Last updated 2026-07-09
TL;DR
Bexar County (San Antonio) property taxes are set in two steps. The Bexar County Appraisal District mails value notices each April, and separate taxing units apply their rates to that value. Effective rates run roughly 2.3 to 2.5% of market value. You can protest every year. The deadline is usually May 15, and most protests settle at an informal hearing without an ARB.
How does Bexar County property tax actually work?
Property tax in Bexar County happens in two steps. First, the Bexar County Appraisal District (BCAD) estimates the market value of every taxable property as of January 1. Second, a stack of taxing entities, including the City of San Antonio, Bexar County, San Antonio ISD, and roughly a dozen other school and special districts, each set their own rate and apply it to BCAD's value. Add those up and you get your bill.
BCAD does not collect taxes. It does not set rates. It only sets values. The Bexar County Tax Assessor-Collector's office sends the bills and takes the money [6]. That split matters when you fight a high bill. The right target is BCAD's value, not the collector.
Texas property tax runs under the Texas Property Tax Code, Chapter 41, which gives every owner the right to protest their appraised value once a year [1]. It is one of the strongest annual protest rights in the country. No cap on how often you file. Winning this year does not stop you from protesting next year.
For a broader look at how assessed values turn into tax bills across states, see our guide to property assessment value.
What is the Bexar County property tax rate right now?
The total rate depends on where your property sits, because different parts of the county fall under different combinations of taxing units. For properties inside San Antonio city limits, the common composite rate has historically run between $2.30 and $2.55 per $100 of assessed value, which is an effective rate of 2.30 to 2.55% [2].
Here is how the major taxing entities stacked up for the 2023 tax year (rates are per $100 of assessed value):
| Taxing Entity | 2023 Rate (per $100) |
|---|---|
| Bexar County | $0.2763 |
| City of San Antonio | $0.5410 |
| San Antonio ISD | $0.8120 |
| Alamo Colleges District | $0.0922 |
| University Health | $0.1593 |
| San Antonio River Authority | $0.0176 |
| Approximate total (SAISD area) | ~$1.94 to $2.55 |
Rates outside SAISD boundaries differ. In Northside ISD, the 2023 adopted rate was $1.0842 per $100, which pushes composite rates in those areas higher [2]. Check the specific taxing units for your parcel using BCAD's property search at bcad.org before you assume any single combined rate applies to you.
Owners in high-value counties like Loudoun County, Virginia or Montgomery County face very different rate structures, because those states cap or freeze assessments differently than Texas does.
How does BCAD assess my home's value?
BCAD has to appraise property at 100% of market value as of January 1 under Texas law [1]. In practice it uses a mass appraisal model. The district groups similar properties by neighborhood, construction type, age, and square footage, then calibrates those groups against recent sales.
No appraiser walks through your house every year. The district applies statistical adjustments to records it already has. That produces two errors over and over: square footage that was never fixed after a sale, and condition ratings that never caught deferred maintenance or storm damage. Both are worth checking.
Pull up your BCAD record at bcad.org and read what the district has on file. Your listed living area, year built, bathroom count, and the comparable sales it used to set your value are all there. If any of those facts are wrong, correcting them is the single most reliable path to a lower value, because the argument is not subjective. A house listed at 2,100 square feet that actually measures 1,920 has a verifiable error, and BCAD adjusts for it.
BCAD is also bound by the homestead appraisal cap. Once a property carries a homestead exemption, its appraised value for tax purposes cannot rise more than 10% per year no matter what the market does [1]. That cap hits the taxable appraised value, not the market value BCAD estimates. Your notice shows both figures. The capped value is what your bill is built on.
For a walkthrough of how mass appraisal models work in general, see our values assessment explainer.
What exemptions can reduce my Bexar County property tax bill?
Exemptions are the fastest and most permanent way to cut your bill, because they apply every year without a fresh protest. Here are the big ones for Bexar County homeowners.
Homestead Exemption. Texas school districts have to offer a $40,000 homestead exemption off a home's appraised value, effective for tax year 2023 onward after Proposition 4 passed in November 2023 [3]. Bexar County adds a 20% homestead exemption. The City of San Antonio adds a flat $5,000 plus another 10%. You have to own and occupy the home as your principal residence on January 1 and file the application with BCAD. Applications can go in any time during the tax year, and up to two years late under certain conditions.
