Hidalgo Property Tax Protests - by Value and Property Type
Hidalgo County set records in 2023 with $25.08 billion in value being contested. This included $8.04 billion in single family homes and $9.98 billion in commercial property. This means that people are both using their right to protest and that the Hidalgo County Appraisal District (HCAD) is giving them a reason to do so thanks to unfair taxes and unequal appraisals. Enroll in O’Connor’s Property Tax Protection Program™ today and take the fight to HCAD every year when you protest your taxes annually. There is no charge to join, and you will pay from your tax savings if you win that year. Enroll, relax, and save.
Total Parcels and Total Protests Hidalgo CADSource: 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 Parcels | 334.30 | 335.31 | 335.62 | 338.63 | 340.61 | 343.28 | 340.83 | 349.06 | 349.76 | 361.87 | 367.61 | |
| Total Protests Filed | 23.26 | 30.53 | 24.92 | 26.92 | 31.27 | 32.68 | 43.63 | 43.48 | 48.05 | 59.53 | 55.16 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since Mass appraisal used by appraisal districts includes many errors based on limited resources. About 500 appraisers value all 20 million Texas tax parcels; about 40,000 per appraiser. Another 1,500 appraisers measure new construction.
Hidalgo County Property Tax Protests
While a gradual climb rather than a sudden spike, property taxes in Hidalgo County have doubled since 2014. This has caused property tax protests to follow on a similar trajectory. This is a logical reaction from a populace that struggles to keep up with the demands of the Hidalgo County Appraisal District (HCAD). After all, the only way to compensate for high taxes and unequal appraisals is to deploy property tax protests.
With so much on the line, it always helps to have an expert you can count on. O’Connor has been in the business of fighting property taxes and disproportionate appraisals for over 50 years. Founded in Houston, O’Connor knows the ins-and-outs of the Texas appeal system and can maximize the impact of any protest. As one of the largest firms specifically built to deal with property taxes, O’Connor will protest your taxes annually, so that each success builds upon the previous one.
Total parcels in Hidalgo County Appraisal District
In Texas, all real property is bundled together in units of measurement called parcels. It is these parcels that are then assessed, taxed, and quantified by HCAD. These are vital to the functioning of government in Texas, as there is no income tax to draw from. There were 361,870 parcels in Hidalgo County as of 2023. Of these parcels, 59,530 were protested in 2023, the most ever.
Total Protests 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 Protests | 23.26 | 30.53 | 24.92 | 26.92 | 31.27 | 32.68 | 43.63 | 43.48 | 48.05 | 59.53 | 55.16 | |
| Single Family Home Protests | 6.41 | 17.37 | 9.48 | 9.66 | 11.66 | 11.51 | 20.41 | 22.95 | 26.72 | 33.78 | 29.53 | |
| Commercial / Other Protests | 16.85 | 13.16 | 15.45 | 17.27 | 19.61 | 21.17 | 23.21 | 20.54 | 21.33 | 25.75 | 25.63 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since It is their right.
Total Protests
Property tax protests have been on a steady climb for the previous decade. This generally matches the rate of taxation and increased valuations handed out by HCAD. A similar pattern has been observed across Texas, though places like Fort Bend have traditionally seen high protests rates due to some of the highest taxes in the nation. While Hidalgo County has not seen a quintupling of total protests like Denton County, the doubling of protests is a mixed bag. While it is good to see property owners standing up for their rights, it also means that higher taxes are forcing their hand.
There were 33,780 single family home protests in 2023, which is easily a record. Residential protests used to lag behind commercial ones, but they surpassed them in 2021 and have never looked back. Single family home protests have quadrupled since 2014 and are the main driver for the rise in total property protests. This is another indication of rising home values in the county. Commercial protests are likewise becoming more common, with 25,750 protests in 2023 being their zenith as well.
% of Parcels Protested Hidalgo CountySource: 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 | ||
| Percent Protested | 6.96% | 9.11% | 7.43% | 7.95% | 9.18% | 9.52% | 12.8% | 12.46% | 13.74% | 16.45% | 15.01% | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since About 60% of appeals are successful.
