Harris Property Tax Values and Property Tax Protest Facts
Harris County is the largest county in Texas, boasting $906.86 billion in property value. This figure is an estimate made by the Harris Central Appraisal District(HCAD). HCAD then uses these figures to assess taxes, often finding an inflated amount due to relying on computer guesstimates. It falls to property owners and tax consultants to dispute these inflated amounts, which is the only way to ensure that fair taxes are being paid. In 2024, an astounding $52.89 billion in estimated taxable value was reduced on property tax bills through protests, producing savings of $1.11 billion.
Total Market Value Harris CountySource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Billions of $ | |||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
| $ Total Market Value | 451.704 | 524.161 | 554.269 | 574.018 | 581.258 | 630.702 | 663.987 | 686.566 | 788.311 | 888.933 | 900.860 |
| Single Family | 201.846 | 232.127 | 245.883 | 256.867 | 257.873 | 280.014 | 293.924 | 316.031 | 375.662 | 429.041 | 432.805 |
| Multi-family | 27.031 | 31.325 | 35.750 | 38.130 | 40.360 | 45.550 | 53.397 | 54.801 | 63.456 | 75.198 | 70.522 |
| Commercial | 117.701 | 128.944 | 140.331 | 143.897 | 141.164 | 154.221 | 162.953 | 164.094 | 179.000 | 195.773 | 202.490 |
| All Other | 105.126 | 131.765 | 131.854 | 134.832 | 141.466 | 151.261 | 153.306 | 151.678 | 169.845 | 188.920 | 195.042 |
Texas property owners should protest annually As part of maintaining their property, like a HVAC checkup.
Harris County Property Tax Trends
Harris County property taxes are only going to increase in the future, as home values soar and building materials rise in prices. The only way to protect yourself from these ridiculous prices is by protesting your taxes. O’Connor is a trusted Texan property tax consulting firm, and one of the biggest in the entirety of the United States. Let O’Connor guide you through the entire tax appeal process to get you a fair shake on your taxes. For 50 years, O’Connor has stood for their fellow Texans against inflated and unfair values, and we are ready to fight for you.
Harris County Total Market Value of Property
According to Harris Central Appraisal District(HCAD) estimates, the value of property in the county has doubled in the past decade. This is due to population growth, new construction, rising material costs, and a booming housing market. HCAD valued all county real estate at $900.86 billion dollars, $12 billion more than the 2023 estimate.
Taxes were assessed and allotted at 48.04% for single family homes, 22.48% for commercial properties, 7.83% for multi-family homes, and the remainder as a mix of various types. In the Houston area, residential properties are quickly becoming a bigger factor in the total calculation. The county is somewhat unique, in that commercial property and those from oil and gas, utilities, and others are almost equal and have been for a decade.
Harris County Appraisal District
Property Value Reduction By Type of Appeal Source: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Billions of $ | |||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
| Total | 20.446 | 25.800 | 28.498 | 29.317 | 31.283 | 32.275 | 34.157 | 36.135 | 43.078 | 51.931 | 52.89 |
| Informal Appeal | 7.539 | 8.654 | 9.470 | 9.861 | 10.381 | 11.713 | 14.286 | 14.244 | 16.779 | 24.885 | 24.865 |
| Formal ARB Determination | 10.1920 | 10.5900 | 11.2930 | 10.9590 | 10.8420 | 11.1350 | 11.4290 | 10.2820 | 9.8740 | 9.6740 | 7.1220 |
| Judicial Appeal | 2.7140 | 6.5550 | 7.7340 | 8.4960 | 10.0600 | 9.4270 | 8.4420 | 11.6090 | 16.4250 | 17.3710 | 20.9010 |
Texas should appeal every property every year. While the appraisal district tries their best, it is difficult for the appraisal district to accurately and fairly share the tax burden of Harris County.
The graphs above are detailing how much property taxes have been appealed by each individual type of appeal. You will see a visual representation on the left and a table with the data in numbers on the right.
HCAD Value Reduction by Type of Appeal
Texans have a right to appeal their property taxes, and it is one that all citizens of Harris County should practice. These are usually the biggest tax a Texas family is burdened with and can be a significant cost to the household. There is no cost to protest, so it is a no-risk, all-reward situation. The people of the county are protesting to a level never seen before, and this trend will continue with the rising taxes.
$52.89 billion in taxable value was reduced thanks to combined appeals in 2024. Informal appeals were the largest with $24.87 billion. Surprisingly, judicial appeals and other lawsuits took the No. 2 spot with $20.09 billion. These lawsuits have been rising in prominence over the past decade. Formal appeals have been in a slight decline but still managed to reduce value by $7.12 billion.
Total Property Tax Savings All Protests and AppealsSource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Millions of $ | |||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
| All Property Types | 429.36 | 541.79 | 598.45 | 615.65 | 656.94 | 677.78 | 717.30 | 758.84 | 904.63 | 1,090.54 | 1,110.66 |
| Single Family | 82.07 | 109.17 | 87.62 | 89.47 | 63.25 | 103.35 | 135.99 | 144.07 | 181.52 | 224.64 | 232.33 |
| Commercial / All other | 347.29 | 432.62 | 510.83 | 526.18 | 593.69 | 574.43 | 581.31 | 614.77 | 723.11 | 865.90 | 878.33 |
Total HCAD Property Tax Savings by Property Type
Harris County property taxes are currently calculated at a rate of 2.1%, with no exemptions. Savings from reducing the assessed value are then applied to this rate, giving cash back to the taxpayer. $1.11 billion was saved in 2024, the most ever seen in the county, even beating the 2023 total of $1.09 billion. Tax savings in the county have grown every year since at least 2014, reflecting both a growing populace and more engagement with appeals.
Combined business properties, including commercial, industrial, and oil and gas, topped the charts with a savings of $878.33 million. Due to their singular value, business real estate can typically be found at the No. 1 spot in most counties in Texas. Single family homes managed to cut an impressive $232.33 million from the tax rolls, which was also a record. Residential properties have been gradually landing more reductions over the past decade.
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