Over-65 Exemption. Homeowners 65 or older get an extra $10,000 school district exemption on top of the standard homestead, plus a school tax freeze that locks the dollar amount owed to the school district at the level assessed in the year you turned 65 (or first applied, whichever is later). Bexar County provides a separate 20% county exemption for seniors. The freeze means your school tax bill does not go up even when your value rises, which counts for a lot given that school taxes are the largest single piece of most Bexar County bills [3].
Disability Exemption. Homeowners with a qualifying disability can get the same $10,000 school district exemption and tax freeze available to seniors. You cannot stack the over-65 and disability freeze. Pick whichever helps more.
100% Disabled Veteran Exemption. Veterans with a 100% service-connected disability rating from the VA get a full exemption from property taxes on their primary residence [4]. That is $0 in property taxes. It also extends to surviving spouses who have not remarried. This is the most generous property tax benefit in the Texas code, and plenty of eligible veterans never claim it.
Partial Disabled Veteran Exemptions. Veterans with ratings below 100% still qualify for partial exemptions from $5,000 to $12,000 off appraised value, depending on the rating. Ratings of 70% or higher get the $12,000 reduction [4].
All exemption applications go straight to BCAD. The deadline for most is April 30 of the tax year, though late applications are accepted with a penalty in some cases [8]. BCAD's exemption forms are at bcad.org under the exemptions section.
When is the Bexar County property tax protest deadline?
The standard protest deadline in Texas is May 15 of the tax year, or 30 days after BCAD mails your Notice of Appraised Value, whichever is later [1]. BCAD usually mails notices in April. Did not get a notice but think your value changed? Check it online at bcad.org and file anyway if the deadline has not passed.
Filing is simple. Submit online through BCAD's iFile system at bcad.org, by mail, or in person at BCAD's offices at 411 N. Frio St., San Antonio, TX 78207. The protest form (Form 50-132 or BCAD's own equivalent) asks for your name, property ID, and the reason for your protest. "Value is over market value" is a valid reason and the most common one. You do not need an attorney or an agent to file.
Missing the deadline is serious. Texas law generally bars late protests except in narrow cases, like a clerical error by the appraisal district, a court order, or an owner who never got a notice [1]. Do not assume you can miss it and catch up. Set a reminder for May 1 as a buffer.
For a fuller calendar of Texas dates, including the January 31 payment deadline and rollback protest windows, see BCAD's official calendar at bcad.org.
Want to see how Bexar's process compares to a neighboring county? Our Denton County property tax guide covers a nearly identical appeal process under the same state statutes.
How do I actually protest my Bexar County property tax assessment?
After you file, BCAD schedules an informal hearing first. This is not a formal proceeding. You meet, often by phone or video, with a BCAD appraiser who can lower your value on the spot. Most protests that succeed end here, not at the formal ARB.
Bring three things to the informal hearing: evidence that your assessed value tops market value, evidence of any factual errors in your property record, and comparable sales (comps) showing what similar homes sold for in the 12 months before January 1.
For the comps, use sales inside your neighborhood or subdivision when you can. Aim for homes within 15 to 20% of your square footage, similar age and condition, ideally within half a mile. BCAD's appraisal data is public record, so you can see which sales the district used and argue about the ones it picked or skipped. Pull sales from BCAD's sales search tool, from the Bexar County Clerk's deed records, or from a free county search like the one in our property tax records guide.
No satisfactory offer at the informal? Your protest moves automatically to the Appraisal Review Board (ARB). The ARB is a panel of independent citizens, not BCAD employees, appointed by a local administrative judge. You present evidence, BCAD presents evidence, the panel votes. Both sides are bound by Texas Property Tax Code Section 41.43, which states that "the appraisal district has the burden of establishing the value of the property by a preponderance of the evidence" [1]. The burden sits on BCAD at the ARB level, not on you.
Lose at the ARB and you can still appeal to district court, binding arbitration, or the State Office of Administrative Hearings, depending on the property type and value. Binding arbitration under Texas Tax Code Section 41A covers most residential and small commercial property. It costs $500 for properties valued between $1 and $3 million, or $250 for properties below $1 million [1]. Win in arbitration and the deposit comes back.
Want a structured system for organizing comps and evidence into a packet that holds up at an ARB hearing? The TaxFightBack DIY appeal kit walks you through the exact format BCAD appraisers and ARB panels expect, so you keep 100% of whatever reduction you win.
