Temple TX Property Tax: Rates, Exemptions, and Deadlines

The property tax rate in Temple, TX runs about $2.15 per $100 of assessed value once you combine the levies from Temple ISD, the City of Temple, and Bell County. No single body sets that number. Each taxing entity adopts its own rate, and you pay the total for whichever jurisdictions your parcel sits in.

Who Charges What

For the 2025 tax year, the three main entities and their adopted rates per $100 of taxable value are:

Temple ISD: $1.1372, the largest share, funding local public schools
City of Temple: $0.6999, covering city services like police, fire, and infrastructure
Bell County: $0.3128, funding county services including roads and courts

Added together, that is roughly $2.1499 per $100.¹ Some properties also fall within smaller districts, such as the Clearwater Underground Water Conservation District, which adds a modest additional levy. The Bell Central Appraisal District’s online property search will show every taxing unit that applies to your specific parcel.

Each entity’s rate has two parts: a maintenance and operations (M&O) portion that funds day-to-day services, and an interest and sinking (I&S) portion that repays voter-approved debt like school bonds or road improvements.

How Your Taxable Value Gets Set

The rate is only half the equation. Bell CAD appraises every property in the county for tax purposes,² and state law requires that every real and personal property be reappraised at least once every three years, though many are reviewed annually.³ The target is market value as of January 1 of the tax year.

Market value is what your home would likely sell for on the open market, but the figure that actually flows into your bill can be lower. If you have a homestead exemption, your home’s appraised value cannot rise by more than 10 percent per year over the prior year’s appraised value, plus the value of any new improvements.⁴ Your appraisal notice will show both the market value and the capped appraised value, so you can see how the limitation is affecting your account.

Estimating Your Bill

p>The math is straightforward once you have the taxable value. Start with the appraised value (the capped figure if you have a homestead exemption), subtract any exemptions, and divide by 100. Multiply that number by each taxing entity’s rate, then add the results.

Take a home appraised at $300,000 with a $100,000 school district homestead exemption. The taxable value for school purposes is $200,000. For the school district alone, $200,000 ÷ 100 = 2,000 units × $1.1372 = $2,274.40. The city and county may apply a different exemption amount, so their taxable value is usually higher. Run the same calculation for each entity and add them together to get your annual total.

Exemptions That Lower the Bill

Exemptions cut the portion of your home’s value that is subject to tax. You have to apply for them through Bell CAD; they are not granted automatically, and your Texas driver’s license or state ID must show the same address as the home you are claiming.

General Residence Homestead

If you own and occupy the home as your primary residence, school districts must exempt $140,000 of appraised value from school taxes.⁵ Any taxing unit may adopt a local-option exemption of up to 20 percent of appraised value on top of that, with a $5,000 minimum. Filing the homestead also turns on the 10 percent appraisal cap.⁴

Over-65 and Disabled Person

Homeowners 65 or older, or those with a qualifying disability, get an additional $10,000 exemption from school district taxes on top of the general homestead.⁵ Cities and counties may adopt their own additional exemptions for these groups.

The over-65 exemption also carries a tax ceiling. Once you qualify, your school district taxes are frozen at the dollar amount you paid in the year you first received both the homestead and over-65 exemptions, and that ceiling does not rise unless you improve the property. Bell County and the City of Temple may adopt a ceiling of their own, so check with Bell CAD for what applies to your account.⁶ Over-65 and disabled homeowners can also pay in four quarterly installments with no penalty or interest, instead of paying the full amount by January 31.

Disabled Veteran

A veteran awarded 100 percent disability compensation by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for a service-connected disability, or rated as individually unemployable, pays no property tax on the homestead — nothing to any taxing entity, regardless of the home’s value. A surviving spouse who was married to the veteran at the time of death, still lives in the same home, and has not remarried can continue receiving the exemption.⁷ Veterans with ratings below 100 percent may qualify for a partial exemption under a separate provision, with the amount scaling by disability percentage.

Protesting Your Value

If Bell CAD’s appraisal looks too high, you have the right to protest, and that is where most homeowners have real leverage to lower a bill. The deadline is May 15 or the 30th day after your appraisal notice was delivered, whichever is later.⁸ Miss it and you are out for the year. File with the Bell County Appraisal Review Board online, by mail, or in person.

The process usually runs in two stages. First, an informal meeting with an appraiser, where many disputes settle by negotiation. Bring evidence: recent comparable sales in your neighborhood, photos of condition problems, and any independent appraisal you have. If the informal meeting does not produce an acceptable result, a formal hearing before the ARB follows, with both sides presenting their case.⁹ You carry the burden of proof, so the quality of your comparable sales data does more work than general frustration about rising values.

Deadlines, Discounts, and Late Penalties

Tax bills go out around October 1. The last day to pay without penalty is January 31 of the following year, and taxes become delinquent on February 1.¹⁰

Early Payment Discounts

Bell County offers discounts for paying early on certain taxing entities that have adopted them:

October: 3 percent discount
November: 2 percent discount
December: 1 percent discount
January: base tax, no discount

On a $5,000 tax bill, paying in October saves $150.¹¹

Late Penalties

The cost of missing January 31 climbs fast. A 6 percent penalty hits on February 1, plus 1 percent interest. Each additional month adds another 1 percent penalty and 1 percent interest. By July 1, the penalty jumps to a flat 12 percent of the unpaid tax, and interest keeps accruing at 1 percent per month on top of that.¹² On a $5,000 bill, waiting until July means an extra $600 in penalties alone, plus interest. Taxes left unpaid long enough can lead to a lien and eventually a foreclosure suit.

How to Pay

Bell CAD accepts payments through several channels:

Online or by phone with credit card, debit card, or electronic check (vendor processing fees apply; e-check is $0.50)
In person by check, cash, or money order at any Bell CAD office with no processing fee
Around the clock through a drop box at the Belton office

You can view your tax statement and current balance through the Bell CAD online property search at any time. Allow up to 21 days for a payment to process before the balance updates.¹¹

1
Bell County Tax Appraisal District. 2025 Tax Rate Chart
2
State of Texas. Texas Tax Code 6.01 – Appraisal Districts Established
3
State of Texas. Texas Tax Code 25.18 – Periodic Reappraisals
4
State of Texas. Texas Tax Code 23.23 – Limitation on Appraised Value of Residence Homestead
5
Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Property Tax Exemptions
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Bell County Tax Appraisal District. Exemption Information
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State of Texas. Texas Tax Code 11.131 – Residence Homestead of 100 Percent or Totally Disabled Veteran
8
State of Texas. Texas Tax Code 41.44 – Notice of Protest
9
Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Appraisal Protests and Appeals
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Bell County Tax Appraisal District. Frequently Asked Questions
11
Bell County Tax Appraisal District. Bell CAD – Tax Appraisal District
12
State of Texas. Texas Tax Code 33.01 – Penalties and Interest