Bexar County Property Tax: San Antonio Homeowners, Here’s What You’re Actually Paying

Key Takeaways

• There is no single Bexar County property tax rate. Your bill combines rates from the county, city, school district, and other local taxing entities.
• A San Antonio homeowner in San Antonio ISD faced a combined 2025 rate of about 2.44% before exemptions, although the exact rate depends on the property’s location.
• BCAD reviews property values each year, and its own 2026 data shows a softer residential market across much of Bexar County.
• Bexar County property tax exemptions can significantly reduce taxable value. Texas homeowners now receive a $140,000 school district homestead exemption when they qualify.
• If your appraisal looks too high, you have the right to protest. BCAD received more than 187,000 protests in 2025, including more than 160,000 residential protests.

If you own a home in San Antonio or elsewhere in Bexar County, you have probably seen property values change significantly over the past several years. But a higher appraisal should never be something you simply accept without reviewing it. The value assigned by the Bexar Central Appraisal District, or BCAD, becomes the starting point for several different taxes on your property. Understanding that value, the exemptions available to you, and your right to protest can help make sure you are not paying property taxes based on a value that does not reflect your property.

How Bexar County Property Taxes Are Calculated

One of the first things we explain to property owners is that there is no single Bexar County property tax rate.

BCAD determines your property value. The local taxing entities that serve your property then apply their individual tax rates to that value, after any applicable exemptions have been deducted.

Depending on where you live, your tax bill may include:

• Bexar County
• Your city
• Your school district
• University Health
• Alamo Colleges District
• San Antonio River Authority
• Road and Flood Control
• Emergency service districts
• Municipal utility districts
• Other special taxing districts

That is why your neighbor across town may have a very different tax bill even if their home has a similar value.

What a San Antonio Tax Rate Can Look Like

For a homeowner inside the City of San Antonio and San Antonio ISD, the major 2025 tax rates looked like this:

Taxing entity	2025 tax rate per $100
Bexar County Road and Flood	$0.023668
Alamo Colleges District	$0.149150
University Health	$0.276235
Bexar County	$0.276331
San Antonio River Authority	$0.018300
City of San Antonio	$0.541590
San Antonio ISD	$1.155200
Combined rate	$2.440474

These are the latest fully adopted rates available as of this writing. The combined rate comes to about 2.44% of taxable value before accounting for exemptions.

So, as a simplified example, imagine a property with a taxable value of $300,000 and no exemptions:

$300,000 × 2.440474% = approximately $7,321 in annual property taxes.

Your actual calculation will likely be different because exemptions are applied differently by each taxing entity, and your school district may have a different rate.

Your School District Makes a Difference

Bexar County includes several school districts, and their rates are not the same.

Here are a few examples from 2025:

School district	2025 tax rate per $100
Alamo Heights ISD	$0.957200
East Central ISD	$0.931900
Judson ISD	$0.979600
North East ISD	$0.982200
Northside ISD	$1.004900
San Antonio ISD	$1.155200
South San Antonio ISD	$1.195900
Southside ISD	$1.080500

This is one reason we tell homeowners not to judge whether their property taxes are reasonable simply by comparing their total bill with a friend or family member.

Where you live matters.

More importantly, so does the property value those tax rates are being applied to.

What You Are Actually Paying in San Antonio

When your Bexar County property tax bill feels too high, it is natural to focus on the final dollar amount.

But that is not where we would start.

We would start with the appraisal.

BCAD does not determine how much the City of San Antonio, your school district, or other local taxing units charge. It determines the property value that those entities use when calculating your taxes.

The basic formula looks like this:

Appraised value minus applicable exemptions = taxable value

Taxable value × each taxing entity’s rate = property tax owed to that entity

Your final tax bill is the sum of those individual amounts.

So if the value at the beginning of that calculation is higher than your property’s supportable value, that can carry through several different portions of your bill.

That is why reviewing your appraisal matters even when you qualify for exemptions.

How the Bexar Central Appraisal District Values Your Property

BCAD is responsible for appraising property throughout Bexar County.

For tax purposes, Texas property is generally valued based on its condition and market value as of January 1 of each tax year.

That date is important.

If the housing market changes later in the year, BCAD is not trying to determine what your home would sell for today. The appraisal is supposed to reflect the relevant value as of January 1.

Harding & Carbone covers this in more detail in our guide to the Texas property tax valuation date.

How BCAD Values Residential Property

BCAD does not individually price every home the way a real estate agent would before listing it for sale.

Appraisal districts handle a huge number of properties, so residential valuations rely heavily on mass appraisal methods.

BCAD may look at factors such as:

• Recent sales of comparable homes
• Property size
• Lot size
• Age
• Construction quality
• Condition
• Location
• Improvements
• Neighborhood market activity

That system allows hundreds of thousands of properties to be reviewed, but it also means the appraisal may not always capture something specific about your home.

Your property may have foundation problems. It may need a new roof. The interior may not have been updated like other nearby homes. BCAD’s property record could also contain incorrect characteristics.

Those details can matter when determining whether a protest is warranted.

