Property Tax Resources · Travis County, Texas
Travis County
Property Taxes
Austin’s explosive growth has made Travis County one of the highest-burden counties in Texas — and one of the most important places to protest.
Property Tax Resources · Travis County, Texas
Austin’s explosive growth has made Travis County one of the highest-burden counties in Texas — and one of the most important places to protest.
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.
Travis County is home to Austin and more than 1.3 million residents, making it the fifth most populous county in Texas. The Austin real estate boom of the 2010s and early 2020s drove appraised values to levels that far outpaced income growth. While values have softened in some submarkets, the tax burden locked in by years of appreciation continues to squeeze homeowners, renters, and small property investors.
In 2024, 87% of Travis County protests resolved through the informal process received a value reduction, and 89% of written ARB determinations lowered the appraised value (Texas Comptroller, 2024 Appraisal District Operations Survey). Travis Central Appraisal District receives tens of thousands of protests each year. The informal settlement process alone resolves many cases before an ARB hearing. With an average annual tax bill exceeding $7,000, even a modest reduction is worth hundreds of dollars. File before May 15, 2026.
Official CAD site — appraisal notices, exemption applications, and district contact information.
Search your property record, view current appraised value, and verify exemption status.
Travis Central Appraisal District protest procedures, online filing portal, and deadline information for the current year.
Every taxing entity’s proposed rate, adopted rate, and public hearing schedule for Travis County.
Enter the date your Notice of Appraised Value was mailed to find your exact filing deadline.
Every taxing unit in Travis 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 Travis County Tax Rates →| Taxing Entity | Type | Rate (2025 adopted) |
|---|---|---|
| Travis County | County | $0.3758/$100 |
| Austin ISD | School District | $0.9252/$100 |
| Coupland ISD | School District | $1.1922/$100 |
| Del Valle ISD | School District | $0.9489/$100 |
| Dripping Springs ISD | School District | $1.1052/$100 |
| Eanes ISD | School District | $0.8322/$100 |
| Elgin ISD | School District | $1.2234/$100 |
| Hays CISD | School District | $1.1546/$100 |
| Johnson City ISD | School District | $0.8608/$100 |
| Lago Vista ISD | School District | $1.0169/$100 |
| Lake Travis ISD | School District | $1.0397/$100 |
| Leander ISD | School District | $1.0869/$100 |
| Manor ISD | School District | $1.0814/$100 |
| Marble Falls ISD | School District | $0.8855/$100 |
| Pflugerville ISD | School District | $1.1069/$100 |
| Round Rock ISD | School District | $0.8931/$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 traviscad.org. Know your Notice of Appraised Value and the deadline printed on it.
File online, by mail, or in person at Travis Central Appraisal District: 850 E. Anderson Ln., Austin, TX 78752. Deadline: May 15, 2026 or 30 days after your notice was mailed.
Recent sales of comparable homes, your purchase price, photos of property 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 — you can accept or proceed to the formal hearing.
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, 1836Austin has become one of the most expensive places to own property in Texas — and local government budgets have grown to match. Behind every line item in those budgets is a rate set by elected officials: your school board, your city council, your county commissioners court. Those hearings are public. Your voice is on the record. Look up your value. File your protest. Attend the rate hearings. The people setting these numbers work for you — as long as you show up.