Property Tax in Travis County, Texas
Homeowners in Travis County, Texas pay a median of $7,487 a year in real estate taxes, on a median home value of $487,600. 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 Travis County numbers mean
Read the two medians together: $7,487 is the middle tax bill among owner-occupied households in Travis County, and $487,600 is the middle home value. Neither figure describes a specific property — together they describe the typical homeowner's situation in the county.
The derived effective rate for Travis County is 1.53% (median tax ÷ median value). Treat it as an estimate for comparison only: it comes from survey medians of different households, not from the county's rate schedule.
The key figures for Travis County
| Measure | Travis County |
|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid per year | $7,487 |
| Median home value | $487,600 |
| Derived effective rate* | 1.53% |
| Equivalent monthly tax | $624 |
| Tax per $100,000 of value (derived) | $1,535 |
| Illustrative tax on a $400,000 home (derived rate) | $6,140 |
For context, the Texas medians are $4,111 of tax on $260,400 of value, and the US medians are $2,969 on $303,400. *Derived figures are estimates from Census medians, not official rates.
Travis County at a glance
- Median tax rank in Texas: #1 of 250 counties
- Median home value rank in Texas: #2 of 250
- Population rank in Texas: #5 of 250 (1,307,625 residents)
- Population density rank: #6 of 250 (1,315 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in Texas: #74 of 250 (994 sq mi, 0.4% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $624; per $1,000 of home value: $1.53
How Travis County compares
Of the 250 Texas counties with published data, 0 have a higher median property tax bill than Travis County's $7,487, putting the county at #1 in the state. Its bill is about 82% higher than the state median of $4,111 and about 152% 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 1.53%, versus 0.98% derived nationally, and the median home value ranks #2 within Texas.
Some extra context for Travis County: the median bill works out to about $624 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $1,535 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 1,307,625 people — the #5 most populous county in Texas, spread over 994 square miles, a density of about 1,315 people per square mile. Its median home value, $487,600, ranks #2 among the state's 250 counties with data.
Zooming out: of 3133 counties nationwide with published Census figures, only 36 record a higher median tax bill than Travis County — it sits in the top 1% nationally. The county holds roughly 4.4% of Texas's people. Its homes are worth more than the state norm (median $487,600 versus $260,400), and a decade at the derived rate of 1.53% adds up to about 15.35% of the median home's value in tax. The cheapest county in the state, Crockett County, medians $466 — $7,021 less than Travis County per year.
Counties nearest Travis County in the Texas ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Collin County, TX | $7,432 | $447,600 | 1.66% |
| Williamson County, TX | $7,079 | $414,600 | 1.71% |
How the tax is worked out
As an illustration of the arithmetic: at Travis County's derived rate of 1.53%, a home valued at $400,000 would carry a tax bill of roughly $6,140 a year. That is only an illustration using the derived rate — a real bill is computed from the property's assessed value, its exemptions, and the combined rates of its specific taxing districts, so it can be higher or lower.
The usual sequence is: the local assessor values the property; exemptions are applied; the taxable value is multiplied by the combined local rates; and the county bills and collects the tax, distributing it to the schools, municipalities and districts that levied it.
Checking your assessment in Travis County
If your bill looks wrong, work through these steps:
1. Get your property record card from the assessor and check the basics — living area, lot size, bedrooms, condition, and any exemptions you should have.
2. Compare your assessed value with recent sale prices of similar homes in Travis County.
3. Talk to the assessor's office informally first; clear errors are often fixed without a hearing.
4. If needed, file a formal appeal with the local review board before the deadline on your assessment notice, with your evidence attached.
5. Keep paying the bill as issued while the appeal runs, unless your notice says otherwise — unpaid taxes accrue penalties regardless of an appeal.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the median property tax in Travis County, Texas?
The median real estate tax paid in Travis County, Texas is $7,487 per year, on a median home value of $487,600 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Travis County, Texas?
The derived effective rate is 1.53% — the median bill ($7,487) expressed as a share of the median home value ($487,600). No authority sets a rate this way; it exists to make counties with different home prices comparable.
How does Travis County compare with the rest of Texas?
Travis County ranks #1 of 250 Texas counties with published data by median taxes paid. Its median bill of $7,487 is about 82% higher than the Texas median of $4,111.
How are property taxes calculated in Travis County, Texas?
The assessor estimates your property's market value; exemptions (such as a homestead exemption) reduce the taxable amount; and the result is multiplied by the combined rates of the local taxing districts — county, municipality, school district and any special districts. In Travis County, the median outcome of that process is a bill of $7,487 on a median home value of $487,600.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Travis County, Texas?
You can. Pull your property record card from the Travis County assessor, verify its details, and compare the assessed value against similar homes that sold recently. If the value still seems too high, submit a formal appeal to the board named on your notice before the stated deadline — usually a 30-to-90-day window.