For a closer look at pulling and using comparable sales as evidence, see our evidence and comps guide.
What happens if I don't pay my Bexar County property taxes on time?
Texas property tax bills go out in October and are due January 31 of the following year [1]. Pay by then and you owe nothing extra. Miss it and the penalties hit right away.
On February 1, a 6% penalty plus 1% interest attaches to the unpaid balance. Another 1% interest stacks on each month after that. By July 1, a 20% collection fee can be added if the account gets referred to a delinquent tax attorney, which Bexar County routinely does. Texas Tax Code Section 33.01 governs these penalty and interest rates [1].
Leave taxes unpaid long enough and the taxing entities can file a tax lien foreclosure suit. Texas does not give owners a redemption period after a tax sale the way some states do. Once a court orders a sale and the property sells, the original owner's rights are thin.
Do not let a value dispute stop you from paying. File your protest and pay your taxes (or at least pay under protest). Paying does not waive your protest rights.
How does Bexar County property tax compare to other large Texas counties?
Texas has no state income tax, so property taxes carry more of the government funding load than in most states. That produces some of the highest effective property tax rates in the country, even though San Antonio home values sit below Austin's or Dallas's.
The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy's 50-state study put the Texas effective property tax rate on owner-occupied housing at roughly 1.60% of home value in 2021 when measured against actual market values statewide [5]. That number gets pulled down by high-value markets where the homestead cap has frozen taxable values well below market. In Bexar County, where the median home price was roughly $275,000 in recent years and many owners have had caps in place since before the 2020 to 2022 run-up, effective rates on taxable value frequently top 2%.
Here is the rough shape against other major counties. Travis County (Austin) has higher home values but a similar total rate structure. Denton County runs slightly lower composite rates in some districts. Harris County (Houston) runs broadly similar total rates to Bexar. The thread through all of it: Texas school district rates dominate the bill everywhere in the state.
Curious how systems elsewhere compare structurally? Counties like Clark County, Nevada operate under state-level rate caps that Texas simply does not have, producing very different outcomes despite similar home prices.
Can a property tax consultant or attorney do this better than I can?
Maybe. Probably not by enough to justify handing over 30 to 50% of your savings. Most contingency-fee agents in Bexar County charge between 30% and 50% of the first year's tax savings. On a $1,500 reduction, that is $450 to $750 gone before you keep a dime.
Here is the honest part. Informal BCAD hearings are not technically hard. You need organized comps, a clear statement of your argument, and the nerve to push back politely when the first offer is too low. The evidence rules at the ARB are a bit more formal, but the ARB is citizen-run, not a courtroom. Thousands of Bexar County homeowners represent themselves every year and win.
Where an agent earns the fee: income-producing commercial property, where the income approach needs financial modeling. Properties with contamination or odd easements. Cases headed to district court. For a typical single-family home, try the DIY path first.
Use our property tax lookup tool to pull your current assessed value and check it against recent sales before you decide how to proceed. Start there before spending anything.
What about the over-65 tax freeze, and does it transfer to a new home?
The Texas over-65 school tax freeze is one of the most valuable property tax benefits in the state and one of the least understood. Once you apply and it takes effect, the dollar amount of school taxes on that home is capped at whatever you paid in the freeze year. School district rate drops? Your bill still does not rise. Home value doubles? School taxes stay frozen.
The freeze does not follow you automatically when you move. But Texas law lets a senior transfer the percentage of school taxes saved by the freeze to a new Texas residence on a proportional basis. This is the tax ceiling transfer [3]. You apply through BCAD after you buy the new home. The math gets fiddly, but the point is that moving does not wipe out the freeze benefit.
One caveat matters. The freeze covers school district taxes only. The county, city, and other taxing units can still raise their portion of your bill as values climb, unless they have separately adopted a senior freeze on their own rate. The City of San Antonio and Bexar County both offer senior exemptions but not a full freeze on their own portions beyond what the exemption percentage covers. Check your most recent tax bill to see how much of the total is school district taxes versus everything else.
Are there any other ways to lower a Bexar County property tax bill that most people miss?
A few, and they are genuinely underused.
