Property Taxes by County: Bexar vs. Comal vs. Kendall vs. Guadalupe in 2026

If taxes are the reason you are hesitating, this is the video I send buyers who want the honest version before they compare communities.

On my channel: Moving to San Antonio? Don't Ignore These Property Tax Facts

Why the county rate is only the start

Texas property tax is a layered system: county, city, school district, and special districts each levy their own rate per $100 of taxable value, and the school district is usually the biggest slice of the bill. That is why comparing county rates alone is misleading. The number that matters is the effective rate, the total tax bill divided by the home's market value, and it varies by school district, city, and the exemptions you qualify for.

The 2026 rates, county by county

Bexar County's rate is $0.276331, and the City of San Antonio held its rate at $0.54159 for 2026, with a combined effective rate for homeowners around 1.55% to 1.81%. Comal County set its 2026 rate at $0.305015 in September 2026, with an effective range around 1.46% to 1.79%. Kendall County sits at $0.377, Boerne's 2026 rate was approved on first reading at $0.4790, Boerne ISD levies $1.0109, and the effective rate inside Boerne runs about 1.86%. Guadalupe County is $0.278400, Schertz levies $0.511800, Cibolo $0.5226, Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD $1.076900, and the countywide effective rate runs about 1.28% to 1.43%.

What that means on a $400,000 home

Run the countywide effective ranges against a $400,000 home and the spread is real. At about 1.33% in Guadalupe County, the bill lands near $5,320 a year. In Comal County, 1.46% to 1.79% puts it between about $5,840 and $7,160. In Bexar County, 1.55% to 1.81% lands between about $6,200 and $7,240. Inside Boerne at about 1.86%, it runs near $7,440. Those are before homestead exemptions, and the exact number depends on the school district and city, which is why the range matters more than the midpoint.

The homestead exemption changes the math

Texas raised the school-district homestead exemption to $140,000 of market value in 2026, which removes that amount from the taxable value for owner-occupants, and the 10% appraisal cap limits how fast your taxable value can climb each year. On a $400,000 home with the full exemption, the taxable value drops to $260,000 before other exemptions, which shrinks the bill far more than any county rate difference. The exemption applies at your primary residence, so it is a homeowner's advantage, not a rental one.

• San Antonio property taxes in 2026: what changed

The honest way to compare

Do not compare rates in a spreadsheet alone. Ask for the actual tax bill on the specific home you are considering, confirm the school district and city, and model the payment with taxes and insurance included. Two houses priced the same can carry very different monthly totals, and that difference is a lifestyle decision, not a rounding error. I pull the real numbers for every address my clients are weighing, and the answer is often not what the rate table suggests.