The System
How property tax works on this corridor.
Texas property tax follows a two-step structure. First, the appraisal district for the county of record determines the value of the property, applying any exemptions that have been approved for it. Second, each taxing unit that covers the property, the county, city, school district, and any special districts, applies its own adopted rate to the taxable value. No single office sets the bill; it is assembled from the components on the property record.
This site deliberately does not publish tax rates or exemption amounts, because both change and neither can be stated safely for an address without checking current official records. The reliable path is the one below.
| Question | Where the answer lives |
|---|---|
| Which appraisal district? | Bexar County (bcad.org), Kendall County (kendallad.org), or Comal County (comalad.org). |
| What is the value? | The appraisal district property record. |
| Which exemptions apply? | The appraisal record; exemptions are filed per owner. |
| Who taxes it? | Taxing units listed on the record and the title commitment. |
| What are the rates? | Each taxing unit\u2019s adopted budget and rate; Comptroller data secondarily. |
Choosing the Right Office
Which appraisal district is it?
The appraisal district follows the county of record, so the district for a specific home is determined by its location, not by its mailing address:
Bexar County Appraisal District
San Antonio-side communities: Sablechase, Fallbrook, Stonewall Ranch, Balcones Creek, and the Bexar portion of Fair Oaks Ranch. Records at bcad.org.
Kendall County Appraisal District
Boerne-side communities: Menger Springs, Esperanza, and Boerne. Records at kendallad.org.
Comal County Appraisal District
Only the Comal County portion of Fair Oaks Ranch city limits. Records at comalad.org.
Near the county line, searching the same address in two districts is a legitimate verification technique: the district that returns the property is the county of record.
The Boerne ISD Collection Arrangement
When a Bexar County property pays Boerne ISD taxes
The corridor's school districts cross county lines, and Boerne ISD is a working example on both sides of them. A property can physically sit in Bexar County while its Boerne ISD school tax payment is administered through an entity associated with Kendall County, which makes the collection arrangement worth spelling out in full rather than lumping it into the appraisal answer.
Four roles are in play for one property, and they answer to four different records:
| Property location | The county where the land sits, confirmed by the appraisal record: for Balcones Creek and similar corridor communities, Bexar County. |
| Appraisal jurisdiction | The appraisal district that values the property: the Bexar County Appraisal District for Bexar County land. |
| School district and taxing entity | The district that levies the school tax: Boerne ISD, regardless of the county the land sits in. |
| Tax collection administrator | The office that administers collection of the district's taxes: the Kendall Appraisal District collects Boerne ISD taxes district-wide under the district's collection arrangement, while the Texas Comptroller directory lists the Kendall County Tax Assessor-Collector as not collecting property taxes. |
The consumer education point: a property can physically sit in Bexar County, be appraised by the Bexar County Appraisal District, owe school taxes to Boerne ISD, and still have those school taxes collected through an entity associated with Kendall County. County location, appraisal district, school district, and tax collection are not automatically the same thing, and none of them can be assumed from a mailing address.
In practice, the school tax line on a Bexar County property's tax bill can route through the Kendall Appraisal District because the district collects Boerne ISD taxes district-wide under the district's collection arrangement, including on Bexar County land. Buyers should read the taxing units on the property record, confirm the collection office for the school district with the district itself, and let the closing paperwork show exactly where each payment goes.
Last verified September 2026.
Why it matters
Who values a property (the appraisal district), who taxes it (the taxing entities), and who collects the tax (the collection administrator) are separate questions with separate answers. This page keeps them separate because a single property on the corridor can pair each of them with a different office, and the mailing address predicts none of them.
Process
How to verify a property\u2019s taxes.
- 01
Search the property record by address
Open the appraisal district site for the county of record and look up the exact street address. Note the owner, legal description, and property ID.
- 02
Read the exempt values
The record shows which exemptions are active on the property. A homestead that belongs to the seller does not transfer to a buyer.
- 03
List the taxing units
The record names every entity that taxes the property: county, city, school district, and special districts. This is your jurisdiction stack for tax purposes.
- 04
Find each unit’s rate
Rates are set annually by each unit after budget adoption. The Texas Comptroller’s county directory links to each appraisal district, and the Comptroller publishes local government data as a secondary source.
- 05
Check the title commitment
During a sale, the title commitment lists the taxing jurisdictions for the exact legal description, catching special districts and assessments.
- 06
Confirm the closing picture
Ask the title company how taxes and any prorations are handled at closing, including new-construction timelines and any pending protests.
Common Mistakes
What not to do.
- Do not copy the neighbor\u2019s bill. Exemptions and valuations differ from house to house.
- Do not trust listing estimates as facts. They are calculators, not records.
- Do not assume the seller\u2019s bill carries over. Exemptions attach to owners and must be re-filed.
- Do not forget special districts. Water and municipal utility districts appear on the record and the title work.
Alongside Taxes
Pair it with the location checks.
The appraisal record answers tax questions and, in the same screen, confirms the county and taxing jurisdictions for the property. Run it together with the location verification process so the county, school, city, and tax answers all come from the same authoritative records.
Property tax questions
Will my taxes equal the seller’s?
Not reliably. The seller may hold exemptions (such as a homestead) that do not transfer, and the valuation is specific to the property and its ownership. Use the appraisal district record for the property and, after closing, confirm the exemptions actually applied to the new owner.
What is a homestead exemption?
A homestead exemption is a property tax exemption that Texas homeowners apply for on their primary residence. It reduces the taxable value of the home for the qualifying taxing entities. It must be applied for with the appraisal district; it does not transfer automatically to a buyer who then uses the home as their primary residence.
Where do I find the actual tax rates?
Rates are set by each taxing entity: county, city, school district, and special districts. The appraisal district record for the property lists the taxing units, and each unit publishes its adopted rate. The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts also publishes local government data as a secondary source.
Do new construction taxes start immediately?
New improvements are placed on the appraisal roll through the district’s appraisal and taxing calendar, so the first year’s bill can differ from later years. Confirm the property record and the closing proration with the title company and the appraisal district rather than assuming a timeline.
What about special district assessments?
Some corridor tracts sit in water, sewer, drainage, or municipal utility districts that levy their own charges or taxes. These appear on the appraisal record and title commitment for the property. Ask the seller and the district directly about any assessments.