Hidalgo CAD - Percent Parcels Protested
In 2014, 6.96% of all Hidalgo County parcels were protested. This more than doubled to 16.45% by 2023. This is being pushed thanks to the bevy of protests linked to single family homes, which in turn are skyrocketing because of assessed home values across the county. The average number of parcels protested in a Texas county is 13%, which puts Hidalgo above the pack, but below the likes of Denton County with 28.28%. While more residents should protest their taxes, it at least indicates that prices have not spiraled out of control either.
Protests by Property Type 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 | 23.26 | 30.53 | 24.92 | 26.92 | 31.27 | 32.68 | 43.63 | 43.48 | 48.05 | 59.53 | 55.16 | |
| Single Family | 6.41 | 17.37 | 9.48 | 9.66 | 11.66 | 11.51 | 20.41 | 22.95 | 26.72 | 33.78 | 29.53 | |
| Multi-Family Res | 1.08 | 1.68 | 1.51 | 2.87 | 3.02 | 0.49 | 3.13 | 2.96 | 3.52 | 4.56 | 4.89 | |
| Commercial | 5.76 | 6.90 | 7.34 | 7.13 | 8.91 | 8.90 | 8.78 | 8.01 | 8.53 | 9.08 | 8.92 | |
| All Other | 10.01 | 4.57 | 6.59 | 7.27 | 7.68 | 11.78 | 11.31 | 9.57 | 9.27 | 12.11 | 11.82 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since Correcting an error in the appraisal district’s description of your property can reap savings in future years.
Hidalgo County Protests by Property Type
As observed in previous graphs, single family homes are the No. 1 target of protests. While this makes sense mathematically due to how common homes are compared to other pieces of property, it should be noted that businesses were once protested more. This is a sure sign of rising and inaccurate property values and tactics. 33,776 single family homes were protested in some manner in 2023, 7,044 more than in 2022.
When the protests of various business sectors are broken down into subtypes, it can be better observed as to what is driving appeals in that world. As a hybrid of residential and commercial interests, apartment buildings continue to see high numbers of protests, with 4,563 in 2023. Commercial properties managed 9,080 protests in the same timespan, while a combination of industrial, oil, and utilities took the No. 2 spot with 12,110.
Value of Property Protested by TypeSource: 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 | ||
| Value Protested Total | 7.22 | 9.41 | 9.95 | 10.70 | 10.58 | 13.48 | 15.77 | 16.50 | 18.25 | 25.08 | 24.94 | |
| Single Family | 1.13 | 2.53 | 1.46 | 1.47 | 1.41 | 2.52 | 3.25 | 4.30 | 5.03 | 8.04 | 7.46 | |
| Multi-Family Res | 0.56 | 0.59 | 0.59 | 1.11 | 1.29 | 1.18 | 1.42 | 1.58 | 1.74 | 3.35 | 3.55 | |
| Commercial | 4.99 | 5.11 | 6.28 | 6.34 | 5.88 | 7.74 | 7.59 | 8.70 | 8.35 | 9.98 | 10.20 | |
| All Other | 0.54 | 1.18 | 1.62 | 1.78 | 2.01 | 2.03 | 3.50 | 1.90 | 3.13 | 3.70 | 3.74 | |
Hidalgo County Value of Property Protested by Type
Pound-for-pound, commercial properties have the most value attached to them individually. This is why they can dominate value charts despite being small in number compared to single family homes. While this is not always the case, Hidalgo County follows this pattern. Commercial properties totaled a protested value of $9.98 billion, more than double the value they protested a decade ago. While it beat commercial in the number of business protests, the combination of oil and utilities came in second with 3.7 billion. Apartment buildings and related residences came in at $3.35 billion.
When single family homes are looked at, it is plain to see how the cost of homes is driving protests. In 2014, only $1.13 billion in residential property value was contested. That has increased by almost a factor of eight, with $8.04 billion protested in 2023. This huge jump in appealed homes also pushed the total protested value to a new record high of $25.08 billion.