Property Tax Resources · Bell County, Texas
Bell County
Property Taxes
Home to Fort Cavazos, Killeen, Temple, and Belton — a Central Texas county where property values and tax disputes have both surged.
Source: County debt — Texas Bond Review Board, FY2025.
🔴 2026
Bell County spans Central Texas from Belton to Killeen to Temple — a military-anchored community surrounding Fort Cavazos that has seen steady population growth and escalating appraisal values over the past decade. The Tax Appraisal District of Bell County manages over 185,000 parcels with a combined estimated value topping $55 billion. That is a lot of property, and a lot of opportunity for errors that cost you money.
Bell County is one of the few Texas counties where the appraisal district is also a consolidated tax office — it both appraises property and collects taxes, though it does not set the rates. 28,173 ARB protests were filed in Bell County in 2024; 79% of protests resolved through the informal process received a value reduction, and 83% of written ARB determinations lowered the appraised value (Texas Comptroller, 2024 Appraisal District Operations Survey). Residential owners who file informally see meaningful settlements too. If your value went up, it is worth the time.
Bell County Resources
Tax Appraisal District of Bell County
Official CAD site — appraisal notices, exemption applications, and district contact information.
Property Look-Up
Search your property record, view current appraised value, and verify exemption status.
File Your Protest Online
Bell CAD Taxpayer Online Portal — file your protest, manage your account, and opt into electronic communications.
Truth in Taxation
Every taxing entity’s proposed rate, adopted rate, and public hearing schedule for Bell County.
📅 Protest Deadline Calculator
Enter the date your Notice of Appraised Value was mailed to find your exact filing deadline.
Truth in Taxation — Your Right to Be Heard
Every taxing unit in Bell County — your school district, city, county — must publish its proposed rate and hold a public hearing before adopting any rate exceeding the no-new-revenue rate. These meetings are open. Your voice is on the record.
View Bell County Tax Rates →Photo: Bell County Courthouse, Belton, Texas. Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain.
Who Taxes Bell County Property Owners
| Taxing Entity | Type | Rate (2025 adopted) |
|---|---|---|
| Bell County | County | $0.3317/$100 |
| Academy ISD | School District | $1.1489/$100 |
| Bartlett ISD | School District | $1.1604/$100 |
| Belton ISD | School District | $1.1494/$100 |
| Bruceville-Eddy ISD | School District | $0.8079/$100 |
| Copperas Cove ISD | School District | $0.7575/$100 |
| Florence ISD | School District | $1.0182/$100 |
| Gatesville ISD | School District | $0.8969/$100 |
| Holland ISD | School District | $0.9969/$100 |
| Killeen ISD | School District | $0.8778/$100 |
| Lampasas ISD | School District | $1.0152/$100 |
| Moody ISD | School District | $1.0482/$100 |
| Rogers ISD | School District | $1.0402/$100 |
| Rosebud-Lott ISD | School District | $1.0662/$100 |
| Salado ISD | School District | $1.1669/$100 |
| Temple ISD | School District | $1.1372/$100 |
| Troy ISD | School District | $0.8074/$100 |
2025 adopted rates per Texas Comptroller Tax Rates & Levies (source). City, MUD, college and other special-district rates may also apply depending on your parcel. Your total depends on which districts your property falls in — verify current rates at your county appraisal district.
Neighboring Counties
School District Debt Analyses
Texas Property Tax Guides
Notice of Appraised Value
What your Notice means and exactly what to do — and by when — after it arrives.
Homestead Exemption & the New Law
How the Texas homestead exemption lowers your taxable value, including recent changes.
Should You Use a Consultant?
When a property tax consultant is worth it for protesting your appraisal.
Agricultural & Wildlife Valuations
Lesser-known special valuations that can cut the taxable value of qualifying land.
Property Tax Assistance Division
The state office that oversees appraisal districts and protects taxpayers.
The Chief Appraiser’s Role
Who sets your county’s values and why that role matters to your bill.
How to Protest Your Bell County Property Taxes
Look Up Your Value
Search your account at esearch.bellcad.org. Know your Notice of Appraised Value and the deadline printed on it.
File Your Protest
File online at the taxpayer portal or in person at a Bell CAD office: Belton — 411 E. Central Ave.; Killeen — 301 Priest Dr.; Temple — 205 E. Central Ave. Deadline: May 15, 2026 or 30 days after your notice was mailed.
Gather Your Evidence
Recent sales of comparable homes, your purchase price, photos of condition issues, and repair estimates all strengthen your case.
Try Informal Resolution
Before your ARB hearing, a CAD appraiser may offer to settle. Review any offer carefully before accepting — you can accept or proceed to the formal hearing.
Present to the ARB
The Appraisal Review Board is independent of the CAD. ARB hearings in Bell County run June through August. Present your evidence clearly and concisely.
Appeal If Needed
Disagree with the ARB ruling? You may appeal to district court, binding arbitration, or SOAH (properties over $1 million).
“No person’s particular services shall be demanded, nor property taken or applied to public use, unless by the consent of himself or his representative, without just compensation being made therefor.”
— Section 13, Declaration of Rights, Republic of Texas, 1836Bell County is a military community — soldiers, veterans, and their families who have served this country and come home to find their property taxes nearly doubled in a decade. The Tax Appraisal District of Bell County manages over 185,000 parcels. With 20 full-time appraisers, mass appraisal models drive most valuations — and those models make mistakes. Look up your value. File your protest. Use every office that’s available to you in Belton, Killeen, and Temple. The people running this system work for you.