San Antonio Property Tax Rate: Breakdown, Exemptions & Deadlines

The San Antonio property tax rate is not a single number. It is the sum of rates set by several overlapping taxing entities, and for most homeowners the combined rate lands somewhere between roughly $2.30 and $2.70 per $100 of assessed value, depending mainly on which school district covers the property. For tax year 2025, the City of San Antonio’s portion alone is $0.54159 per $100.1City of San Antonio. Historical – City Property Tax Rates Because Texas has no state income tax, these local rates carry the full weight of funding schools, the county, the hospital district, and city services.

What Makes Up the Combined Rate

Your bill is really several bills stacked together. Each entity adopts its own rate every year after summer public hearings, and each applies to every $100 of your property’s assessed value. For tax year 2025 in Bexar County, the main components are:

Which school district you fall into matters more than most buyers realize. The gap between SAISD and Northside ISD alone is about $0.15 per $100, which on a $300,000 home works out to roughly $450 a year before any exemptions are applied.

How Your Assessed Value Is Set

The rate is only half the equation. The other half is the value the Bexar Appraisal District (BCAD) assigns to your property as of January 1 each year. BCAD sets a market value, meaning what the property would sell for between a willing buyer and seller, using mass appraisal methods that lean on recent neighborhood sales.4State of Texas. Texas Tax Code TAX 23.01 – Appraisals Generally

You get a Notice of Appraised Value around mid-April. It shows both a market value and an assessed value, and for a residence homestead those two numbers often diverge. State law caps the annual increase in the assessed value of a homestead at 10% above the prior year’s appraised value, no matter how far the market has moved.5State of Texas. Texas Tax Code TAX 23.23 – Limitation on Appraised Value of Residence Homestead The cap kicks in the tax year after you first qualify for the homestead exemption, which is one reason to file for that exemption as soon as you move in.

Non-homestead real property valued at $5,320,000 or less has its own cap of 20% per year. Agricultural land, timberland, and properties above the threshold are not covered.6Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Valuing Property

Exemptions That Lower Your Taxable Value

Exemptions are the main tool a homeowner has to shrink the bill. You apply once through BCAD using Form 50-114, and the exemption carries forward each year as long as you own and occupy the home as your primary residence.7Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Property Tax Exemptions

General Homestead Exemption

Every qualifying homeowner gets $140,000 knocked off the appraised value used for school district taxes.8State of Texas. Texas Tax Code TAX 11.13 – Residence Homestead On a $350,000 home in SAISD, that drops the school taxable value to $210,000. At SAISD’s $1.1552 rate, that is roughly $1,617 in school tax savings a year. The City of San Antonio and Bexar County may offer optional additional homestead exemptions on top of this; check the current year’s figures before relying on them.

Over-65 and Disability Exemptions

Homeowners who are 65 or older or who have a qualifying disability get another $60,000 off the school district taxable value, on top of the general $140,000.8State of Texas. Texas Tax Code TAX 11.13 – Residence Homestead That brings the combined school exemption to $200,000.9Bexar Central Appraisal District. Property Tax Exemptions Overview

Those same homeowners also get a school tax ceiling. Once you qualify, the dollar amount of your school district taxes is frozen at that year’s level and does not rise with later value or rate increases. The freeze can transfer to a surviving spouse who is 55 or older at the time of the homeowner’s death, provided they continue to live in the homestead.

Disabled Veteran Exemptions

A veteran with a service-connected disability receives a partial exemption scaled to the VA rating:10State of Texas. Texas Tax Code TAX 11.22 – Disabled Veterans

  • 10% to 29%: up to $5,000 off assessed value
  • 30% to 49%: up to $7,500 off assessed value
  • 50% to 69%: up to $10,000 off assessed value
  • 70% or higher: up to $12,000 off assessed value

Veterans rated 100% disabled, or classified as unemployable due to a service-connected condition, qualify for a full exemption from property taxes on their homestead.11Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. 100 Percent Disabled Veteran and Surviving Spouse Frequently Asked Questions A surviving spouse may continue the benefit under certain conditions. Because these exemptions reduce taxable value rather than the rate, they lower what you owe across every entity that taxes the property.

Protesting Your Appraisal

If the April notice shows a value that looks too high, you can protest. Most homeowners never do, and that is where real money sits on the table. You do not need to hire anyone to file.

The deadline is May 15, or 30 days from the date on your appraisal notice, whichever is later. If May 15 falls on a weekend, the deadline moves to the next business day.12Bexar Central Appraisal District. How to File a Protest File online through BCAD’s portal using the Owner ID and PIN on your notice, or submit Form 50-132 by mail, fax, or in person at 411 N. Frio Street.

You will then get a hearing before the Appraisal Review Board. Bring recent sales of comparable homes in your neighborhood, photos of any condition problems the appraisal missed, and the property record card BCAD keeps on your home. The burden is on you to show the appraised value exceeds market value. Many protests settle informally before the hearing if your comparable sales are solid. If the ARB rules against you, the next step is district court or, for properties appraised at $5 million or less, binding arbitration.

When Taxes Are Due and What Late Costs

The Bexar County Tax Assessor-Collector mails statements in October and collects for every taxing entity in the county. You can pay anytime after the bill arrives. The deadline is January 31. Any balance still owed on February 1 is delinquent by law.13State of Texas. Texas Tax Code TAX 33.01 – Penalties and Interest

The penalties compound quickly. February 1 adds a 6% penalty plus 1% interest. Each following month adds another 1% penalty and 1% interest. On July 1 the penalty jumps to a flat 12%, and interest keeps climbing at 1% per month with no cap.13State of Texas. Texas Tax Code TAX 33.01 – Penalties and Interest Accounts referred to collection attorneys can carry an additional penalty of up to 20% for legal fees.14Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Paying Your Taxes On a $5,000 bill, waiting until July can mean more than $1,600 in penalties and interest alone.

Payment options include the Bexar County Tax Office website, mail with a USPS postmark on or before January 31, or in-person payment at 233 N. Pecos La Trinidad and various substations.15Bexar County. Property Tax Information Credit card payments typically carry a convenience fee of about 2% to 2.3%.

Installment Plan for Seniors and Disabled Homeowners

If you are 65 or older, disabled, or a disabled veteran with a homestead exemption, state law lets you split the bill into four equal installments with no penalty or interest. The first payment is due before February 1, and you must tell the tax office you intend to use the plan. The remaining three are due before April 1, June 1, and August 1.16State of Texas. Texas Tax Code TAX 31.031 – Installment Payments of Certain Homestead Taxes Missing an installment triggers a 6% penalty and interest on the unpaid portion, but the escalating monthly penalties that apply to standard delinquent accounts do not kick in.