Places
Which Harris County cities have the lowest and highest tax rates?
Answered by Allen Markel, REALTOR®, Texas Premier Realty ·
Short answer
Among MLS city labels with at least 40 active listings and a complete 2025 tax stack, the lowest median total rates are Webster at 1.97%, Bellaire at 2.02% and Channelview at 2.04%, and the highest are Waller at 3.29%, Hockley at 3.09% and Deer Park at 2.64%. Houston is at 2.17% on 11,262 homes, Cypress at 2.63% and Katy at 2.57%. The county median is 2.25%. The spread comes mostly from MUD lines and school districts, not the city rate.
What does the table show?
The table lists 23 city labels sorted low to high. At the low end are Webster (1.97%, 47 homes), Bellaire (2.02%), Channelview (2.04%, 53), Seabrook (2.06%, 125) and Friendswood (2.11%, 73). In the middle are Houston at 2.17% (11,262 homes), Huffman 2.21%, Spring 2.37% (1,119), Tomball 2.45% (601) and Humble 2.54% (663). Toward the high end are Katy at 2.57%, Baytown 2.58%, Cypress 2.63% and Deer Park 2.64%, and above them Hockley at 3.09% and Waller at 3.29%. Within a city the range is wide: Houston runs from 1.61% to 3.42%. Rates are 2025 and the 2026 rates are adopted this fall. A reading example: a $400,000 home in Webster at 1.969% has an annual tax of $7,876; the same price in Katy at 2.571% is $10,284 and in Cypress at 2.627% is $10,508. The differences of $2,400 to $2,600 a year, or about $200 to $220 a month, are a real part of the monthly payment.
Why do rates differ so much?
The city's own tax is one of several lines. The MUD line matters most: median MUD lines are $1.50 in Waller and Huffman, $1.20 in Hockley and $0.82 in Cypress, but zero for Bellaire and Pasadena. School district rates also differ, from $0.8783 for Houston ISD to $1.2552 for the highest Harris district. A low-rate city is not cheaper to own if its prices are higher, so compare the annual dollar amount at the price you would pay. On $400,000, the gap between Webster's 1.97% and Waller's 3.29% is $5,290 a year. These are rates only, and a city label is a mailing label, not a municipal boundary. Small samples matter. Webster and Bellaire each have 47 homes and Highlands 47; a median on 47 homes moves more than one on 1,000, so treat these as approximate. Cities with fewer than 40 complete stacks are not shown, and MLS city labels can combine homes across several taxing areas.
Amounts and rules change every year. For the most current and accurate answer, contact the county office directly: the Harris Central Appraisal District (hcad.org, 713-957-7800) for values, exemptions and protests, and the Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector (hctax.net, 713-274-8000) for tax bills and payments.
| City label | Homes | Median total rate | Median MUD line |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webster | 47 | 1.969% | 0.875 |
| Bellaire | 47 | 2.023% | none |
| Channelview | 53 | 2.035% | 0.24 |
| Seabrook | 125 | 2.062% | 0.498 |
| Friendswood | 73 | 2.112% | 0.40 |
| Houston | 11,262 | 2.171% | 0.4375 |
| Huffman | 106 | 2.212% | 1.50 |
| Highlands | 47 | 2.281% | 0.31 |
| Kingwood | 122 | 2.359% | 0.3665 |
| Spring | 1,119 | 2.370% | 0.49 |
| Pasadena | 257 | 2.421% | none |
| The Woodlands | 40 | 2.437% | 0.43 |
| Tomball | 601 | 2.455% | 0.68 |
| Humble | 663 | 2.542% | 0.60 |
| La Porte | 135 | 2.558% | 0.78 |
| Katy | 1,223 | 2.571% | 0.815 |
| Baytown | 393 | 2.584% | 0.70 |
| Crosby | 299 | 2.587% | 0.6578 |
| Cypress | 1,055 | 2.627% | 0.82 |
| Deer Park | 86 | 2.642% | none |
| Hockley | 267 | 3.092% | 1.20 |
| Waller | 53 | 3.292% | 1.50 |
Common follow-up questions
Which Harris County city has the lowest property tax rate?
Webster at a 1.97% median among city labels with 40+ homes.
Which has the highest?
Waller at 3.29%, then Hockley at 3.09%.
Why is Waller's rate high?
Most homes carry a MUD line with a median of $1.50 per $100.
Sources
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Answers describe transactions and public data. They are not legal, tax or financial advice.