Hidalgo Property Tax Values and Property Tax Protest Facts
Hidalgo County is a bastion for working families and first-generation Americans along the border with Mexico. As the largest population center outside of the Texas Triangle of Houston, Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth, and San Antonio, Hidalgo County is a unique cosmopolitan area of the Lone Star State. Hidalgo County may not have the massive property values of Travis County, but inflated and unfair property taxes can be even more devastating to a working-class community than a wealthy one. Defend your home or business when you enroll in O’Connor’s Property Tax Protection Program™ today. Your taxes will automatically be protested every year, and you will never be charged a fee or upfront cost. You will only pay if we lower your taxes. Enroll, relax, and save.
Total Market Value Hidalgo CountySource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Billions of $ | |||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
| $ Total Market Value | 38.172 | 40.692 | 42.530 | 44.923 | 47.044 | 48.945 | 51.844 | 56.079 | 62.682 | 72.217 | 75.930 |
| Single Family | 15.709 | 17.142 | 17.654 | 18.307 | 19.256 | 20.166 | 22.260 | 25.329 | 30.184 | 34.834 | 37.890 |
| Multi-family | 1.124 | 1.372 | 1.294 | 1.639 | 1.780 | 1.968 | 2.167 | 2.363 | 2.811 | 3.451 | 4.360 |
| Commercial | 8.784 | 13.590 | 10.244 | 10.846 | 11.185 | 11.514 | 12.083 | 12.394 | 13.078 | 14.005 | 17.288 |
| All Other | 12.554 | 8.589 | 13.338 | 14.070 | 14.823 | 15.298 | 15.334 | 15.994 | 16.610 | 19.927 | 16.393 |
Texas property owners should protest annually As part of maintaining their property, like a HVAC checkup.
Hidalgo County Property Tax Trends
The As the ninth-most populated county in Texas, Hidalgo County is a growing and diverse community that connects the past to the future. With a total estimated value of $72.22 billion, Hidalgo County also has a wealth of property across residential, commercial, and other categories. The Hidalgo County Appraisal District (HCAD) is responsible for taxing all of these properties and often makes mistakes in overvaluing and overtaxing them. O’Connor is one of the largest property tax consulting firms in America and we can help lower these values through property tax protests. Join O’Connor today to ensure that your property taxes always stay fair and manageable, no matter what the economic circumstances. There is no cost to enroll, and your taxes will be protested automatically every year.
Hidalgo County Total Market Value of Property
A mere decade ago, Hidalgo County property was worth an estimated $38.17 billion. It now boasts a combined value of $72.22 billion. While most of Texas has doubled in value in the past decade, some areas have quintupled or more. While Hidalgo County may not have the insane inflated values and taxes like Travis County or Denton County, these increases can put a strain on a community that is much more working or middle-class. Incorrect taxes can put a difficult strain on any family that is scraping by.
Gentrification has certainly been a problem across Texas thanks to rising property taxes. This has a knock-on effect on rent as well, making it even more of a threat to working families. The value of single family homes has gone from $15.71 billion in 2014 to $34.83 billion in 2023. Businesses also got in on the act, with commercial properties weighing in at $14 billion, while industrial/utility properties netted $19.93 billion.
Property Value Reduction By Type of Appeal Source: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Billions of $ | |||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
| Total | 3.417 | 3.106 | 1.002 | 0.802 | 1.609 | 2.120 | 1.593 | 1.755 | 2.603 | 3.805 | 3.65 |
| Informal Appeal | 3.151 | 2.653 | 0.732 | 0.661 | 1.390 | 1.909 | 1.406 | 1.394 | 2.053 | 2.968 | 3.059 |
| Formal ARB Determination | 0.2230 | 0.3930 | 0.2430 | 0.0930 | 0.1880 | 0.1430 | 0.0980 | 0.2480 | 0.4120 | 0.5760 | 0.4530 |
| Judicial Appeal | 0.0430 | 0.0600 | 0.0260 | 0.0480 | 0.0310 | 0.0680 | 0.0880 | 0.1130 | 0.1380 | 0.2600 | 0.1330 |
Texas property owners should protest annually since Texas law requires property owners to protest to get information on their property and comparable sales in the area. This information is free and available upon request via U.S. mail (once you file a protest).
HCAD Value Reduction by Type of Appeal
Like all Texas appraisal districts, HCAD wields some of the greatest authority in the entire county, as they appraise property, set taxes, collect them, and then distribute the funds to organizations like school districts and MUDs. Despite their influence, HCAD is always understaffed, leading to many shortcuts that can harm the people of Hidalgo County, putting properties at risk. The only option that taxpayers have is to use a property tax protest to reveal the true value of their property.
The vast majority of protests in Hidalgo County are informal. These are the easiest for an individual to do and are often good enough for a taxpayer to get a settlement in their favor. If this is not enough, or they are rejected, then the second option is to take the informal appeal to the appraisal review board (ARB) for a formal protest. The final option is a lawsuit known as a judicial appeal. The people of Hidalgo County protested $2.97 billion in value through informal appeals, while they targeted $576.00 million through formal ones. $260 million was taken to the courts for judicial appeals.
Total Property Tax Savings All Protests and AppealsSource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Millions of $ | |||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
| All Property Types | 71.76 | 65.23 | 21.04 | 16.83 | 33.79 | 44.53 | 33.45 | 36.86 | 54.67 | 79.89 | 76.57 |
| Single Family | 10.07 | 22.20 | 2.78 | 1.04 | 3.39 | 3.33 | 5.70 | 7.02 | 3.13 | 20.04 | 20.26 |
| Commercial / All other | 61.69 | 43.03 | 18.26 | 15.79 | 30.40 | 41.20 | 27.75 | 29.84 | 51.54 | 59.85 | 56.31 |
Texas property owners should protest annually since Because it is the surest way to reduce property taxes.
Total Hidalgo CAD Property Tax Savings
By Property Type
In 2023, $79.89 million in property taxes was saved by the people of Hidalgo County thanks to various forms of property tax appeals. This was the highest amount saved since 2014. There was a long spate of low protest results between 2014 and 2023, but the number has been climbing. With property values doubling, it seems likely that this upward trend will only continue in the next few years.
Commercial properties got the lion’s share of tax savings, which is typical in Texas. Businesses netted $59.85 million in tax savings, a total only surpassed by 2014. Since they are worth more on average, commercial properties usually see bigger returns than single family homes. That is not to say that homeowners were left out in the cold, as they too benefited greatly from tax appeals. Homeowners were able to land a windfall of $20.04 million, an increase of 540.26% from the 2022 total of $5.04 million.