The Property Tax Almanac
Hidalgo County · Texas

Property Tax in Hidalgo County

A calculator and field guide for McAllen-area homeowners — and for anyone considering a move to Hidalgo County. Covers the property tax rates, exemptions, and payment schedules — including the 5 taxing entities that make up your bill.

Median Effective Rate
2.38%
tax bill ÷ market value
Median Home Value
$155,000
reference estimate
Typical Annual Bill
$3,690
before exemptions
Appraisal District
HCAD
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Hidalgo County, home to Edinburg and some 0.9 million Texans, has a property tax structure composed of 5 overlapping taxing entities. A homeowner inside Edinburg pays the school district, city, county, and several additional special districts — each with their own rate. This guide explains every line, how to calculate your bill, and which exemptions you are almost certainly leaving on the table.

How the bill is built

Your annual property tax bill is the product of two numbers: your property's taxable value (its appraised value minus any exemptions you qualify for) and the combined tax rate levied by every entity whose jurisdiction includes your parcel. In Hidalgo County, the combined rate reaches approximately 2.65% for a typical Edinburg address, with the single largest line — school district tax — representing roughly half the bill.

The calculator to the right lets you input your appraised value and toggle the most common exemptions. The breakdown below uses the rates stored in this county record. Confirm the applicable tax year and rates with Hidalgo County Appraisal District before using the estimate.

Hidalgo County rate breakdown (per $100 AV, Edinburg district)

Taxing entityRate
Edinburg CISD1.1646
City of Edinburg0.6850
Hidalgo County0.5750
South Texas ISD0.0492
South Texas College0.1800
Combined total2.6538

Data record updated April 18, 2026. This is an editorial update date, not a tax year or a guarantee that every figure has been independently verified.

Sources and scope: Check rates and parcel details with Hidalgo County Appraisal District. Figures may refer to different source years; a county-seat rate does not apply to every address. How we use data and estimates.

Note: Hidalgo County has the lowest median home values of any county in our database, which keeps absolute bills lower despite having among the highest effective rates in Texas.
Note: The county sits on the US-Mexico border along the Rio Grande; the city of Reynosa, Mexico is directly across the river from McAllen.
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Exemptions you should actually file

Residence Homestead — everyone who owns their primary residence

Texas exempts the first $140,000 of your home's value from school district property tax — raised from $100,000 by Proposition 13, approved by voters in November 2025. Homeowners aged 65 or older, and those who are disabled, get a further $60,000 off (up from $10,000 under Proposition 11), for a combined $200,000. The exemption must be filed with HCAD by April 30 of the tax year for which you want it to apply. There is no fee. You need a Texas driver's license or ID showing the property address and proof of ownership.

Over-65 or Disabled — additional $10,000 school, plus tax ceiling

Homeowners who are 65 or older receive an additional $10,000 school district exemption, and their school district taxes are frozen at the amount owed the year they turned 65. They cannot go up even if rates or appraisals increase.

100% Disabled Veteran — full exemption

Veterans with a 100% service-connected disability pay zero property tax on their primary residence. Partial disability ratings receive partial exemptions on a sliding scale.

Protesting your appraisal

The single highest-ROI hour a Edinburg-area homeowner can spend each year is filing a protest with HCAD, which must be submitted by May 15 (or 30 days after you receive your notice, whichever is later). Roughly half of all Texas homeowners who protest receive some reduction in their appraised value.

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Cities and towns in Hidalgo County

This guide lists 22 selected communities in or associated with Hidalgo County. It is not a complete municipal directory. Local taxing districts can differ between communities and individual addresses.

Data: US Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census. Populations rounded. Cities marked as "split" straddle a county border — the portion inside Hidalgo County is subject to Hidalgo County's tax rolls, while the portion outside is subject to the adjacent county's.

City or town Type Population (2020)
McAllen city 142,000
Edinburg County seat city 101,200
Mission city 85,400
Pharr city 79,500
Weslaco city 40,700
San Juan city 36,000
Alamo city 19,700
Palmview city 17,500
Alton city 17,300
Donna city 16,500
Mercedes city 15,900
Hidalgo city 13,500
Penitas city 5,700
Elsa city 5,700
Progreso city 5,600
La Joya city 4,400
Sullivan City city 4,000
Los Palmas-Juarez Census-designated place 3,000
Edcouch city 2,900
La Villa city 1,800
Granjeno city 300
Progreso Lakes city 100

About city-level property tax rates: The rate breakdown and calculator on this page use a representative district around Edinburg. Other cities in Hidalgo County may pay into different school districts, city rates, and special districts — so their combined rates can differ, sometimes substantially. Always verify the specific rates for your address with the Hidalgo County Appraisal District before relying on any estimate.

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Frequently asked questions

When are Hidalgo County property taxes due?

Texas property tax bills are mailed in October for the current tax year and are due by January 31 of the following year. Payments postmarked February 1 or later begin accruing penalties and interest.

What if I think my appraisal is too high?

File a Notice of Protest (Form 50-132) with HCAD by May 15 or 30 days after your notice is mailed, whichever is later. You'll first have an informal meeting; unresolved cases go to the Appraisal Review Board.

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About Hidalgo County

Beyond the property tax — a few things you might not know about the place.

Weird fact
Hidalgo County produces most of Texas's citrus crop — the Rio Grande Valley is one of only three major citrus-growing regions in the United States, alongside Florida and California. The city of Mission (in Hidalgo) hosts the Texas Citrus Fiesta each January and claims the title "Home of the Grapefruit."
Hometown hero
Freddy Fender
The Grammy-winning Tejano/country singer behind "Before the Next Teardrop Falls" and "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights" was born Baldemar Huerta in San Benito (Cameron County) but spent much of his career performing in and around the Rio Grande Valley.
Biggest annual event
Texas Citrus Fiesta
Held annually in Mission since 1932 in late January, the festival celebrates the Rio Grande Valley's citrus harvest with parades, a "Product Costume Style Show" (costumes made entirely from fruits and vegetables), and the coronation of King Citrus and Queen Citrianna.
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About this site's data and estimates. The Property Tax Almanac is an independent editorial reference. It is not affiliated with any government agency, tax assessor, or tax preparation service. The calculators and data on this site are informational and are not a substitute for advice from a qualified tax professional, attorney, or your official county assessor or appraisal district.

Accuracy, sources, and scope. Source years and review coverage vary. A record’s update date is not confirmation of its tax year. Reviewed guides identify their official sources and calculation limits; other records may have incomplete source documentation. See our methodology and review process.

How to use these estimates. Read the scope of each tool: it may use a representative district, a historical rate, or hypothetical inputs. County benchmarks are not a parcel-specific tax quote. Confirm the taxable value, taxing districts, applicable year, exemptions and additional charges with the responsible local office before relying on an estimate.

No legal or tax advice; no warranty. Nothing on this site constitutes legal, tax, financial, investment, or real estate advice. The Property Tax Almanac, its authors, and its publisher make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability, or availability of the content on this site. Any reliance you place on the information is strictly at your own risk. We are not liable for any loss or damage — including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage — arising from the use of this site or from decisions made based on its content.

Found an error? Property tax rules are complex and change often. If you spot an inaccuracy, please use our correction instructions — corrections help every reader who comes after you.

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