Harris County, TX — Property Tax Underwriting Guide
Texas · Annual market review
What this means for multifamily underwriting
Texas has no sales-price disclosure, but ARB protests are common. Underwriting should consider the district's current appraisal, parcel-specific characteristics, available market evidence, overlapping taxing-unit rates, and potential protest outcomes.
Transaction type breakdown
Texas appraisal districts appraise property annually as of January 1 using mass-appraisal methods. A transaction may provide relevant market evidence, but ownership transfer does not mechanically reset the assessment to, or toward, purchase price.
Refinance does not change appraised value. Value is market-driven regardless of financing.
Ownership transfer does not mechanically reset the assessment to, or toward, purchase price; annual January 1 appraisal continues under the district's mass-appraisal process.
Tax appeal information
Total rate is the sum of overlapping taxing units (county, city, ISD, MUD, etc.). MUD-encumbered properties can run well above the county placeholder.
Guide review
County guidance last reviewed: July 16, 2026
Appeal guidance last reviewed: July 23, 2026
Tax-rate scope: County-level underwriting placeholder; not a parcel-specific tax rate.
Official sources: HCAD (Appraisal District), Tax Office
Initial value appeal: Harris County Appraisal Review Board — Generally May 15; if the required appraisal notice was mailed after April 15, 30 days after the date printed on that notice. Confirm the notice-specific deadline.
Combined effective rate ~2.03% (20.3 mills) per Harris County Tax Office 2024 rates (county + HISD + City of Houston + hospital/flood/port). County-level aggregate; varies by ISD/MUD — confirm the parcel's overlapping-jurisdiction stack.
Parclio estimates are underwriting guidance, not legal or tax advice. Always verify millage rates, the seller's assessed value, and appeal deadlines with the county assessor or local counsel before relying on these numbers for a credit decision.
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Use Parclio's estimator to model the post-closing tax bill, NOI impact, DSCR change, and underwriting memo language for your next Harris County deal.