Harris County property tax protest: check your appraisal
Harris Central Appraisal District appraised 1,146,659 single-family homes on its 2026 certified roll. We could compare 1,119,420 of them with similar homes nearby, and 525,095 of those (46.9%) look high.
This free, independent check uses the appraisal district's own values, not sale prices. Click your home on the map for a report that compares it with 5 similar homes nearby, and see the Playbook if you decide to protest on your own.
Check your Harris County home on the map →
When to protest in Harris County
The 2026 protest season is over. The next one opens when the Harris Central Appraisal District sends 2027 notices of appraised value in the spring. A protest covers the value on that notice.
The deadline is May 15 or 30 days after the notice is delivered (a mailed notice counts as delivered on the date it was mailed), whichever is later (Tax Code 41.44).
If the deadline falls on a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, it moves to the next business day (Tax Code 1.06).
Your notice shows your own deadline, so go by that date. Official site: Harris Central Appraisal District.
How to protest your Harris County appraisal
- File a protest. File Form 50-132, use the online portal, or send any written notice that identifies you, the property, and what you disagree with. Any of these counts. The district's online filing link: iFile protest page.
- Gather your evidence. Note the appraised values of homes like yours in size, age and neighborhood from the district's records. The map finds these similar homes nearby for you.
- Take the informal review. A district appraiser looks at your evidence and may offer a lower value. You can accept it or turn it down.
- Go to your hearing if you don't settle. The appraisal review board is a panel of local residents, separate from the appraisers. It hears both sides and decides the value.
- Read the decision. The board sends a written order. It explains how to appeal if you still disagree.
How AppealTexasTax helps
Click your home on the map for a free report that compares it with five similar homes nearby, using the Harris Central Appraisal District's own values. If your home looks high, the Playbook walks you through filing and the hearing yourself. AppealTexasTax doesn't file protests or charge a fee, and it isn't legal advice.
What Harris County's 2026 certified roll shows
Added up, these homes are appraised $24.5 billion above the typical value of the similar homes they were compared with.
We could not find 5 similar homes for the other 27,239 homes on the roll (an unusual size or age, or a rural home), so they are not part of the percentage.
The median change in appraised value from last year was 0.0%.
Neighborhoods where the most homes look high
- Around Milwee St 1: 66% of 50 homes we could compare look high
- Around Sunrise Bluff Dr: 64% of 52 homes we could compare look high
- Around Kings River Ct: 63% of 59 homes we could compare look high
- Around Lakeside Park Dr: 62% of 218 homes we could compare look high
- Around Gertin St: 61% of 54 homes we could compare look high
These counts cover single-family homes only. Every county has some homes above similar homes and some below, so this is not proof the whole county is over-appraised.
Where Harris County's homes are
Houston has the most, with 467,894 of the 827,320 homes with a homestead exemption. Next come Spring (57,156), Cypress (56,545) and Katy (54,205).
By ZIP code, the most homestead homes are in 77433 (34,417), 77449 (25,450) and 77429 (22,943). The roll has homes in 141 ZIP codes in all.
How the largest cities compare
| City | Homes we could compare | Share that looks high | Median appraised value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston | 652,397 | 46.9% | $262,490 |
| Spring | 74,737 | 47.4% | $298,868 |
| Cypress | 68,048 | 47.1% | $394,183 |
| Katy | 77,089 | 45.3% | $287,681 |
| Humble | 56,726 | 46.7% | $279,827 |
| Tomball | 33,761 | 47.3% | $361,993 |
Each row counts the single-family homes with that city in their address. The county-wide share is 46.9%.
Harris County questions
How many Harris County homes look high on the 2026 roll?
525,095 of the 1,119,420 homes we could compare, or 46.9%. Each is appraised more than 2% above similar homes nearby on Harris Central Appraisal District's 2026 certified roll.
What is the median appraised value of a Harris County homestead?
$295,669 on the 2026 certified roll. That is the middle value of the 827,320 single-family homes with a homestead exemption.
When can I protest my Harris County appraisal?
The 2026 protest season is closed. The next one starts when 2027 preliminary notices go out, usually in April or May. The deadline is May 15 or 30 days after the notice is delivered (a mailed notice counts as delivered on the date it was mailed), whichever is later (Tax Code 41.44). If the deadline falls on a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, it moves to the next business day (Tax Code 1.06). Go by the date printed on your own notice. This page links to the appraisal district's protest page.
Which Harris County city has the largest share of homes that look high?
Of the 6 largest cities, Spring is highest: 47.4% of its 74,737 homes we could compare look high. Katy is lowest at 45.3% of 77,089. The county as a whole is at 46.9%.
Harris Central Appraisal District
The district's website is hcad.org. You can look up any account at search.hcad.org. To protest, use Harris Central Appraisal District's protest page. What notice and certified values mean
The numbers on this page come from the appraisal district's 2026 certified roll. We got it through a free public download, and our copy was last updated on September 6, 2026. The map also has the 2026 preliminary, 2025 certified and 2024 certified rolls for Harris County, and the year buttons on the map switch between them.
What happened when Harris County owners protested
In 2024, the appraisal district received 383,719 protests. 96% of informal reviews ended with a lower value, and so did 71% of formal hearings. Together they took $10.7 billion off appraised values. Across all property types, designated agents filed 81.3% of the protests. Owners can file on their own for free.
Source: Texas Comptroller Appraisal District Operations Survey (2024), with county-wide figures reported by the appraisal district.
Nearby counties
These counties border Harris County:
More Greater Houston counties:
See all Texas counties we cover →
The fine print
Not legal advice. This page is an educational check built on public appraisal data. It is not affiliated with the Harris Central Appraisal District or the State of Texas, and it does not file anything on your behalf. You are responsible for your own filings and deadlines. The regular spring protest window is closed on the 2026 certified roll. See the full Disclaimer & Terms of Use.
Built by an independent citizen developer. Not affiliated with the Harris Central Appraisal District.