First, equal and uniform protests. Texas Property Tax Code Section 41.43 lets you protest not only on market value but on the ground that your property is taxed at a higher value relative to comparable properties than those comparables are taxed against each other [1]. This is the equal and uniform argument, and it can win even when your value looks correct in absolute terms. If your neighbor's near-identical house is assessed at $320,000 and yours at $370,000, that gap is grounds for a reduction even if $370,000 is defensible as market value.
Second, agricultural and wildlife appraisal. Property outside the urban core that qualifies for agricultural use, timber, or wildlife management under Texas Tax Code Chapter 23 can be appraised on productivity value instead of market value, which can cut taxable value by 80 to 95% in some cases [9]. The eligibility rules are specific and the rollback tax risk if you lose the special appraisal is real, but for larger rural parcels in far Bexar County, it is worth investigating.
Third, historic property designations. Property designated historically significant by the City of San Antonio or the State of Texas may qualify for a partial exemption. The amounts vary and the process is not simple, but for older homes in the King William or Monte Vista historic districts, it can be meaningful.
Fourth, check for missed exemptions from prior years. Texas lets you file a late homestead, over-65, or disabled veteran exemption up to two years after the year it should have applied, in most cases [8]. Owned your home and qualified for an exemption you never claimed? Apply retroactively and you may get a refund.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Bexar County property tax rate for 2024?
The composite rate varies by location within the county. For properties inside San Antonio city limits in a typical school district, the total runs roughly $1.90 to $2.55 per $100 of assessed value once all taxing entities are combined. Bexar County alone adopted a rate of $0.2763 per $100 for 2023. Check bcad.org for the exact combination of taxing units on your parcel, since school district boundaries shift the total significantly.
How do I file a property tax protest with BCAD?
File online using BCAD's iFile system at bcad.org, by mail to 411 N. Frio St., San Antonio, TX 78207, or in person. You need your property ID number and a brief reason for protesting, usually 'value is over market value.' The deadline is May 15 or 30 days after your notice is mailed, whichever is later. No attorney required.
Does Bexar County have a homestead exemption?
Yes. Texas school districts are required to offer a $40,000 homestead exemption after Proposition 4 (passed November 2023). Bexar County adds a 20% exemption on its portion, and the City of San Antonio offers a $5,000 flat exemption plus 10%. Apply through BCAD by April 30 and occupy the property as your primary residence as of January 1 of the tax year.
What is the deadline to protest my Bexar County property tax assessment?
May 15 of the tax year, or 30 days after BCAD mails your Notice of Appraised Value, whichever date is later. BCAD usually mails notices in April. Filing online through BCAD's iFile portal at bcad.org is the fastest and most reliable method. Miss this deadline and you almost always forfeit your right to protest for that year.
How does the Bexar County over-65 property tax freeze work?
Once you apply and qualify, the dollar amount of school district taxes on your home is capped at whatever you owed in the year the freeze took effect. Even if your home value rises, the school tax portion does not increase. The freeze does not apply to city or county taxes. If you move, you can transfer the freeze benefit proportionally to a new Texas residence by filing a tax ceiling transfer application with BCAD.
Can a 100% disabled veteran get a full property tax exemption in Bexar County?
Yes. Texas law provides a complete property tax exemption on the primary residence for veterans with a 100% service-connected disability rating from the VA. That means $0 in property taxes on that home. It also extends to surviving spouses who have not remarried. Veterans with partial disability ratings from 10% to 90% qualify for smaller exemptions ranging from $5,000 to $12,000 off appraised value.
What happens to my Bexar County property taxes when I buy a new home?
Your homestead exemption and tax freeze do not transfer automatically. File a new homestead exemption application with BCAD for the new address, and if you had a senior or disability tax freeze, file a separate tax ceiling transfer request. The new exemption applies to the tax year after your move-in if you meet the January 1 ownership and occupancy requirement. Prior exemptions on the sold home typically stay with that property through that tax year.
How can I look up my Bexar County property tax assessment online?
Go to bcad.org and use the property search tool. Search by owner name, address, or property ID. Your record shows current market value, any capped appraised value, exemptions applied, and the comparable sales BCAD used. The Bexar County Tax Assessor-Collector's site at bexar.org/tax also shows your current bill, payment status, and taxing entity breakdown.
What is the difference between market value and appraised value on my BCAD notice?
