$1.5B+ in projected Texas property tax overpayments (2026 analysis)

Source data:Public appraisal rolls from 14 Texas county appraisal districts (the Harris County Appraisal District, HCAD, plus 13 others). Texas appraisal-district records are public under the Texas Public Information Act, and we work from each district's own published parcel data.

Calculation:For each Texas ZIP code, we computed the average appraised value per square foot across residential parcels in a reasonable size and value band. A property was flagged as over-assessed if its appraised value exceeded what the ZIP's typical $/sqft would predict for that home's size by more than 10%.

Annual overpayment $: Aggregate dollar overage × a representative Texas effective property tax rate (Texas runs among the highest in the country). Real savings vary by county and local taxing-unit rates.

Caveats: The analysis is a per-ZIP cohort comparison, not a hedonic regression. Properties with unusual lot size, age, condition, or recent improvements may legitimately fall outside the ZIP norm. The flag is a starting point for further review, not a definitive determination of over-assessment.

“Texas appraisal districts publish their entire rolls every year, every parcel, every owner, every value. Most homeowners never look. They get a notice of appraised value in the spring, don't know what it means, and miss the May 15 protest deadline. Our tool just compares your number against your neighbors' numbers and tells you whether you have grounds to protest.”

“Texas has no state income tax, so property taxes carry the load and the effective rates are among the highest in the country. When a home is appraised even 10 percent above comparable neighbors, that gap turns into real money every single year until someone protests it.”