Property tax in Zapata County, Texas
The median property tax bill in Zapata County, Texas is $920 a year, which is about 0.95% of the county's median home value of $97,100. That effective rate is lower than the typical Texas county (1.19%) and higher 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 Zapata County
Enter a home's market value for a ballpark at Zapata County's average effective rate of 0.95% (Census). The real bill depends on the home's assessed value, the millage where it sits and any exemptions.
Estimated property tax: $922 / year
Property tax in Zapata County at a glance
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median annual property tax | $920 |
| Median home value | $97,100 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.95% |
| 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 Zapata County compare in Texas?
Among Texas's 250 counties, Zapata County has the 206th highest effective property-tax rate: 205 rank higher and 44 rank lower. That is on the lower side for Texas. Nationally, it ranks 1251st of 3135 US counties by effective rate. See every Texas county ranked.
How much do homeowners in Zapata County actually pay?
The median is only the middle bill. Across Zapata County's 3,285 owner-occupied homes, 11.3% pay $3,000 or more a year in property tax, 20.9% pay at least $2,000, and 42.8% pay under $800. Another 2% report paying no property tax at all, which usually means an exemption covers the whole bill.
| Annual bill | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $800 | 1,405 | 42.8% |
| $800 to $1,499 | 821 | 25% |
| $1,500 to $1,999 | 308 | 9.4% |
| $2,000 to $2,999 | 315 | 9.6% |
| $3,000 or more | 371 | 11.3% |
| No property tax paid | 65 | 2% |
Owners with a mortgage pay a median of $1,960 and owners without one pay $704. 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 Zapata County property tax bill compare with local incomes?
The median property tax bill of $920 is about 2.2% of the median income of Zapata County homeowner households, $41,947 a year. That compares two middles, so a retiree in a long-held home can pay a far larger share. 72% of Zapata 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 Zapata County?
Yes. The median bill went from $670 in 2015-2019 to $920 in 2020-2024, a 37.3% rise. Over the same span the median home value moved 24.8%, from $77,800 to $97,100. 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 Zapata County
Zapata County borders 3 counties.
| County | Effective rate | Median bill | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webb County, TX | 1.8% | $3,421 | $189,900 |
| Starr County, TX | 1.14% | $1,083 | $95,100 |
| Jim Hogg County, TX | 0.97% | $1,258 | $129,400 |
| Zapata County, TX (this county) | 0.95% | $920 | $97,100 |
How is a home assessed in Zapata County?
Texas assesses homes at 100% of market value in every county, Zapata County included. How Texas assesses and reappraises homes.
Is there a homestead exemption in Zapata 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 Zapata County. Texas's exemptions and relief programs in full.
When are property taxes due in Zapata 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. Zapata County issues and collects the bill, so the dates printed on your statement are the ones that bind you.
How to appeal your Zapata 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; Zapata 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 Zapata 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 Zapata County
The other local tax: combined state and local rate for this county.
Sources
- Median real estate taxes paid and median home value for Zapata 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.