Travis Property Tax Protests by Year

Travis County property values have tripled in the past decade, sending tax valuation and tax rates through the roof. The only option to slow down the runaway taxes is with tax appeals . In 2024, $277.26 billion in total value was protested across the county. Protect yourself and your family’s legacy by joining O’Connor’s Property Tax Protection Program™ today. No hidden or flat fees, no upfront costs, and only pay from your savings if we get you a reduction. Enroll, relax, and save.

Total Parcels and Total Protests TCADSource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.

	Thousands
	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
Total Parcels	407.77	416.55	423.98	431.34	439.77	449.08	457.72	397.54	471.08	477.77	482.85
Total Protests Filed	96.37	107.98	115.77	126.43	142.70	152.61	146.90	141.18	174.23	180.96	186.87

Texas property owners should protest annually since Mass appraisal used by appraisal districts includes many errors based on limited resources. About 500 appraisers value all 20 million Texas tax parcels; about 40,000 per appraiser. Another 1,500 appraisers measure new construction.

TCAD Property Tax Protests

In Texas, personal property, real estate, and minerals are all lumped into units called parcels. It is from these parcels that taxes can be assessed, levied, and then collected. Travis County had 482,850 parcels in 2024, up from 477,770 in 2023. In the past decade, parcels have grown slowly, but taxes have grown exponentially.

As property continues to increase in value every year, so will property taxes. Austin and the surrounding counties are some of the hottest housing markets in the nation and will continue to see ballooning prices and taxes. Get your taxes under control by filing your appeals with O’Connor. As one of the largest property tax consulting businesses in America, O’Connor is a Texas-based firm that knows how to deal with appraisal district s and the arcane systems that need to be navigated to get your best property tax deal.

Total Parcels in Travis Central Appraisal District

The Austin area grew from 416,550 parcels in 2015, to 482,850 parcels in 2024. Austin is much more compact when compared to Houston or the Dallas Metroplex, so while available real estate has grown slowly, the value has certainly not. Travis County real estate has become some of the most valuable in America, and a growing number of residents are doing their best to minimize their staggering taxes. 186,870 tax protests were filed with the Travis County Central Appraisal District(TCAD) in 2024.

Total Protests Travis CountySource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.

	Thousands
	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
Total Protests	96.37	107.98	115.77	126.43	142.70	152.61	146.90	141.18	174.23	180.96	186.87
Single Family Home Protests	60.70	70.54	74.43	85.80	99.52	102.96	86.69	103.33	125.75	127.55	140.33
Commercial / Other Protests	35.67	37.44	41.34	40.63	43.18	49.65	60.21	37.85	48.48	53.41	46.55

Texas property owners should protest annually since It is their right.

Total Protests in Travis County

The 186,870 tax protests in 2024 were the highest yet seen in Travis County. 140,330 protests filed were for single family homes, making up 75.09% of all appeals. This is a typical distribution for Texas, as residences outnumber commercial properties by several factors. 46,550 commercial real estate appeals were launched in the same timeframe. Commercial properties may lag behind homes in appeals, but they far surpass them in total value. Commercial properties are typically appealed annually as part of cost-cutting measures.

The appeal process in Travis County is paramount, as taxable values are soaring in Austin and the surrounding area. While having real estate triple in value in less than a decade can be a boon for property owners, the accompanying taxes can make it difficult to hold on to legacy land or family homes. Protesting taxes is the only recourse that Travis County homeowners have to keep this massive expense in check.

% of Parcels Protested Travis CountySource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.

	Percent
	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
Percent Protested	23.63%	25.92%	27.31%	29.31%	32.45%	33.98%	32.09%	35.51%	36.98%	37.88%	38.7%

Texas property owners should protest annually since About 60% of appeals are successful.

TCAD – Percent of Parcels Protested

Travis values and taxes have tripled in the past decade, and though rising, protests have not kept pace. In 2014, 23.63% of parcels were protested. As of 2024, that number has increased to 38.70%. That increase is deceptive, as TCAD added parcels throughout the decade. While there are more parcels than before, there are also more protests. The total parcels in the county grew by 18.41% between 2014 and 2024.

Protests by Property Type Travis CountySource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.

	Thousands
	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
Total Number	96.37	107.98	115.77	126.43	142.70	152.61	146.90	141.18	174.23	180.96	186.87
Single Family	60.70	70.54	74.43	85.80	99.52	102.96	86.69	103.33	125.75	127.55	140.33
Multi-Family Res	6.86	7.44	7.86	8.14	8.70	2.84	7.26	7.98	8.84	9.00	8.97
Commercial	11.97	12.05	13.26	12.73	13.41	11.18	13.74	10.47	11.54	11.49	11.64
All Other	16.85	17.95	20.22	19.76	21.07	35.63	39.21	19.41	28.09	32.92	25.94

Texas property owners should protest annually since Correcting an error in the appraisal district’s description of your property can reap savings in future years.

TCAD Protests by Property Type

Homeowners in and around Austin are driving the number of tax protests up to record numbers. Appeals for single family residences have doubled in the past decade, going from 60,740 in 2014 to 140,325 in 2024. In comparison, commercial property appeals have largely stayed the same for a decade. The meteoric rise in residential real estate tax protests has also brought the total protests up by 131% in the past decade.

The main takeaway from these numbers is that homeowners are becoming desperate for a way to lower their taxes. With rates tripling since 2014, homes are under pressure. An affordable home in 2014 is now facing an oppressive level of valuation and taxation. The best way to transfer wealth from one generation to the next is through home ownership, which is under threat in Travis County.

Value of Property Protested by TypeSource: 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
Value Protested Total	76.21	93.60	112.37	126.70	145.78	158.92	156.81	165.24	260.71	275.67	277.26
Single Family	27.37	36.98	38.32	45.59	54.99	58.38	49.90	64.75	120.39	119.06	121.27
Multi-Family Res	14.99	18.88	22.58	25.43	28.71	31.54	34.37	34.97	47.88	52.78	53.08
Commercial	27.69	33.31	43.94	47.60	53.23	58.28	63.28	53.47	65.74	73.72	73.87
All Other	6.16	4.43	7.54	8.08	8.84	10.72	9.27	12.05	26.69	30.11	29.03

TCAD Value of Property Protested by Type

Since 2014, the value of property protested by residents has increased by 263.81%. $275.26 billion in total value was protested in 2024, but from $275.87 billion in 2023. This was primarily driven through single family homes, as they experienced a giant leap in 2022, though they have leveled off since then. The various types of business real estate have all slowly increased as well.

The unique composition of Travis County has put it at odds with the rest of Texas. It is typical for commercial value to exceed that of residential value. This is because of the high-dollar value of commercial properties. However, single family homes edged out commercial appeal values in 2021 and have been widening the gap every year. In Texas as a whole, single family homes just surpassed commercial protests in value in 2024, and not to the extent of the Austin area.