BCAD Reviews Property Values Every Year

For 2026, BCAD says it reviewed more than 734,000 properties across the county.

Only about 196,000 property owners were mailed Notices of Appraised Value because most properties did not change enough to require a notice.

BCAD also described the 2026 residential market as softening, with many properties showing slight value declines while other areas remained stable or experienced modest growth.

That is worth paying attention to.

San Antonio experienced significant growth and appreciation over the past several years. But markets change. An appraisal that increased rapidly during a strong market should still be reviewed when current sales no longer support those same increases.

Market Value vs. Appraised Value vs. Taxable Value

Your BCAD record can show several values, and they do not necessarily mean the same thing.

Market Value

Market value is BCAD’s estimate of what your property was worth as of January 1.

This is the number we pay close attention to when determining whether the appraisal can be supported by market evidence.

Appraised Value

For many homeowners with a homestead exemption, the appraised value may be lower than the market value because of the homestead cap.

Texas limits how quickly the appraised value of a qualifying residence homestead can increase once the cap is in effect. The cap generally limits annual increases to 10%, plus the value of qualifying new improvements.

That does not mean BCAD cannot increase your market value by more than 10%.

For example:

Value	Example amount
BCAD market value	$450,000
Capped appraised value	$390,000
Taxable value	Depends on exemptions

A homeowner may see the $390,000 appraised value and assume there is no reason to review the $450,000 market value.

That is not necessarily the case.

A homestead cap limits how quickly the appraised value rises. It does not confirm that BCAD’s underlying market value is correct.

Taxable Value

Taxable value is calculated after applicable exemptions are applied.

And because different taxing entities offer different exemptions, you may have more than one taxable value on the same property.

This is where Bexar County property tax exemptions can make a substantial difference.

Bexar County Property Tax Exemptions

If you own a home in Bexar County, exemptions should be one of the first things you check on your property record.

An exemption does not necessarily change BCAD’s estimate of your property’s market value. Instead, it can reduce the portion of that value that is subject to taxation.

Residence Homestead Exemption

If you own and occupy your home as your primary residence, you may qualify for the Texas residence homestead exemption.

For 2026, Texas school districts must provide a $140,000 general residence homestead exemption.

So if your home has a qualifying taxable value of $400,000 before the school exemption, the school district would generally calculate its taxes using $260,000 rather than the full $400,000.

Other local taxing entities can provide their own exemptions as well.

For 2025, for example:

• City of San Antonio offered a 20% homestead exemption
• Bexar County offered a 20% homestead exemption
• University Health offered a 20% homestead exemption
• San Antonio River Authority offered a 4% homestead exemption
• Alamo Colleges District provided its own local exemption

If you are unsure how the homestead exemption works alongside a protest, our guide to Texas homestead exemptions and property tax protests explains the difference.

Over 65 Exemption and Tax Ceiling

Homeowners age 65 or older may qualify for additional property tax relief.

Texas school districts currently provide an additional $60,000 exemption for qualifying homeowners age 65 or older.

Qualifying homeowners may also receive a tax ceiling, sometimes referred to as an over 65 freeze.

The important distinction is that the ceiling does not freeze your property’s market value.

It limits the amount of tax owed to qualifying taxing entities, subject to certain exceptions. In Bexar County, some cities, counties, and the junior college district also participate in tax ceiling programs.

Your appraisal can therefore continue changing even when a tax ceiling applies.

Disabled Veteran Exemptions

Texas provides several exemptions for qualifying disabled veterans.

The amount depends on factors including the veteran’s VA disability rating. Qualifying veterans with a 100% service connected disability rating or individual unemployability may receive a full property tax exemption on their residence homestead.

There are also exemption provisions for certain surviving spouses.

Because eligibility varies, we recommend checking your BCAD exemption record rather than assuming an exemption has automatically been applied.

Agricultural Appraisal

What many people call an agricultural exemption works differently from the standard homestead exemption.

Qualifying land can receive a special appraisal based on its agricultural productivity rather than being taxed solely according to its full market value.

BCAD’s standard deadline to apply for agricultural appraisal is April 30. A late application may still be possible before the Appraisal Review Board approves the appraisal records, although penalties can apply.

For landowners, this can make a major difference in taxable value, so eligibility should be reviewed carefully.

How to Protest Your Property Value With BCAD

If your appraisal does not look right, you have the right to challenge it.

A property tax protest in Bexar County does not have to start with a complicated legal argument. It starts with reviewing your property and asking whether BCAD’s value can actually be supported.

Here is how the process generally works.

1. Review Your BCAD Property Record

Do not look only at the value.

Check the underlying property information too.

Look for:

• Incorrect square footage
• Wrong lot size
• Incorrect property classification
• Improvements that do not exist
• Missing condition issues
• Incorrect construction details
• Missing exemptions
• Significant changes from the prior year

A mistake in the property record can affect the valuation before you even get into comparable sales.

2. Compare the Value With the Market

Next, look at what similar properties were actually selling for around the January 1 valuation date.

A useful comparable is not simply another home in the same ZIP code.

