Property Tax in Harris County, Texas
Homeowners in Harris County, Texas pay a median of $4,382 a year in real estate taxes, on a median home value of $255,000. Those are the Census Bureau's published medians for the county (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023) — the typical bill and the typical home value for owner-occupied households.
What the Harris County numbers mean
A median is the middle household: half of owner-occupied households in Harris County pay more than $4,382, and half pay less. Your own bill is set by your home's assessed value, the exemptions you qualify for, and the local taxing districts your property sits in — so individual bills vary widely around the median.
Dividing the median tax by the median home value gives a derived effective rate of 1.72% for Harris County. It is an estimate built from two survey medians, not the county's official rate, but it is a fair way to compare the local tax burden with other counties where home values are very different.
Harris County by the numbers
| Measure | Harris County | Texas | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid | $4,382 | $4,111 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $255,000 | $260,400 | $303,400 |
| Derived effective rate* | 1.72% | 1.58% | 0.98% |
| Median tax per month | $365 | $343 | $247 |
*Estimate derived from Census medians (tax ÷ value), not an official rate.
Harris County at a glance
- Median tax rank in Texas: #20 of 250 counties
- Median home value rank in Texas: #36 of 250
- Population rank in Texas: #1 of 250 (4,758,579 residents)
- Population density rank: #2 of 250 (2,787 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in Texas: #14 of 250 (1,707 sq mi, 0.7% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $365; per $1,000 of home value: $1.72
How Harris County compares
Of the 250 Texas counties with published data, 19 have a higher median property tax bill than Harris County's $4,382, putting the county at #20 in the state. Its bill is about 7% higher than the state median of $4,111 and about 48% higher than the national median of $2,969.
Rates and values pull in opposite directions: an expensive housing market can produce big bills at ordinary rates. Here the derived rate is 1.72%, versus 0.98% derived nationally, and the median home value ranks #36 within Texas.
Some extra context for Harris County: the median bill works out to about $365 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $1,718 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 4,758,579 people — the #1 most populous county in Texas, spread over 1,707 square miles, a density of about 2,787 people per square mile. Its median home value, $255,000, ranks #36 among the state's 250 counties with data.
Nationally, Harris County's median bill of $4,382 ranks #180 of 3133 counties with published data — inside the top 6% of counties by tax paid. The county accounts for about 16.1% of Texas's population, its median home value is about 2% below the state median, and at the derived rate the median home would hand over roughly 17.18% of its value in tax across a decade. Within the state, the distance from Harris County to the most expensive county, Travis County ($7,487), is $3,105 a year.
Counties nearest Harris County in the Texas ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bexar County, TX | $4,429 | $244,100 | 1.81% |
| Gillespie County, TX | $4,404 | $432,300 | 1.02% |
| Guadalupe County, TX | $4,270 | $285,900 | 1.49% |
| Galveston County, TX | $4,238 | $284,900 | 1.49% |
How the tax is worked out
The bill is built in stages. First the assessor puts a market value on the property. Exemptions — a homestead exemption above all — then reduce the taxable amount. Finally the combined local rate is applied. To see the scale: at the county's derived rate of 1.72%, each $100,000 of value corresponds to about $1,718 of tax a year, and a $400,000 home to roughly $6,872. Real bills use the official assessment and district rates, not this derived figure, so treat the example as a sense of scale only.
Checking your assessment in Harris County
Most successful appeals are won on facts, not arguments. Start with the property record card held by the Harris County assessor: wrong square footage, an extra room, or a missing homestead exemption are common and fixable. Next, line your assessed value up against recent sales of genuinely similar homes nearby. Many disputes end at an informal conversation with the assessor's office; if yours does not, file the formal appeal with the review board named on your notice before its deadline, evidence attached, and keep paying the bill in the meantime so penalties do not build up.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the median property tax in Harris County, Texas?
The median real estate tax paid in Harris County, Texas is $4,382 per year, on a median home value of $255,000 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Harris County, Texas?
On a derived basis, 1.72%: the county's median tax bill of $4,382 divided by its median home value of $255,000. Because it is calculated from two survey medians, read it as a comparison estimate rather than an official rate.
How does Harris County compare with the rest of Texas?
By median taxes paid, Harris County stands at #20 among the 250 Texas counties the Census publishes figures for. Its $4,382 median bill is about 7% higher than the state median ($4,111), and 19 counties in the state record a higher median.
How are property taxes calculated in Harris County, Texas?
Three steps produce the bill: an assessment of market value by the local assessor, a reduction for exemptions you qualify for (a homestead exemption is the common one), and multiplication by the combined rates of the county, municipality, school district and any special districts covering the property. The median result in Harris County is $4,382 of tax on a $255,000 median home value.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Harris County, Texas?
Yes — appeals are handled locally. Start with the Harris County assessor's property record card for your home, correct any factual errors, and back your case with comparable recent sales. Formal appeals go to the review board named on your assessment notice and must be filed by its deadline, typically within 30 to 90 days.