Property Taxes in San Antonio
Property taxes are the real cost of Texas's no-income-tax structure, and San Antonio homeowners feel it directly: Bexar County's own effective rate runs around 1.73%, but a typical San Antonio homeowner's blended rate -- combining city, school district, Alamo Community College, University Health System, and San Antonio River Authority levies -- runs closer to 2.27%, among the higher effective burdens covered across this site. Texas's homestead protections work differently from Florida's, and are worth understanding on their own terms rather than assuming the same mechanics apply.
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Learn moreEffective Rate: County-Only vs. Blended
Bexar County's county-level effective property tax rate is cited around 1.73% (a median homeowner paying roughly $4,535/year on a home valued at $262,200), per Ownwell's Bexar County property tax guide and corroborating sources. But county tax is only one of several taxing entities layered onto a given property -- once city, school district (e.g., North East ISD, Northside ISD, San Antonio ISD depending on the specific address), Alamo Community College, University Health System, and the San Antonio River Authority are included, a typical San Antonio homeowner's blended effective rate is cited around 2.27%, with some sources citing a broader 1.9%-2.5% range. This figure matches San Antonio's base overview record directly.
Standard Homestead Exemption (2026 Update)
Every Texas homeowner with a homestead on their primary residence receives a $140,000 exemption from school-district taxable value as of the 2026 tax year -- up from $100,000 previously, following a 2025 statewide ballot measure (Proposition 13). This exemption reduces the taxable value used to calculate the school-district portion of the bill specifically, not the full combined bill across every taxing entity.
Additional Exemption for Homeowners 65+
Texas homeowners 65 or older qualify for an additional $60,000 exemption from school-district taxable value, on top of the standard $140,000 -- bringing the combined school-district exemption to $200,000 for a homesteaded senior homeowner. Critically, this exemption also comes with a school-tax ceiling: once a homeowner qualifies at 65, their school-district tax bill is frozen at that year's dollar amount, and it cannot rise further even if the home's appraised value or the school tax rate increases afterward (it can decrease if the rate drops). See the retiring topic page for how this affects a senior relocating to San Antonio specifically.
Texas's Homestead Appraisal Cap (Not Florida's Save Our Homes)
Texas homesteaded properties carry their own annual appraisal-increase cap -- limiting how much a homestead's taxable appraised value can rise year over year to 10%, regardless of how much the home's actual market value increases in a given year. This is a meaningfully different mechanic from Florida's Save Our Homes cap (which limits increases to 3% or CPI, whichever is lower) -- Texas's cap is looser, so it moderates but does not suppress appraisal growth nearly as aggressively as Florida's does for long-term owners. Confirm current mechanics with the Bexar County Appraisal District before relying on a general description for a specific parcel.
Applying for Exemptions
Homestead exemption applications are generally due by April 30 of the tax year for which the exemption is sought, filed with the Bexar Appraisal District -- a senior turning 65 can apply at any point during the calendar year they reach that age. Confirm current forms and deadlines directly with the Bexar Appraisal District before relying on a general summary, since administrative specifics can shift year to year.
Key takeaways
- Bexar County's county-only effective property tax rate runs around 1.73%; a typical San Antonio homeowner's blended rate (city, school district, community college, hospital district, river authority) runs closer to 2.27% -- matching the base overview record.
- Standard Texas homestead exemption is $140,000 off school-district taxable value as of the 2026 tax year (up from $100,000, per a 2025 statewide ballot measure).
- Homeowners 65+ get an additional $60,000 school-district exemption ($200,000 combined) plus a school-tax bill freeze at that year's dollar amount -- a real, valuable senior benefit.
- Texas's homestead appraisal cap limits annual taxable-value increases to 10% -- looser than Florida's 3%/CPI Save Our Homes cap, so don't assume the two states' protections work the same way.
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