Property Tax Resources · Freestone County, Texas
Central Texas crossroads and lignite country — Freestone County’s 1.02% effective rate aligns with the national median, but agricultural and rural landowners face a growing appraisal pressure.
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.
Freestone County lies at the crossroads of Central Texas, where the Trinity River drains south and the East Texas Pineywoods gives way to the Blackland Prairie. Fairfield is the county seat, and the county’s economy blends agriculture, lignite mining, and a rural residential population within commuting range of Corsicana and Waco. The county’s effective rate of 1.02% sits right at the national median — a modest rate on values that have climbed steadily.
More than half of Freestone County property owners who protested in 2024 achieved reductions. For those holding agricultural land or rural residential property, the protest process is especially worth pursuing — comparable sales can be difficult to establish, and appraisal districts sometimes rely on broad market adjustments rather than property-specific evidence. Your deadline is May 15, 2026 or 30 days from the mailing date.
Official CAD site — appraisal notices, exemption applications, and district contact information.
Search your property record, view current appraised value, and verify exemption status.
Freestone County 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 Freestone County.
Enter the date your Notice of Appraised Value was mailed to find your exact filing deadline.
Every taxing unit in Freestone 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 Freestone County Tax Rates →| Taxing Entity | Type | Rate (2025 adopted) |
|---|---|---|
| Freestone County | County | $0.3335/$100 |
| Buffalo ISD | School District | $1.1105/$100 |
| Corsicana ISD | School District | $0.8620/$100 |
| Dew ISD | School District | $0.7575/$100 |
| Fairfield ISD | School District | $0.9716/$100 |
| Mexia ISD | School District | $1.0897/$100 |
| Oakwood ISD | School District | $0.8813/$100 |
| Teague ISD | School District | $0.6692/$100 |
| Wortham ISD | School District | $0.8530/$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 freestonecad.org. Know your Notice of Appraised Value and the deadline printed on it.
File online, by mail, or in person at Freestone County Appraisal District: P.O. Box 885, Fairfield, TX 75840. Deadline: May 15, 2026 or 30 days after your 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 — 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, 1836Freestone County sits on land that has been farmed, ranched, and mined through generations of Texas history. The founders of the Republic wrote that no property shall be taken without consent and just compensation — a principle that applies to a Freestone County cotton field or lignite lease as directly as to any suburban home. Rising appraisals that outpace farm income are not an abstraction here; they are a direct threat to the operations that define the county. Look up your value. File your protest. The mechanism exists for exactly this reason.
