting point
Exemptions change the taxable value used by the school district—not the wider address-specific ownership calculation.
Texas · 2026 school taxes
School-tax exemption amounts.
Metric: school-tax exemption amount. Geography: Texas. Timeframe: 2026. Eligible homesteads receive a required exemption, with an additional exemption for qualifying homeowners.
Eligible residence homestead
$140,000
Additional exemption: qualifying age 65+ or disability
+$60,000
$200,000 total school-tax exemption when both exemptions apply.
Corey’s Houston Homes
A useful ownership conversation starts before the offer.
If you are comparing a few Greater Houston addresses, I’m happy to walk through the ownership numbers with you before you narrow the list.