Property tax in Ward County, Texas
The median property tax bill in Ward County, Texas is $965 a year, which is about 0.64% of the county's median home value of $150,700. That effective rate is lower than the typical Texas county (1.19%) and lower than the national median (0.81%). These are American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024); your own bill depends on your home's assessed value and any exemptions.
Estimate the property tax on a home in Ward County
Enter a home's market value for a ballpark at Ward County's average effective rate of 0.64% (Census). The real bill depends on the home's assessed value, the millage where it sits and any exemptions.
Estimated property tax: $964 / year
Property tax in Ward County at a glance
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median annual property tax | $965 |
| Median home value | $150,700 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.64% |
| Typical Texas county rate | 1.19% |
| National median county rate | 0.81% |
Effective rate = median real estate taxes paid divided by median home value. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
How does Ward County compare in Texas?
Among Texas's 250 counties, Ward County has the 246th highest effective property-tax rate: 245 rank higher and 4 rank lower. That places it among the least taxed counties in the state. Nationally, it ranks 2125th of 3135 US counties by effective rate. See every Texas county ranked.
How much do homeowners in Ward County actually pay?
The median is only the middle bill. Across Ward County's 3,445 owner-occupied homes, 15.9% pay $3,000 or more a year in property tax, 21.4% pay at least $2,000, and 43.4% pay under $800. Another 4.4% report paying no property tax at all, which usually means an exemption covers the whole bill.
| Annual bill | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $800 | 1,495 | 43.4% |
| $800 to $1,499 | 742 | 21.5% |
| $1,500 to $1,999 | 318 | 9.2% |
| $2,000 to $2,999 | 189 | 5.5% |
| $3,000 or more | 549 | 15.9% |
| No property tax paid | 152 | 4.4% |
Owners with a mortgage pay a median of $1,566 and owners without one pay $754. Owners who have paid off a home have usually held it longer, and in states that cap how fast an existing owner's assessment can rise, long-held homes carry lower assessed values. Census table B25103.
How does the Ward County property tax bill compare with local incomes?
The median property tax bill of $965 is about 1.3% of the median income of Ward County homeowner households, $76,760 a year. That compares two middles, so a retiree in a long-held home can pay a far larger share. 78.5% of Ward County's occupied homes are lived in by their owners; renters pay property tax too, just folded into rent.
Have property taxes gone up in Ward County?
Yes. The median bill went from $409 in 2015-2019 to $965 in 2020-2024, a 135.9% rise. Over the same span the median home value moved 73.6%, from $86,800 to $150,700. Bills rose faster than values, which usually means local rates went up or an exemption shrank.
Two Census ACS 5-year periods with no survey years in common, in each period's own dollars. A change counts only if it exceeds the combined 90% margin of error.
Property tax in counties next to Ward County
Ward County borders 6 counties.
| County | Effective rate | Median bill | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ector County, TX | 1.27% | $2,538 | $200,200 |
| Reeves County, TX | 1.08% | $1,271 | $118,000 |
| Crane County, TX | 1.04% | $1,346 | $129,400 |
| Pecos County, TX | 1.03% | $1,707 | $165,700 |
| Winkler County, TX | 0.76% | $1,119 | $148,200 |
| Ward County, TX (this county) | 0.64% | $965 | $150,700 |
| Loving County, TX | not published | not published | not published |
How is a home assessed in Ward County?
Texas assesses homes at 100% of market value in every county, Ward County included. How Texas assesses and reappraises homes.
Is there a homestead exemption in Ward County?
Yes. Texas exempts $140,000 of a home's value from school-district taxes, and local taxing units may add an exemption of up to 20% of value. That is the Texas rule, and it applies in Ward County. Texas's exemptions and relief programs in full.
When are property taxes due in Ward County?
Bills are mailed starting in October; taxes are due on receipt and delinquent February 1 (the standard January 31 deadline). Set and collected by local taxing units; certain age-65+/disabled owners may pay in installments.
That is the Texas rule. Ward County issues and collects the bill, so the dates printed on your statement are the ones that bind you.
How to appeal your Ward County property assessment
You contest the assessed value with the Appraisal Review Board (ARB). The filing deadline is typically May 15. That is the Texas rule; Ward County sets the exact dates and forms. The Texas appeal process step by step.
Texas rules from primary state sources, reviewed September 7, 2026; sources on the Texas page.
Work out your own numbers
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How much house can I afford?
Your income, debts and down payment against the 28/36 rule lenders actually use, with Ward County's tax rate to hand.
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Mortgage calculator
Monthly payment with principal, interest, tax and insurance, plus what an extra payment saves you.
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Texas income tax
Brackets, standard deduction and what Texas actually taxes.
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Sales tax in Ward County
The other local tax: combined state and local rate for this county.
Sources
- Median real estate taxes paid and median home value for Ward County, Texas: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020-2024), tables B25103, B25077, B25102, B25119 and B25003; the five-year comparison uses the 2015-2019 estimates. Neighboring counties: Census county adjacency file.