Houston Property Tax Quick Facts
- Location
- Houston, Texas
- Harris County
- Assessed By
- Harris County Appraisal District
- Protest Deadline
- May 15
- County Tax Rate
- ~2.31%
- Shared with Houston
How to Protest Property Taxes in Houston
Check your assessment
Enter your Houston address for a free 60-second check. We compare your assessed value against comparable sales and neighborhood data.
Get your evidence packet
If over-assessed, pay $45 for a complete protest packet with comparable sales, equity analysis, and pre-filled forms for Harris County.
File your protest
Submit your protest to Harris County Appraisal District before May 15. Our filing guide walks you through every step.
About the Houston Property Market
Houston is a city located in Harris County, Texas. Every property inside the Houston city limits is assessed by Harris County Appraisal District, which applies Texas property tax rules uniformly across the county.
Because Houston property values are set at the county level, the $240,000 county median home value and 2.31% effective tax rate apply to homes throughout the city. Homeowners who believe their Houston home is over-assessed have the right to file a protest directly with Harris County Appraisal District before the May 15 deadline.
Under Texas law, a protest cannot increase your assessed value — it can only stay the same or go down. That makes a Houston protest a low-risk way to push back against an over-assessment, especially for homeowners with strong comparable sales evidence.
Houston Property Market Context
Houston homeowners navigate the same Texas assessment system as every other community in the state, but local market dynamics mean over-assessments here have their own character.
Texas market character
Texas has seen some of the fastest home value appreciation in the country, making protests especially valuable. The state has no state income tax, so property taxes fund most local services — which means rates are among the highest in the nation at 1.8-2.5% effective.
How Texas handles protests
Texas is one of the most protest-friendly states. Your assessed value cannot increase as a result of filing a protest (per Texas Tax Code § 41.43). Appraisal districts actively encourage informal resolution before formal hearings.
When to file in Houston
File by May 15. Notices typically mail in April. The earlier you file, the easier it is to schedule an informal meeting with an appraiser.
Common Houston Property Types
Houston homeowners typically file protests across these property categories:
Single-family homes
The most common residential type and the dominant protest category.
Condominiums
Common in denser parts of the city and near employment centers.
Townhouses
Attached-home neighborhoods in newer subdivisions.
Small multi-family
Duplexes and 2-4 unit buildings assessed as income property.
Commercial
Retail, office, and small commercial along major corridors.
ProtestMax supports all of the above property types in Houston. Each protestpacket is tailored to the property's classification and uses comparable sales from Houston and surrounding Harris County neighborhoods.