Ector County Courthouse in Odessa, Texas

Property Tax Resources · Ector County, Texas

Ector County
Property Taxes

Permian Basin oil country — Ector County property owners in Odessa face compounding appraisal increases driven by one of the largest energy booms in West Texas history.

APPROX.
165,200
Residents
Outstanding
$352.5M
County Debt (FY2025)
FY2025
$2,073
Debt Per Resident

Sources: Population — U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2024 estimates; County Debt — Texas Bond Review Board (FY2025)

🔴 2026 Protest Deadline: May 15, 2026 — or 30 days after your Notice of Appraised Value is mailed, whichever is later. Miss this date and you waive your right to protest.

Ector County sits at the heart of the Permian Basin, where the oil and gas economy has driven one of the most sustained booms in Texas history. Odessa is the county seat, and the combination of energy wealth and population growth has pushed property values — and appraisal district notices — sharply higher over the past decade. When production was surging, land and residential values climbed fast. The appraisal district followed — and the increases haven’t fully corrected when energy prices pulled back.

At a 1.56% effective rate on a growing value base, Ector County homeowners and commercial property owners pay significantly more than most West Texans did a generation ago. More than half of owners who protested in 2024 achieved reductions. If you received a Notice of Appraised Value, your protest deadline is May 15, 2026 or 30 days from the mailing date.

Free Protest Guide
You can protest your property taxes yourself — and most who do win.
Step-by-step filing instructions, deadlines, and evidence tips for your Texas protest.
Read the Guide →

Ector County Resources

Ector County Appraisal District

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

Ector County Appraisal District protest procedures, online filing portal, and deadline information for the current year.

Truth in Taxation

Every taxing entity’s proposed rate, adopted rate, and public hearing schedule for Ector County.

📅 Protest Deadline Calculator

Enter the date your Notice of Appraised Value was mailed to find your exact filing deadline.

Your protest deadline is:
Ector County Courthouse, Odessa, Texas

Truth in Taxation — Your Right to Be Heard

Every taxing unit in Ector 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 Ector County Tax Rates →

Who Taxes Ector County Property Owners

Taxing EntityTypeRate (2025 adopted)
Ector CountyCounty$0.4390/$100
Ector County ISDSchool District$1.0048/$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

Andrews County Crane County Midland County Upton County Ward County Winkler County

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.

Free Help Protesting your Ector County appraisal is free — file directly with your county appraisal district.
How to Protest →

How to Protest Your Ector County Property Taxes

1

Look Up Your Value

Search your account at ectorcad.org. Know your Notice of Appraised Value and the deadline printed on it.

2

File Your Protest

File online, by mail, or in person at Ector County Appraisal District: 1301 E. 8th St., Odessa, TX 79761. Deadline: May 15, 2026 or 30 days after your notice was mailed.

3

Gather Your Evidence

Recent sales of comparable properties, your purchase price, photos of condition issues, and repair estimates all strengthen your case.

4

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.

5

Present to the ARB

The Appraisal Review Board is independent of the CAD. Present your evidence clearly and concisely. Most hearings run 15–30 minutes.

6

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, 1836

The Permian Basin built fortunes and fed the nation — but it also built communities: neighborhoods in Odessa, ranch operations in the county, small businesses that survive every bust because the people here are built for it. The founders of the Republic wrote that no person’s property shall be taken without consent and just compensation. An appraisal district that follows oil money up and ignores the correction down is not applying that principle fairly. Look up your value. File your protest. Show up to the rate hearings. The people setting these numbers are accountable to you.

How to Protest Your Taxes → Find Another County →
Do It Yourself
Handle your Ector County protest yourself.
Most Texas homeowners who protest get a reduction. Use the appraisal-district links above and our free guide to file, present your evidence, and appeal — no fee, no middleman.
Read the Protest Guide →