Market value is BCAD's estimate of what your home would sell for between willing buyers and sellers on January 1. Appraised value is what your taxes are actually calculated on. For homesteaded properties, the appraised value cannot rise more than 10% per year under Texas law, so if market value jumped, the two numbers can diverge a lot. Your tax bill uses the appraised value, not the higher market value.
Is Bexar County property tax higher or lower than other Texas counties?
Bexar County's composite rates are broadly similar to Harris (Houston) and slightly lower than parts of Travis (Austin) on a per-$100 basis. Because San Antonio home values run lower than Austin's, the dollar amount per home tends to be less. Texas as a whole has some of the highest effective property tax rates nationally, largely because the state funds education mostly through local property taxes with no state income tax to offset the load.
Can I protest my Bexar County property taxes every year?
Yes. Texas law gives every property owner the right to file a protest annually. There is no penalty for protesting and no limit on how many times you can do it. Winning a reduction one year does not lock in that lower value; BCAD can raise your value again the following year. Many active homeowners protest every year, especially in a rising market, to keep taxable value low.
What is the equal and uniform argument in a Bexar County protest?
Texas Tax Code Section 41.43 lets you argue that your property is assessed at a higher value relative to comparable properties than those comparables are to each other, even if your absolute value looks defensible. If similar homes in your neighborhood are assessed much lower than yours, that inequity alone is grounds for a reduction. You need comps showing the gap, which you can pull from BCAD's public sales data.
How is a Bexar County ARB hearing different from the informal hearing?
The informal hearing is a one-on-one conversation with a BCAD appraiser who can lower your value on the spot, and most successful protests end there. If you don't reach agreement, your protest moves to the Appraisal Review Board, an independent panel of citizens. The ARB hearing is more structured: both you and BCAD present evidence, BCAD bears the burden of proof under Section 41.43, and the panel votes. You can represent yourself at both stages without an attorney.
When are Bexar County property tax bills mailed and when are they due?
Bills are mailed in October and payment is due by January 31 of the following year. Pay by then and no penalty applies. Starting February 1, a 6% penalty plus 1% monthly interest attaches under Texas Tax Code Section 33.01. By July 1, if the account is referred to a delinquent tax attorney, an added 20% collection fee can apply. Filing a value protest does not extend your payment deadline.
Sources
- Texas Legislature, Texas Property Tax Code (Title 1, Subtitle D, Chapters 23, 33, 41, 41A): Annual protest rights, burden of proof at ARB (Section 41.43), penalty and interest schedule (Section 33.01), binding arbitration cost (Section 41A), homestead appraisal cap (10% annual limit), and equal and uniform protest grounds are all in the Texas Property Tax Code.
- Bexar County Appraisal District, bcad.org: BCAD is the official appraisal authority for Bexar County. Tax rates for individual taxing entities including Bexar County ($0.2763 per $100), City of San Antonio ($0.5410), and Northside ISD ($1.0842) are published on the district's site for 2023.
- Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, Property Tax Exemptions Overview: School district homestead exemption raised to $40,000 by Proposition 4 (November 2023); over-65 additional $10,000 exemption and school tax freeze; tax ceiling transfer rules for seniors who move.
- Texas Veterans Commission, Property Tax Exemptions for Veterans: 100% service-connected disabled veterans receive a complete property tax exemption on their primary residence; partial disability ratings from 10-90% receive exemptions from $5,000 to $12,000.
- Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, 50-State Property Tax Comparison Study 2022: Texas effective property tax rate on owner-occupied housing was approximately 1.60% of market value in 2021 statewide, one of the highest in the nation, driven by the absence of a state income tax.
- Bexar County Tax Assessor-Collector, bexar.org/tax: Bexar County Tax Assessor-Collector handles billing and collection; tax bills mailed October, due January 31 of following year.
- Texas Comptroller, Residence Homestead Exemption Application (Form 50-114): Deadline for homestead and most other exemption applications is April 30 of the tax year; late applications are accepted with conditions in some cases, including up to two years late for certain exemptions.
- Texas Comptroller, Agricultural Appraisal (Texas Tax Code Chapter 23, Subchapters C and D): Properties qualifying for agricultural, timber, or wildlife management use are appraised on productivity value rather than market value, often reducing taxable value by 80-95%.
- San Antonio ISD, Adopted Tax Rate 2023: SAISD adopted a 2023 tax rate of $0.8120 per $100 of assessed value, the largest single component of the composite tax rate for properties in the SAISD service area.