You want properties that are genuinely similar in areas such as:

• Location
• Size
• Age
• Condition
• Quality
• Lot characteristics
• Features

If BCAD is valuing your property as though it is comparable to recently renovated homes while yours needs significant work, that difference may need to be documented.

3. Gather Evidence That Supports Your Case

Telling BCAD, “My taxes are too high,” is unlikely to get you very far.

The focus of the protest is the appraisal.

Evidence might include:

• Comparable sales
• Photographs of property condition
• Repair estimates
• Recent purchase documents
• Independent appraisals
• Corrected property information
• Market data
• Evidence showing unequal appraisal compared with similar properties

We have a full guide explaining what evidence you need to protest property taxes in Texas if you want a closer look at what can support a protest.

4. File the Protest Before the Deadline

For most Bexar County property owners, the standard deadline is May 15 or 30 days after BCAD sends the Notice of Appraised Value when the notice is sent after April 15.

For the 2026 appraisal year, BCAD’s standard protest deadline was May 15.

One point homeowners sometimes miss is that you can still protest even if BCAD did not mail you a Notice of Appraised Value.

That was particularly relevant in 2026 because only about 196,000 notices were mailed even though BCAD reviewed more than 734,000 properties.

Our guide to the Texas property tax protest deadline explains the filing windows and what happens when your notice arrives later.

5. File Through BCAD

BCAD allows property owners and authorized agents to file protests electronically through its Online Services Portal.

You can also submit protests using other methods accepted by the district.

Filing the protest preserves your right to challenge the appraisal. You then move into the review process.

6. Go Through the Informal Review

BCAD provides an informal conference before the formal Appraisal Review Board hearing when one is requested.

This is your opportunity to present evidence and see whether the issue can be resolved directly with appraisal district staff.

And plenty of protests do end there.

If an agreement is reached, there is generally no need to continue to an ARB hearing.

7. Continue to the Appraisal Review Board if Needed

If you and BCAD cannot reach an agreement, the protest proceeds to the Bexar Appraisal Review Board, or ARB.

The ARB is independent of BCAD. Both sides can present evidence, and the board makes a determination.

Depending on the type and value of the property, additional appeal options may be available after the ARB decision, including binding arbitration, district court, or the State Office of Administrative Hearings.

What Property Tax Protest Results Look Like in Bexar County

You would not be unusual for questioning your appraisal.

BCAD received 187,238 property tax protests in 2025.

Of those:

• 160,648 involved residential property
• 21,796 involved commercial property
• 4,794 involved personal property

More than 85% of protests were residential.

That should put the process into perspective. A property tax protest in Bexar County is not an unusual step reserved for a handful of property owners. Tens of thousands of San Antonio area homeowners review and challenge their values each year.

Many Protests Are Resolved Informally

BCAD’s 2025 report recorded:

2025 protest status	Number
Informal agreements	114,183
ARB orders	51,580
Withdrawn or no show	16,246

The biggest group was informal agreements.

That matters because homeowners sometimes picture a property tax protest as automatically meaning a formal hearing and a lengthy fight. In reality, many cases are resolved before reaching that stage.

How Much Can a Bexar County Protest Save?

There is no responsible way to promise a “typical” reduction.

Every property is different.

The potential outcome depends on:

• BCAD’s starting value
• Recent comparable sales
• Property condition
• Errors in the appraisal record
• The quality of the evidence
• Unequal appraisal issues
• Your exemptions and taxable value

A successful protest might result in a significant market value reduction. Another property may receive a smaller adjustment. In some cases, the available evidence may support BCAD’s original value.

That is why our first question is not, “How much can we knock off the appraisal?”

It is whether the value can be supported.

Should You Protest Your Bexar County Appraisal?

Not every increase means the appraisal is wrong, and not every homeowner needs to file a protest simply because their tax bill went up.

But you should review the property every year.

We would pay particularly close attention if:

• Your value increased significantly
• Nearby comparable sales are lower
• BCAD’s property information is inaccurate
• Your home needs substantial repairs
• BCAD appears to be comparing your home with superior properties
• Similar properties are appraised lower
• Your exemption information looks incorrect
• You recently purchased the property for substantially less than BCAD’s market value

The current Bexar County market makes that annual review especially important.

BCAD itself reported a softening residential market for 2026, with many properties seeing slight declines and other areas remaining relatively stable.

If the market around your home has slowed but your appraisal still reflects aggressive appreciation from earlier years, it is worth taking a closer look at the evidence supporting that value.

Harding & Carbone Can Handle Your Bexar County Property Tax Protest

Property taxes are what we do every day.

For more than 50 years, Harding & Carbone has helped property owners manage property tax issues, review valuations, prepare evidence, and handle the protest process. Our approach is personal because your property is not just another account number to us.

If you own property in Bexar County, we can review the appraisal, determine whether the value warrants a challenge, prepare the supporting case, and represent you through the protest process.

You should not have to become a property tax expert just to figure out whether BCAD got your value right.

If your appraisal seems high or you simply want a professional review before accepting it, contact Harding & Carbone about your Bexar County property.