Sum of Texas Appraisal District budgets, including ARBs. Source: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Millions of $ | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||
| Total Budget | 428.541 | 447.323 | 495.550 | 494.899 | 523.435 | 542.819 | 571.965 | 585.745 | 618.595 | 726.391 | 810.796 | |
| ARB Operations Budget | 9.4793 | 8.2872 | 9.6826 | 11.0070 | 13.5023 | 15.2364 | 16.0122 | 16.5006 | 18.6510 | 18.803 | 21.767 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since YOU can spend YOUR money better than the government.
CAD Operations and Budgets
County appraisal districts in Texas (CAD) are set up to levy taxes against properties across the state. As Texas has no income tax, property taxes are used to fund schools, construction, and other projects for cities and counties. Texas appraisal districts began operation in 1981, in hopes of streamlining the tax process in counties, though it seems to have created more issues in hindsight. The board of an appraisal district is usually made up of representatives from the local MUD, school district, and city leadership. The board selects the chief appraiser and selects the budget. In 2024, Texas appraisal districts as a whole were given a budget of $810.80 million.
Operating as a property tax consulting firm in Texas for over 50 years, O’Connor has a lot of experience in dealing with appraisal districts, and we know how best to handle them to enforce your right to dispute your taxes. As one of the largest property tax companies in Texas and the nation, we can help you in any county or city that you need.
Texas Total CAD Budget Including ARB
While Texas appraisal districts started with the best of intentions, they have become a bloated bureaucracy that has led to higher taxes. These large monolith organizations are impersonal, and their policies toward tax disputes can vary wildly between counties. Texas appraisal district budgets have ballooned in the past decade, while funding for the ARB has stagnated. Total CAD budgets in 2024 were $810.80 million, while total funding for the ARB was only $21.77 million.
Total Property Taxes Levied TexasSource: 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 | ||
| Property Taxes Levied | 48.0617 | 63.9744 | 75.0970 | 62.0772 | 67.4118 | 80.1903 | 79.8121 | 80.8251 | 92.4001 | 117.633 | 125.0473 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since Appealing annually helps the appraisal district avoid over-taxing a property for both market value and unequal appraisal.
Texas Total Amount of Property Taxes Levied
While home values and inflation have been increasing every year this decade, property taxes have exceeded that rate. $125.05 billion in taxes were levied in 2024, an increase from $117.63 billion in 2023. Texas property taxes used to grow at 7-10% each year but have been shooting to the moon since 2021. Property taxes and inflation are both outstripping wage growth, leading to a widening gulf between the budgets of taxpayers and the required taxes of the CADs. This makes property taxes one of the biggest expenses for Texas families and typically the largest bill seen every year.
FTE Positions in Budget Total –Texas Appraisal Districts Source: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| FTEs | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||
| Total Number of FTEs | 4280 | 4275 | 4282 | 4417 | 4609 | 4620 | 4705 | 4750 | 4841 | 5044 | 5110.44 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since Valuation is a subjective matter where reasonable people can differ.
FTE Positions in Total Budget
Texas appraisal district staffing levels have largely stagnated in the past few years, with FTEs (full-time equivalents) employees growing slower than the CADs themselves. There were 5110 FTEs across Texas in 2024, an addition of only 66 full-time employees. This was tiny compared to growing demand. Improved technology may make these employees more efficient, but these numbers seem inadequate for the task.
FTEs Assigned to the Appraisal – Total for Texas Appraisal Districts Source: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| FTEs | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||
| FTEs Appraisal Total | 2,263 | 2,542 | 2,354 | 2,371 | 2,375 | 2,536 | 2,468 | 2,485 | 2,278 | 2,596 | 2,418 | |
| Residential | 992 | 1,121 | 1,121 | 1,147 | 1,187 | 1,281 | 1,259 | 1,264 | 1,227 | 1,242 | 1,181 | |
| Commercial | 400 | 434 | 536 | 549 | 535 | 620 | 553 | 568 | 498 | 502 | 454 | |
| All Other | 871 | 987 | 697 | 675 | 653 | 635 | 656 | 653 | 553 | 852 | 783 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since It is a great way to slow the growth of government spending (of your money).
Texas FTEs Assigned to the Property Appraisal
While Texas appraisal districts are bloated in budget, they are paradoxically too understaffed to guarantee Texans a fair shake at property taxes. Of the 5110 FTEs in 2024, only 2418 were dedicated to the appraisal process. These specialists were then spread among residential, commercial, and other types of properties. 2024 saw 1181 appraisers dedicated to residential properties, both single and multi family. This prevents the FTEs from diving into the true value of the properties they tax, leading to an unfair one-size-fits-all approach to every property. 454 full-time appraisers were focused on commercial properties, while 783 were based around industrial, oil and gas, and industrial properties.