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Which MUDs serve Cypress and how do their tax rates compare?
Answered by Allen Markel, REALTOR®, Texas Premier Realty ·
Short answer
Cypress homes for sale sit in dozens of districts, and the ten most common combinations range from $0.37 to $1.50 per $100 of value. The most common single district is Harris County MUD 165 at $0.82 (108 homes). Combinations that add a water district or development area run higher, such as MUD 490 plus WCID 158 at $1.50 (89 homes), which puts the total rate at 3.23%. Lower lines include MUD 354 plus WCID 155 at $0.37 and Cypress Hill MUD 1 at $0.51. On $421,000, each $0.10 of MUD rate is $421 a year.
What are the most common MUD combinations?
The table lists the ten most common combinations among the 938 Cypress homes with a MUD line and a complete 2025 stack. Harris County MUD 165 alone covers 108 homes at $0.82. Adding development-area lines produces $1.40 (MUD 165 plus DA 2, 73 homes) and $1.50 (MUD 165 plus DA 1, 21 homes). Northwest Harris County MUD 5 is $0.68 (67 homes). MUD 490 with WCID 158 and MUD 491 with WCID 158 are both $1.50, and MUD 489 with WCID 159 is $1.325. The total rate column shows each combination's median all-in rate for the homes in it, which includes the school and county lines. To put those in monthly terms at $421,000: MUD 165 at $0.82 is $288 a month; the $1.50 combinations are $526 a month; MUD 354 plus WCID 155 at $0.3735 is $131 a month. These are pre-exemption figures, and none of them is a fee you can decline, since it is a tax on the property. The MUD rate is on the certified bill for the address, so a buyer should ask for the most recent bill or look up the account before writing an offer.
How should I compare two MUDs and confirm the district for an address?
Compare the all-in rate, then convert it to dollars at the price you would pay. Between MUD 354 plus WCID 155 ($0.3735, total 2.214%) and MUD 490 plus WCID 158 ($1.50, total 3.230%), the total-rate gap is 1.016 points. On a $421,000 home that is about $4,280 a year, or $357 a month. A MUD rate is not a fee that disappears on its own. It can fall as the district retires bonds, but districts can also issue new bonds, so the reliable habit is to read the district's most recent tax rate notice and its bond and debt schedule, and to ask the seller for the most recent certified bill. Look up the address on the HCAD account page, which lists every taxing unit and its code, then check the Harris County Tax Office bill search for the current-year rate. Our listing pages show the district lines when the certified stack is complete. Districts also publish tax rate notices, and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality keeps a directory of district records. Texas law also requires the seller of a home inside a district to give the buyer a district notice that states the current tax rate and bond debt (Water Code sec. 49.452), so ask for it during the option period.
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.
| District(s) | Homes | MUD rate per $100 | Median total rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| HC MUD 165 | 108 | 0.82 | 2.661% |
| HC MUD 490 + HC WCID 158 | 89 | 1.50 | 3.230% |
| HC MUD 165 + HC MUD 165 DA 2 | 73 | 1.40 | 3.241% |
| NW HC MUD 5 | 67 | 0.68 | 2.620% |
| HC MUD 489 + HC WCID 159 | 49 | 1.325 | 3.166% |
| HC MUD 419 + HC WCID 157 | 45 | 1.14 | 2.981% |
| HC MUD 491 + HC WCID 158 | 37 | 1.50 | 3.230% |
| Cypress Hill MUD 1 | 33 | 0.51 | 2.351% |
| HC MUD 391 | 32 | 0.755 | 2.596% |
| HC MUD 354 + HC WCID 155 | 29 | 0.3735 | 2.214% |
Common follow-up questions
What is the highest MUD rate on active Cypress listings?
$1.50 per $100, on several combinations including MUD 490 plus WCID 158; the county-wide table shows districts up to $1.50.
Does the MUD rate go down over time?
It can as bonds are paid off, but districts can add debt, so check the latest tax rate notice.
Is a WCID the same as a MUD?
Both are special districts that tax to pay for water, sewer and drainage. A home can carry both, and the rates add.
Sources
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Answers describe transactions and public data. They are not legal, tax or financial advice.