Property taxes in College Station run about $1.91 per $100 of assessed value once you add together the three jurisdictions that tax every parcel in town: the City of College Station, Brazos County, and the College Station Independent School District. Each entity sets its own rate every year, the Brazos County Tax Assessor/Collector sends one combined bill, and the school district accounts for just over half of what you owe. Exemptions, a cap on homestead value increases, and a free protest process can all bring the number down.
What Makes Up the Combined Rate
Three taxing units share your bill, and the current rates look like this:1City of College Station. Tax Rates
- City of College Station: $0.511872 per $100, funding streets, parks, police, and fire.
- Brazos County: $0.4197 per $100, covering county roads, courts, and the jail.
- College Station ISD: $0.9753 per $100, split between $0.6963 for maintenance and operations and $0.2790 for debt service.
Together those come to roughly $1.9069 per $100 of taxable value. The school district alone is about 51 percent of the total.2College Station Independent School District. Business Services Rates can shift each year after public hearings, so the exact figure on next year’s bill may move slightly in either direction.
How to Calculate What You Owe
The math is straightforward. Take your taxable value (appraised value minus any exemptions that apply to that jurisdiction), divide by 100, and multiply by the rate.
Here is a worked example. A home appraised at $350,000 with the $140,000 school district homestead exemption has a school-taxable value of $210,000. Divide by 100 to get 2,100 units, multiply by $0.9753, and the school portion comes to about $2,048. Run the same calculation for the city and county using their rates against whatever value applies after any exemptions you qualify for, then add the three results. For most homeowners the city and county tax the full appraised value while the school district taxes the reduced amount, so exemptions make the biggest dent on the largest slice of the bill.
Exemptions That Lower Your Taxable Value
General Residence Homestead
If you own and occupy the home as your primary residence, the school district homestead exemption removes $140,000 from your taxable value for school taxes. Any taxing unit may also adopt an optional local homestead exemption of up to 20 percent of appraised value, with a floor of $5,000.3Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Property Tax Exemptions File Form 50-114 with the Brazos Central Appraisal District (BCAD) along with a Texas driver’s license or state ID showing the property address. A late application can push your exemption back a full tax year, so get it in early.
Over-65 and Disability
Homeowners aged 65 or older and those with a qualifying disability get an additional $10,000 removed from school-taxable value on top of the general homestead amount.3Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Property Tax Exemptions A tax ceiling also kicks in: once you qualify, the school district portion of your bill cannot exceed what you paid the year you first received the exemption, unless you make improvements. The city and county may offer their own additional exemptions for these groups.
Disabled Veterans
Veterans with a service-connected disability receive a reduction in assessed value based on the VA rating:
- 10 to 29 percent: $5,000
- 30 to 49 percent: $7,500
- 50 to 69 percent: $10,000
- 70 to 100 percent: $12,000
Veterans aged 65 or older with at least a 10 percent rating automatically get the full $12,000 regardless of exact rating. Those rated 100 percent disabled, including recipients of Individual Unemployability compensation, may qualify for a complete exemption on their primary residence. An unremarried surviving spouse can inherit these benefits in certain circumstances. File Form 50-114 with BCAD and include your VA Summary of Benefits letter.
The 10-Percent Homestead Cap
Texas Tax Code Section 23.23 limits how fast a qualified homestead’s appraised value can rise. The increase cannot exceed 10 percent per year over the prior year’s appraised value, plus the value of any new improvements.4Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Valuing Property You need to have had the homestead exemption on the property in both the current and preceding tax years for the cap to apply.
If market value jumps 25 percent in a hot year, your taxable value can only move up 10 percent. The gap carries forward, which cushions you against rapid appreciation. The cap resets when the home sells or stops being a primary residence, and the new owner starts over at full market value.
Protesting Your Appraisal
BCAD, not the taxing units, sets your property’s market value each spring. If your value went up from the prior year, BCAD sends a Notice of Appraised Value by April 1 for homesteads (May 1 for other property) or as soon as practical after. That notice starts the protest clock.
The deadline to file is May 15 or 30 days after the notice was mailed, whichever is later. Filing costs nothing. You can protest on grounds that the value is too high, that your property is valued unequally compared to similar ones, that an exemption was denied, or on any other BCAD action that adversely affects you.
Informal Review
BCAD runs an online appeals portal that serves as both the informal meeting and the formal protest filing. You will need the Owner ID and Efile PIN from your Notice of Appraised Value.5Brazos Central Appraisal District. Most Property Owners May File a Protest Using the Online Appeals Portal Staff review your evidence and may send a settlement offer through the portal. You have two days to accept or reject. Accepting closes the case permanently; rejecting moves you to a formal hearing.
Formal Hearing
If the informal round doesn’t resolve things, you appear before the Appraisal Review Board, an independent panel that hears both sides. Bring recent comparable sales, photos of defects, or a private appraisal if you have one. The ARB’s decision is binding unless you appeal further to district court or binding arbitration. Property tax consultants will handle protests on contingency, typically charging 25 to 50 percent of the first-year tax savings, which can be worth considering on higher-value homes.
Payment Deadline and Late Penalties
The Brazos County Tax Office mails one combined statement for all three jurisdictions each October.6Brazos County, TX – Official Website. Property Taxes You can pay online by credit card or electronic check, by mail, or in person. The full amount is due by January 31.
Miss that date and costs climb fast. The first month of delinquency (February) adds a 6 percent penalty plus 1 percent interest. Each additional month adds another 1 percent penalty and 1 percent interest. By July 1, unpaid tax carries a 12 percent penalty plus accumulated interest, and an additional collection penalty may apply. Total costs can reach roughly 40 to 50 percent of the original bill within 18 months.
Homeowners aged 65 or older and those with a disability can request a quarterly installment plan that avoids delinquency penalties, provided the first installment arrives by January 31. Contact the Brazos County Tax Office before the due date to set it up.