Property Tax Resources · Dawson County, Texas
South of Lubbock in the heart of South Plains cotton country — Dawson County property owners carry a 1.57% effective tax rate on values rising faster than many expected.
Source: County debt — Texas Bond Review Board, FY2025 (no outstanding county bond debt reported).
🔴 2026
Dawson County lies on the South Plains southwest of Lubbock, with Lamesa as the county seat. Cotton farming, oil and gas production, and feedlot operations have driven the local economy for generations. The county has seen population decline for decades, but recent data shows median property values in Lamesa jumped nearly 14% between 2023 and 2024 — from around $90,800 to $103,400. That means assessments are rising even as the population shrinks.
With a 1.57% effective tax rate and median bills around $1,299, Dawson County property owners have real reason to review their assessments each spring. Texas law gives every owner the right to protest annually at no cost.
Official CAD site — appraisal notices, exemption applications, and district contact information.
Search your property record, view current appraised value, and verify exemption status.
Dawson CAD protest procedures and deadline information for the current year.
Every taxing entity’s proposed rate, adopted rate, and public hearing schedule for Dawson County.
Enter the date your Notice of Appraised Value was mailed to find your exact filing deadline.
Every taxing unit in Dawson 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 Dawson County Tax Rates →Photo: Dawson County Courthouse, Lamesa, Texas. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
| Taxing Entity | Type | Rate (2025 adopted) |
|---|---|---|
| Dawson County | County | $0.9938/$100 |
| Dawson ISD | School District | $0.7705/$100 |
| Klondike ISD | School District | $0.7762/$100 |
| Lamesa ISD | School District | $0.9377/$100 |
| O'Donnell ISD | School District | $1.1972/$100 |
| Sands CISD | School District | $0.9596/$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.
What your Notice means and exactly what to do — and by when — after it arrives.
How the Texas homestead exemption lowers your taxable value, including recent changes.
When a property tax consultant is worth it for protesting your appraisal.
Lesser-known special valuations that can cut the taxable value of qualifying land.
The state office that oversees appraisal districts and protects taxpayers.
Who sets your county’s values and why that role matters to your bill.
Search your account at dawsoncad.org. Know your Notice of Appraised Value and the deadline printed on it.
File online, by mail, or in person at Dawson County Central Appraisal District: P.O. Box 797, Lamesa, TX 79331. Deadline: May 15, 2026 or 30 days after notice was mailed.
Recent sales of comparable properties, your purchase price, photos of condition issues, and repair estimates all strengthen your case.
Before your ARB hearing, a CAD appraiser may offer to settle. Review any offer carefully before accepting.
The Appraisal Review Board is independent of the CAD. Present your evidence clearly and concisely. Most hearings run 15–30 minutes.
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, 1836Dawson County’s cotton farmers and working families have been here long before property values started climbing. When assessments go up faster than incomes, that’s the system taking from you — and the founders of this Republic were clear about where they stood on that. Look up your value. File your protest. Show up to the public hearings. Your property, your rights, your county.
