The Elyson tax rate runs between roughly $3.04 and $3.35 per $100 of assessed value for 2026, depending on which section of the community your home sits in.1Elyson. Community Information That combined rate stacks a municipal utility district, a school district, Harris County, and about half a dozen smaller entities on top of each other. Where your lot falls inside the community decides which MUD and which school district you pay, and that’s what moves the number up or down the range.
The Three Combined Rates in Elyson
For the 2026 tax year, Elyson publishes three combined rates tied to specific sections of the community:
- $3.2849 per $100 — Katy ISD neighborhoods north of FM 529, west of Porter Road and east of Katy Hockley Cut-Off
- $3.3460 per $100 — Katy ISD neighborhoods north of FM 529, west of Katy Hockley Cut-Off
- $3.0407 per $100 — Cy-Fair ISD neighborhoods east of Peek Road
The gap between the two Katy ISD rates is the municipal utility district assigned to the lot. The lower Cy-Fair ISD rate reflects that district’s smaller total levy versus Katy ISD.1Elyson. Community Information Because Elyson is still developing, these rates shift year to year as MUD debt gets paid down and new infrastructure comes online. Before signing anything, confirm with the builder or the Harris County Appraisal District which MUD and which ISD cover the specific lot you’re considering.
What Makes Up the Bill
The MUD
The largest single line on most Elyson tax bills is the municipal utility district. Elyson is served by several MUDs, not one. Harris County MUD 532 and MUD 534 each levy $1.50 per $100, and MUD 458 levies $1.20 per $100.1Elyson. Community Information MUDs issue bonds under the Texas Water Code to pay for water lines, sewer, drainage, and roads, then collect property taxes to retire that debt. In a new master-planned community, where all of that infrastructure had to be built before anyone moved in, MUD rates run high. They tend to decline over the years as bonds are paid off and more homes join the tax base.
The School District
Most Elyson homes sit inside Katy Independent School District, which levies a combined $1.1171 per $100. That splits into a $0.7271 maintenance and operations rate for day-to-day costs and a $0.3900 interest and sinking rate for school construction debt.2Katy Independent School District. Financial Services Homes east of Peek Road fall into Cypress-Fairbanks ISD at a combined $1.0669 per $100.1Elyson. Community Information
Harris County and the Smaller Entities
Several county and regional entities add smaller levies for 2026:
- Harris County general fund: $0.3810 per $100
- Harris County Hospital District: $0.1876 per $100
- Lone Star College System: $0.1060 per $100
- Waller-Harris ESD 200: $0.1000 per $100
- Harris County Flood Control District: $0.0497 per $100
- Harris County ESD 9: $0.0388 per $100
- Port of Houston Authority: $0.0059 per $100
- Harris County Department of Education: $0.0048 per $100
None of these individually changes the picture, but together they add roughly $0.87 per $100 to the bill.1Elyson. Community Information The hospital district funds Harris Health, the flood control district maintains bayous and detention basins, and Lone Star College supports community college campuses across the region.3Lone Star College System. Taxpayer Information Two emergency services districts cover fire and EMS response.
What a Typical Elyson Bill Looks Like
The math is straightforward. Take the appraised value, subtract any exemptions, divide by 100, and multiply by the combined rate. The Harris County Appraisal District sets the appraised value each year based on market conditions, not your purchase price.
For a $400,000 home in a Katy ISD section with the standard $140,000 school homestead exemption, the school portion applies to $260,000 and the other entities tax the full $400,000. The school piece runs about $2,904, the remaining entities add roughly $8,680, and the total lands near $11,584 per year. Without the homestead exemption, that same home would run closer to $13,148.
Appraisal notices arrive in the spring. Taxes are due by January 31 of the following year. If you pay through mortgage escrow, your lender collects an estimate each month and pays the bill for you, and the monthly payment adjusts at the next annual escrow analysis when rates or values change. A big jump in appraised value can create an escrow shortage that your lender either spreads across future payments or asks you to cover in a lump sum.
The Homestead Exemption and 10% Cap
Filing for a homestead exemption is the single biggest step you can take to lower an Elyson tax bill. Texas requires every school district to exempt $140,000 of a home’s appraised value from school taxes.4State of Texas. Texas Tax Code 11.13 – Residence Homestead At Katy ISD’s $1.1171 rate, that saves roughly $1,564 a year. No income test, no age requirement.
Homeowners 65 or older or with a qualifying disability get an additional $60,000 school exemption on top of the $140,000, bringing the school exemption to $200,000, and they also receive a school tax ceiling that freezes the school tax amount at the level it was the year the exemption first applied.4State of Texas. Texas Tax Code 11.13 – Residence Homestead That ceiling can transfer to a new home within the same district.5Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Property Tax Exemptions Other taxing units may adopt optional homestead exemptions as well, typically a percentage of appraised value up to 20% with a minimum benefit of $5,000. You apply once through the Harris County Appraisal District.
Once the homestead is in place, Texas caps the taxable value at a 10% annual increase no matter how far the market value climbs. New improvements like an added room or a pool get added at full market value and sit outside the cap, but normal appreciation is restrained. The cap kicks in on January 1 of the tax year after you first qualify, so filing promptly matters. Once a home sells and the new owner hasn’t yet filed, the appraised value resets to market.6State of Texas. Texas Tax Code 23.23 – Limitation on Appraised Value of Residence Homesteads
Why Elyson’s Rate Is Higher Than Older Neighborhoods
Comparing Elyson’s combined rate to an established neighborhood in central Katy or Houston proper usually produces sticker shock, and the difference is almost entirely the MUD component. Older neighborhoods either sit inside a city water and sewer system or belong to MUDs that paid off their bonds decades ago and now carry only a small maintenance rate. Elyson’s MUDs are still retiring the debt that paid for every pipe, pump station, and drainage channel in the community.
As those bonds are paid down and more homes are added to spread the debt, the MUD rate should decrease. Some master-planned communities in the Katy area have seen MUD rates drop by half or more over 15 to 20 years. That trajectory isn’t guaranteed, because major repairs or expansions can require new bond issuances, but the general direction in a maturing community is downward. The higher rate today is effectively a financing cost for brand-new infrastructure that older neighborhoods paid off long ago.
Protesting Your Appraised Value
In a new-construction community, appraisals sometimes overshoot comparable sales, and a successful protest is often where the biggest ongoing savings come from after the homestead exemption. The deadline to file a protest with the Harris County Appraisal District is May 15 or 30 days after the appraisal district mails your notice of appraised value, whichever is later.7Harris Central Appraisal District. First Time Property Owner You can file online, by mail, or in person. Many protests resolve informally with an appraiser; the ones that don’t go to the Appraisal Review Board for a formal hearing.8Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Property Tax Protest and Appeal Procedures Bring recent comparable sales from Elyson or nearby subdivisions, and photos of any condition issues.