Hidalgo Property Taxes Cut in 79% of Informal Hearings

Thanks to understaffing and a huge amount of ground to cover, the Hidalgo County Appraisal District (HCAD) often resorts to shortcuts like mass appraisal, computer-generated models, and historical records to determine the value of homes or businesses. The holes in this system are being readily exposed, as more residents of the county appeal their taxes every year. In 2024 alone, $3.06 billion in excess value was cut thanks to informal appeals. With 87.92% of residential appeals being successful, appealing your property taxes is a smart move. Join O’Connor’s Property Tax Protection Program™ and get your taxes protested automatically annually. No hidden fees or upfront costs, just enroll, relax, and save.

Resolved Informally Hidalgo CountySource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.

	Thousands
	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
Total Number	13.742	14.951	16.565	13.199	22.182	26.666	31.149	39.284	34.484	40.180	42.182
Single Family	4.624	8.324	6.684	4.876	7.116	10.965	14.814	20.127	18.142	23.806	22.948
Commercial / Other	9.118	6.627	9.881	8.323	15.066	15.701	16.335	19.157	16.342	16.374	19.234

Texas property owners should protest annually since Most appeals are resolved with a reduction at the informal level.

HCAD Property Tax Protests Resolved Informally

Property taxes are the only major tax that someone can appeal. The process allows property owners the chance to protect their legacy from out-of-control taxation and unequal valuation. The informal protest is the gateway to this process but can usually land a person a solid settlement to lower their taxes. Join O’Connor and get key assistance in your property tax appeal. From the starting initial protest to a lawsuit against the Hidalgo County Appraisal District (HCAD) , O’Connor can give you the expert advice and support you need. As one of the largest firms in the United States that specializes in property tax management, O’Connor has all the tools needed to get you the tax cut you deserve.

HCAD Informal Settlements

42,182 informal appeals ended in a resolution in 2024, the most yet recorded. When it comes to property tax appeals , Hidalgo County tends to be traditional. Many trendy counties now count on the appraisal review board (ARB) and formal appeals to get resolutions. Counties with working-class families and generous CADs tend to focus on initial appeals. These appeals have increased by 206.96% in the past decade.

It is protests for single family homes that have taken these appeals to their current heights. Originally ranking below commercial properties when it came to appeals, residences overtook businesses in 2021 and have sprinted ahead. 22,948 family homes were settled informally in 2024, opposed to 19,234 businesses. This steep incline since the pandemic seems to indicate a significant increase in home values or taxes.

Resulted in Reduction Through Informal Process Hidalgo CountySource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.

	Thousands
	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
Total Number	11.094	9.915	13.739	11.116	16.117	20.118	24.119	25.135	26.151	34.884	33.540
Single Family	4.101	6.710	5.945	4.425	6.138	9.905	13.672	15.325	16.977	22.722	20.176
Commercial / Other	6.993	3.205	7.794	6.691	9.979	10.213	10.447	9.811	9.174	12.162	13.364

Texas property owners should protest annually since It is the world’s safest wager. No cost and a 60% chance of savings annually.

HCAD Informal Hearing Reductions

Initial protests are famous for their unpredictability in Texas, with success varying wildly from year to year. Hidalgo has largely kept a solid pattern when it comes to reductions, with most years seeing an increase in victories. 2023 was the record-setter with 34,884 reductions achieved, but 2024 was close with 33,540. Homes slipped slightly, dropping to 20,176, which is why 2024 did not top the charts. Businesses saw a solid improvement, winning a record of 13,364 reductions.

Percent That Resulted in A ReductionSource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.

	Percent
	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
Total Number	80.730%	66.320%	82.940%	84.220%	72.660%	75.440%	77.430%	63.980%	75.840%	86.820%	79.510%
Single Family	88.690%	80.610%	88.940%	90.750%	86.260%	90.330%	92.290%	76.140%	93.580%	95.450%	87.920%
Commercial / Other	76.690%	48.360%	78.880%	80.390%	66.240%	65.050%	63.950%	51.210%	56.140%	74.280%	69.480%

Texas property owners should protest annually since Errors in the appraisal districts records for your property often artificially inflate YOUR property taxes.

Hidalgo County Percentage of Informal Hearings with Reduction

As stated above, it is often counties with a generous CAD that see a trend towards informal appeals. This seems to be the case in Hidalgo County, as HCAD handed out a value reduction of 79.51% of all these protests. The statewide average is 74.38%, and that number is often lower for large metropolitan areas. HCAD has historically been more generous than most, with reduction rates around 80% commonly seen over the past decade.

Single family homes in particular have been fortunate. 87.92% of all informal appeals involving family homes resulted in a reduction of some kind. This puts Hidalgo County towards the top of Texas counties when it comes to successful residential appeals. This implies that HCAD is consistently overvaluing properties and that the discrepancies are easy to dispel once they are given a second look. Commercial properties also did well, scoring victory in 69.48% of informal protests.

$ Value Reduction From Informal ProcessSource: 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
$ Reduction Total	3.1506	2.6529	0.7322	0.6607	1.3902	1.9095	1.4063	1.3943	2.0534	2.9679	3.0592
$ Reduction Single Family	0.4645	0.9910	0.0983	0.0464	0.1498	0.1457	0.2570	0.2912	0.0994	0.8968	0.7658
$ Value Commercial / Other	2.6862	1.6619	0.6339	0.6143	1.2405	1.7638	1.1493	1.1031	1.9540	2.0711	2.2934

Texas property owners should protest annually since Property taxes are the only type that can be negotiated based on subjective factors and judgment.

HCAD Value of Reduction from Informal Process

These high success rates for informal protests mean a bounty of reduced value for the taxpayers of Hidalgo County. $3.06 billion in value was reduced from properties in 2024, the second-most since 2014. While both commercial properties and residential properties contributed to this, it was businesses that got back the most with $2.29 billion. Homeowners were also able to correct plenty of mistakes, nabbing $765.80 million in value reduction. This illustrates the importance of property tax appeals, even the humble informal hearing.