What Harris County property tax looks like
Among the 30 counties covered here, Harris County has the 5th highest effective rate and the 13th highest median bill. Every $100,000 of value carries about $1,718 of tax a year at this rate.
On a $400,000 purchase that comes to roughly $6,872 a year, or $573 a month. Priced at the Texas average rate instead, the same home would cost $46 a month less in tax.
The Harris Central Appraisal District sets the value, while the rate is a sum of levies from the county, the school district, the city where there is one, and special districts such as municipal utility districts, which is why bills differ sharply between neighboring addresses.
Parcel-level values and tax history are published by the Harris Central Appraisal District.
Example monthly payment at the median home value
Borrowing $204,000 against a $255,000 Harris County home (20% down, 6.5% for 30 years, illustrative rather than quoted) works out as follows.
| Component | Per month |
|---|---|
| Principal and interest | $1,289 |
| Property tax | $365 |
| Homeowners insurance | $150 |
| Mortgage insurance (PMI) | $0 |
| Total | $1,804 |
Property tax is 20.2% of the $1,804 total, so a lender escrowing it would set aside about $365 each month toward the Harris County bill.
How reliable this figure is
For Harris County the Census Bureau reports a 90% margin of error of ±$51 on the $4,382 median tax and ±$1,747 on the $255,000 median value, so the 1.718% rate is a county-wide average rather than the rate on any one bill.
These medians describe today's owners, not today's buyers. How Texas values and caps a home, including what resets on sale, is set out on the Texas page.
Counties with a similar rate
Also in Texas: Bexar County (1.814%), Dallas County (1.680%), Tarrant County (1.772%).
Frequently asked questions
What is the property tax rate in Harris County, TX?
The effective rate is 1.718%, which is the median real estate tax paid ($4,382) divided by the median home value ($255,000) in the Census Bureau's 2019-2023 estimates.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 home in Harris County?
At this county's effective rate the figure is about $6,872 a year, or $573 a month. That is $46 a month more than the Texas average rate of 1.58% would give on the same price.
How much of a Harris County monthly mortgage payment is property tax?
On a $255,000 home with 20% down at 6.5% over 30 years, property tax is about $365 of a $1,804 total monthly payment, or 20.2%.
Is property tax in Harris County high compared with the rest of Texas?
Harris County's 1.718% is 0.14 percentage points above the 1.58% Texas average, and its $4,382 median bill ranks 13th of the 30 counties covered here, with the rate ranking 5th.
Source and method
Census American Community Survey, ACS 2019-2023 5-year estimates, released December 2024. For Harris County: B25103 median tax $4,382, B25077 median value $255,000, B25003 946,389 owner-occupied homes. Formulas are on the methodology page; every result is an estimate, not a quote or tax advice.