Denton County Property Tax Rates by Taxing Entity

Denton County property tax rates for 2026 start with the county government’s own rate of $0.185938 per $100 of taxable value, but that is only one line on your bill. Once you add your city, your school district, and any special districts that overlap your property, combined rates across the county generally land between roughly 1.66% and 1.99%, and can climb well past 2.5% inside newer subdivisions with utility district taxes. Two homes appraised at the same value can owe thousands of dollars apart depending on which city and school district lines they sit inside.

How Your Total Rate Gets Built

No single office sets the rate you pay. A typical Denton County homeowner is taxed by at least three jurisdictions: the county, a city or town, and a school district. Many properties also fall inside a Municipal Utility District, a Fresh Water Supply District, or an emergency services district that adds its own rate on top. Each unit adopts its rate independently, and the sum is what you owe per $100 of taxable value.

The Denton Central Appraisal District sets the values those rates apply to. It appraises every property as of January 1 using mass appraisal techniques based on recent sales and property characteristics.1State of Texas. Texas Code TAX 23.01 – Appraisals Generally The appraisal district does not set tax rates; it only determines the values the taxing units use to calculate your bill.2Denton County. Appraisal Districts

Denton County Government Rate for 2025–2026

The Denton County Commissioners Court adopted a total rate of $0.185938 per $100 of taxable value for fiscal year 2025–2026, down from $0.189485 the prior year. On a home with a taxable value of $400,000, the county portion works out to about $744.3Denton County. Adopted FY 2025-2026 Budget Lowers County Tax Rate Again The county’s share is the smallest slice of most bills, but it funds the sheriff’s office, county courts, and road maintenance.

City Rates Across Denton County

Municipal rates vary a lot depending on where you live. Adopted rates for the 2025 tax year, which applies to 2026 bills, include:

The gap between Flower Mound and the City of Denton is more than $0.20 per $100. On a $400,000 home, that difference alone is worth over $800 a year in city taxes, before the school district and any special districts are counted.

School District Rates

School districts collect the biggest share of Denton County property taxes. Adopted rates for several major districts:

A homeowner inside Denton ISD pays roughly $0.12 more per $100 than one in Northwest ISD. On a $400,000 property that comes to about $480 more per year, from the school portion alone.

MUDs, Fresh Water Districts, and ESDs

Newer subdivisions and master-planned communities often sit inside a Municipal Utility District or Fresh Water Supply District that levies its own tax to repay bonds for water, sewer, drainage, and roads. According to the county’s Truth in Taxation data, MUD and FWSD rates in Denton County range from around $0.19 to $1.20 per $100. Denton County MUD 16 charges $1.20 per $100, while Denton County FWSD 4A charges $0.193743.4Denton County Tax Office. Truth in Taxation Summary

Buyers in these communities can be surprised when their first bill arrives with a combined rate well above 2.5%. If you’re buying a new build, check the Denton County Tax Estimator or ask the builder whether the property falls inside a special district before you sign.

Emergency services districts show up on some bills too. Denton County ESD 1 levies $0.06 per $100 and ESD 2 levies $0.10 per $100, funding fire and rescue services in unincorporated areas.4Denton County Tax Office. Truth in Taxation Summary

Exemptions and the 10% Cap That Shrink Your Taxable Value

The rates above apply to your taxable value, not your market value. Several exemptions and one important cap can pull that taxable figure well below what your home would sell for.

Every school district must exempt $140,000 from the appraised value of a qualified homestead. On a $400,000 home, that alone drops the taxable value for school taxes to $260,000. Any taxing unit can also adopt an additional local option exemption of up to 20% of appraised value, with a $5,000 floor. Homeowners 65 or older and those with qualifying disabilities receive additional school district exemptions and may qualify for others; you can claim one or the other from a given taxing unit, but not both.7Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Property Tax Exemptions – Section: Residence Homestead

Most exemptions are not automatic. You file once with the Denton Central Appraisal District, and it carries forward until your eligibility changes.

Then there’s the 10% cap. If a homestead exemption was in place the prior year and carries over, the appraisal district cannot raise your appraised value by more than 10% over the prior year’s appraised value, plus the value of any new improvements.8State of Texas. Texas Tax Code 23.23 – Limitation on Appraised Value of Residence Homestead If your home’s market value jumps from $350,000 to $425,000, the appraisal district can only raise your appraised value to $385,000. The cap only protects your primary residence with a homestead exemption on file; investment properties and second homes get no protection.

Homeowners 65 and older with a homestead exemption also get a school tax ceiling. School district taxes on the home are frozen at the amount paid in the first year of qualification, and the district can never charge more, even if the value or rate rises later.9State of Texas. Texas Tax Code 11.26 – Limitation of School Tax on Homesteads of Elderly or Disabled The same freeze applies to homeowners with qualifying disabilities, and a surviving spouse of at least 55 keeps the ceiling. County and city taxes are not frozen, though some local jurisdictions voluntarily adopt their own ceilings for over-65 homeowners.

Estimating Your Total Bill

To estimate your annual taxes, divide your taxable value by 100 and multiply by each taxing unit’s rate. For a home with a taxable value of $350,000 inside the City of Denton and Denton ISD:

  • Denton County: $350,000 ÷ 100 × 0.185938 = $651
  • City of Denton: $350,000 ÷ 100 × 0.595420 = $2,084
  • Denton ISD: $350,000 ÷ 100 × 1.206900 = $4,224
  • Estimated total: $6,959

The same $350,000 home in Flower Mound within Northwest ISD would owe roughly $5,800, more than $1,100 less per year. Applying the $140,000 school homestead exemption to the Denton example brings the school portion down to about $2,534 (calculated on $210,000), lowering the estimated total to roughly $5,269.7Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Property Tax Exemptions – Section: Residence Homestead Both taxable value and combined rate are available through the Denton Central Appraisal District’s property search tool and the Denton County Tax Estimator.

If Your Appraised Value Looks Too High

Rates matter, but so does the value the rates are applied to. If your Notice of Appraised Value arrives looking off, you have the right to protest. The deadline is May 15 or 30 days after the appraisal district mailed the notice, whichever is later.10State of Texas. Texas Code TAX 41.44 – Notice of Protest Miss it and you’re stuck with the value for the year.

Protests can be filed online through the DCAD public portal, by mail, or in person at 3911 Morse Street in Denton. Include your property ID or address, contact information, and the value you believe is correct. Most cases resolve at an informal meeting with an appraiser before any formal hearing, and evidence like recent comparable sales, a closing statement, condition photos, and repair estimates carries the most weight.11Denton Central Appraisal District. The Protest Process If no agreement is reached informally, the case goes to the Appraisal Review Board.