Hidalgo Property Tax Protest ARB Tax Savings over $9 MM in 2024

While taxpayers were able to challenge the Hidalgo County Appraisal District (HCAD) in informal appeals for massive reductions, many decided to take matters to formal hearings as well. Taxpayers found victory 69% of the time in 2024, as they took their case to the appraisal review board (ARB) and exposed the ridiculous values and taxes of HCAD. Reducing total taxable value by $453 million, formal appeals resulted in over $9 million in tax savings. Sign up for O’Connor’s Property Tax Protection Program™ today and get a powerful ally to help you challenge HCAD in any appeal that you need to carry out. Never pay an upfront cost and only pay if you lower your taxes. Enroll, relax, and save.

Protests with Written ARB DeterminationSource: 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	1.457	1.231	1.254	1.277	2.289	2.395	2.036	2.066	2.095	3.996	2.871
Protests single family residential	0.177	0.481	0.335	0.189	0.863	0.995	0.761	0.989	1.216	2.048	1.455
Protests with all other	1.280	0.750	0.919	1.088	1.426	1.400	1.275	1.077	0.879	1.948	1.416

Texas property owners should protest annually since Hearing results depend on the appraiser assigned or the ARB; results vary widely. You do not know the appraiser or ARB panel prior to appealing.

Hidalgo County Protests with Written ARB Determination

After a property tax appeal either fails the informal hearing or the settlement offered is not enough, it is time to move on to a formal appeal in front of the appraisal review board (ARB). This step in the process sees the taxpayer appear before an impartial panel of three experts that will act as judge and jury while the plaintiff and defendant argue their case. Though this informal hearing only lasts around 30 minutes, it can be quite high-stakes if a home or business hangs in the balance.

Do not face the Hidalgo County Appraisal District (HCAD) alone at the ARB. Let O’Connor represent you instead. With over 50 years of fighting various CADs for our clients, we know exactly what evidence is needed to both best HCAD and impress the ARB. With long-standing connections, O’Connor knows how to get the most out of any formal appeals. As one of the biggest property tax firms around, O’Connor is the kind of ally that you always want in your corner.

Hidalgo CAD Protests by Property Type

Taxpayers in Hidalgo County have seen a lot of success in the informal stage, where over 79% of all appeals ended in a resolution that resulted in a reduction. While this means the ARB hearings see less of a priority, this does not reduce their importance or potency. In fact, there were more ARB hearings in 2023 than there have ever been in Hidalgo County, with a combined total of 3,996. There was a drop to 2,871 appeals in 2024, but fluctuations can happen in developing counties. This rise in ARB appeals is directly predicated on the increase of taxes and property values that are ravaging the county.

While formal hearings are usually more for commercial properties, this trend has changed over the past few years across Texas. In 2023, single family homes managed to grab the lead over commercial properties, and kept the top spot narrowly in 2024 with 1,455. Businesses still filed 1,416 formal appeals in the same timeframe. This indicates that property values and taxes have become so inflated that all taxpayers are looking for some form of relief.

Hidalgo County ARB Decisions with a ReductionSource: 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	0.667	0.716	0.836	0.956	1.445	1.341	1.236	1.425	1.613	2.758	1.983
Single Family Residential	0.126	0.398	0.279	0.159	0.527	0.586	0.645	0.836	1.027	1.562	1.139
Commercial / All Other	0.541	0.318	0.558	0.797	0.918	0.755	0.591	0.589	0.586	1.196	0.844

Texas property owners should protest annually since An annual appeal is an insurance policy to avoid major increases.

Hidalgo County ARB Decisions with a Reduction

It is harder to gain a victory against HCAD in formal hearings than in informal ones. This is due to the more advanced nature of the appeal and the stringent evidence needed to prove the taxpayer’s case. This was not much of an impediment; however, as 1,983 property owners were able to score a reduction in 2024. Single family homes saw 1,139 victories, while commercial properties notched 844. These were down from the 2023 record, but still managed to come in at second place for the past decade.

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 Reduction	46%	58%	67%	75%	63%	56%	61%	69%	77%	69%	69%
Single Family Residential	71%	83%	83%	84%	61%	59%	85%	85%	84%	76%	78%
Commercial / All Other	42%	42%	61%	73%	64%	54%	46%	55%	67%	61%	60%

Texas property owners should protest annually since To ensure their property taxes are at the lowest possible level.

Percent That Resulted in A Reduction

ARB hearings maintained their efficacy in 2024, as property owners saw reductions of 69% of the time. While this is slightly above the statewide average of 66%, it still represents a strong advantage for taxpayers. Only 57% of 2022 formal hearings ended with a reduction, so 2024 demonstrated strong improvement. Homeowners got the better end of the deal, winning a reduction of 78% of the time. While commercial properties won less by 60%, this is still a significant victory.

Value Reduction From Written ARB DeterminationsSource: 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 $ Reduction	0.223	0.393	0.243	0.093	0.188	0.143	0.098	0.248	0.412	0.576	0.453
Single Family Residential	0.015	0.066	0.034	0.002	0.012	0.013	0.014	0.042	0.047	0.053	0.197
Commercial / All Other	0.208	0.327	0.209	0.091	0.177	0.130	0.084	0.206	0.365	0.524	0.256

Texas property owners should protest annually since Unequal appraisal allows protests based on neighbors having a better tax assessment.

Dollar Value Reduction from Hidalgo ARB Hearings

2024 formal hearings resulted in the second-most value cut for taxpayers in the history of the county. $543 million in value was lowered thanks to formal appeals. This was a large retreat from $576 million in 2023. Commercial properties were the main reason for this fall, as they nabbed $256 million in value reductions, compared to the 2023 total of $524 million. Single family homes were able to climb rapidly, going from $53 million in 2023 to $197 million in 2024.