Property Tax Resources · Galveston County, Texas
Gulf Coast island and suburban county — Galveston County homeowners and coastal property owners face rising appraisals driven by storm recovery investment and Houston suburban expansion.
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.
Galveston County spans the upper Texas Gulf Coast from the Bolivar Peninsula to the Houston suburbs of League City and Friendswood. Galveston Island is the most recognized part of the county — a barrier island community that has rebuilt repeatedly after storms and maintains property values that reflect both its vulnerability and its irreplaceable coastal location. The county’s mainland communities have grown rapidly as Houston’s southern suburbs expanded along the I-45 corridor.
At a 1.19% effective rate, Galveston County sits below the state median — but on coastal and suburban properties whose values have risen sharply in recent years, that rate produces meaningful bills. 61,923 ARB protests were filed in Galveston County in 2024; 76% of written ARB determinations lowered the appraised value (Texas Comptroller, 2024 Appraisal District Operations Survey). Coastal and waterfront properties in particular can carry inflated appraisals relative to actual sales evidence. If your value jumped this cycle, the informal settlement process at Galveston CAD is worth pursuing.
Official CAD site — appraisal notices, exemption applications, and district contact information.
Search your property record, view current appraised value, and verify exemption status.
Galveston 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 Galveston County.
Enter the date your Notice of Appraised Value was mailed to find your exact filing deadline.
Every taxing unit in Galveston 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 Galveston County Tax Rates →| Taxing Entity | Type | Rate (2025 adopted) |
|---|---|---|
| Galveston County | County | $0.3227/$100 |
| Clear Creek ISD | School District | $0.9690/$100 |
| Dickinson ISD | School District | $1.1420/$100 |
| Friendswood ISD | School District | $1.0300/$100 |
| Galveston ISD | School District | $0.8415/$100 |
| High Island ISD | School District | $1.1573/$100 |
| Hitchcock ISD | School District | $1.0301/$100 |
| Santa Fe ISD | School District | $1.1014/$100 |
| Texas City ISD | School District | $1.1543/$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 galvestoncad.org. Know your Notice of Appraised Value and the deadline printed on it.
File online, by mail, or in person at Galveston Central Appraisal District: 9850 Emmett F. Lowry Expressway, Texas City, TX 77591. 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, 1836Galveston Island has survived hurricanes, yellow fever epidemics, and economic cycles that would have broken other communities. The people who own property here — from the historic Strand District to the beachfront bungalows — are heirs to a tradition of resilience. The founders of the Republic wrote that no property shall be taken without consent and just compensation. That protection is as valid for a Gulf Coast beachhouse as for a Panhandle ranch. When rising appraisals outpace actual market evidence — particularly after storm recovery inflates construction costs and distorts sales — the protest system is the mechanism for correction. Look up your value. File your protest. Your right to a fair valuation is the same as any other Texas property owner’s.