Travis Property Values and Property Tax Protest Facts
Travis County is the most vibrant and dynamic real estate market in Texas, and with that meteoric growth comes higher property taxes. The Travis Central appraisal district (TCAD) has claimed that property values have tripled in the past decade, to a total of $460.16 billion in value in 2024. $235.30 billion was assessed in single family home value alone. These taxes can be lowered, but they must be protested informally, formally, or with a judicial appeal. Join O’Connor’s Property Tax Protection Program™ and let us be your shield against high property taxes. No surprise flat fees, no sneaky upfront costs, and you only pay if we win. Join O’Connor and enroll, relax, and save.
Total Market Value Travis 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 | 155.330 | 178.457 | 205.188 | 224.015 | 249.211 | 265.465 | 281.720 | 315.984 | 428.443 | 469.324 | 460.160 |
| Single Family | 81.257 | 91.641 | 101.894 | 110.639 | 121.734 | 127.774 | 133.814 | 160.937 | 245.239 | 251.407 | 235.302 |
| Multi-family | 15.728 | 18.883 | 22.577 | 25.426 | 28.714 | 31.540 | 34.366 | 37.564 | 47.883 | 55.739 | 53.083 |
| Commercial | 32.924 | 39.119 | 45.616 | 50.716 | 56.756 | 62.229 | 67.702 | 69.433 | 70.125 | 77.634 | 73.875 |
| All Other | 25.422 | 28.813 | 35.102 | 37.234 | 42.006 | 43.922 | 45.837 | 48.050 | 65.197 | 84.544 | 97.900 |
Texas property owners should protest annually As part of maintaining their property, like a HVAC checkup.
Travis County Property Tax Trends
Travis County is one of the hottest house markets in the United States. Austin is quickly becoming the new Silicon Valley, Nashville, and Los Angeles. But as more people move into Travis County, the value of real estate is spiking, and with it, property taxes. O’Connor is the property tax consulting team that you need to cut your taxes in 2025 and beyond. Boasting over 50 years of experience fighting Texas taxes, O’Connor can bring all of their resources to fight on your behalf.
Total Market Value of Travis County
Property taxes are assessed, levied and collected by the Travis Central Appraisal District (TCAD). These taxes are then divided between taxing entities, which include school districts, MUDs, and the county itself. Due to the massive growth of the area, appraisers are stretched thin, forcing them to make quick and inaccurate guesstimates of what real property is worth.
In 2024, the grand total of Travis County real estate was assessed at $460.16 billion, triple what it was a decade ago. The biggest share of this record total was $235.30 billion for single family residences. Homes represented 51.13% of all taxable value, the highest percentage in Texas. $77.889 billion was tied to commercial properties, with multi family homes coming in at $53.08 billion.
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 | 6.666 | 7.686 | 10.181 | 10.838 | 11.517 | 8.648 | 8.345 | 11.399 | 18.198 | 30.498 | 38.11 |
| Informal Appeal | 4.039 | 3.866 | 4.360 | 4.286 | 5.078 | 1.060 | 1.067 | 1.300 | 2.451 | 2.022 | 1.867 |
| Formal ARB Determination | 1.9520 | 2.8950 | 4.6470 | 4.7900 | 4.9560 | 6.2440 | 5.0650 | 7.8860 | 12.6970 | 23.2830 | 29.3400 |
| Judicial Appeal | 0.6750 | 0.9240 | 1.1740 | 1.7620 | 1.4840 | 1.3430 | 2.2130 | 2.2130 | 3.0500 | 5.1920 | 6.8990 |
Texas property owners should protest annually since Texas law requires property owners to protest to get information on their property and comparable sales in the area. This information is free and available upon request via U.S. mail (once you file a protest).
TCAD Value Reduction by Type of Appeal
Travis County is proud of being unique and weird in Texas, and the same can be said for their property tax appeal types. Of the $38.11 billion in value reduction through protest in 2024, 76.99% was decided through formal appeal. The average in Texas is 36.67%. While $29.34 billion in value was reduced formally, only $1.87 billion was reduced informally. Informal appeals are typically the biggest in Texas, with 39.91% of cases being determined informally. Even judicial appeals, the rarest of tax protest types, were used more than informal appeals in the county.
Whether it is formal, informal, or judicial appeal, one thing is certain – the people of the Austin area are protesting their taxes like never before. The $38.11 billion in value that was protested in 2024 was five times higher than the $6.66 billion in 2014. Taxpayers are taking back their right to protest taxes, and as more people move to Austin and beyond, rising costs will bring even more people to appeal.
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 | 139.99 | 161.40 | 213.79 | 227.60 | 241.86 | 181.60 | 175.25 | 239.37 | 382.16 | 640.45 | 800.24 |
| Single Family | 35.28 | 43.13 | 46.04 | 56.52 | 72.84 | 50.75 | 25.60 | 72.74 | 157.00 | 223.93 | 242.26 |
| Commercial / All other | 104.71 | 118.27 | 167.75 | 171.08 | 169.02 | 130.85 | 149.65 | 166.63 | 225.16 | 416.52 | 557.98 |
Texas property owners should protest annually since Because it is the surest way to reduce property taxes.
TCAD Property Tax Savings by Type
$800.24 million in taxes came back to residents in 2024 thanks to tax protests. 69.73% of these savings were for commercial properties, multi family homes, and other miscellaneous real estate. Thanks to their high-dollar value, commercial properties will always rule the roost when it comes to pure money returned.
Single family homes accounted for $242.26 million, or 30.27% of the money saved. This is another outlier in favor of Travis County, as usually single family homes are on average worth less than that. In 2024, single family homes were 19.2% of property savings in Texas as a whole. When put all together, it is easily shown that Travis is the most high-dollar county in Texas.