What Changed in FY2027

The city estimates the average homeowner with a homestead exemption will pay about $2.95 more per month in city property taxes. City leaders cited three converging pressures behind the decision: rising operational costs, declining assessed property values across Bexar County, and state-imposed revenue caps that restrict how much a city can collect without voter approval. San Antonio tapped unused taxing capacity from the prior two fiscal years.

The FY2027 budget pairs the rate hike with $156.4 million in property tax exemption relief. The city’s homestead exemption of $5,000 or 20% of taxable value, the over-65 exemption of $85,000, and the disabled exemption of $85,000 all remain in place. The state’s $140,000 homestead exemption and $60,000 over-65 exemption apply separately to the school district portion of the bill.

Why the Rate Rose While Bills May Not

The city rate climbed from 54.159 to 56.288 cents per $100 of taxable value, yet most homeowners will not see a proportional jump on their tax bill. Two counterweights absorb the increase: homestead exemptions and softening property values across Bexar County.

Texas’s $140,000 state homestead exemption applies to the school district portion of your tax bill. San Antonio layers its own city exemption on top, set at 20 percent of appraised value with a $5,000 minimum, which reduces the city portion. Homeowners 65 and older qualify for an additional $85,000 city exemption plus a $60,000 state exemption on school taxes. Disabled homeowners get their own $85,000 city exemption. Across the city, these combined exemptions delivered $156.4 million in property tax relief for FY2027.

Bexar County Appraisal District has flagged continued softening in local property values, so many homes carry a lower appraised value heading into the next tax year. A lower appraised value multiplied by a slightly higher rate can still produce a flat or reduced bill. The increase itself grew out of rising costs, declining property values, and state-imposed revenue caps that left the city drawing on unused taxing capacity from prior years.

The City’s Estimate: $2.95 More Per Month

The $2.95 covers only the City of San Antonio’s portion of the tax bill. School districts, Bexar County, hospital districts, and other special taxing entities each set their own rates on separate timelines. When all of those jurisdictions are rolled together, the city line is typically one of the smaller shares of the total bill. The estimate also assumes an average homestead taxable value. Properties appraised well above that average see a proportionally larger dollar increase on the city line alone. Properties below it see less. None of those other entities are bound by the city’s rate decision.

Buyers shopping in San Antonio should treat the $2.95 monthly estimate as useful context rather than as a tax projection for a specific property, because the combined rate across all jurisdictions is what determines what you actually pay each month through your escrow account. Pull the full tax rate sheet for any address you evaluate. Homestead exemptions, over-65 freezes, and disabled Veteran exemptions all shift the final number. Your lender estimates total obligation during underwriting, but verifying those numbers against the current rate sheet for your address prevents surprises after closing.

Where the City Rate Fits on Your Tax Bill

The city’s 56.288 cents per $100 of taxable value is one line item on a San Antonio property tax bill. Bexar County, your school district, and several special districts each set their own rate on the same property value, and those rates stack. The city’s rate appears as a single line on your annual statement from the county tax office.

The Bexar County tax office collects a single combined bill each year, rolling every taxing entity into one payment. When you open that statement, the city sits alongside the school district, the county, and other local entities that each set their own rate. Each entity adopts its rate on its own schedule. A city rate bump of a few cents does not move the total by the same margin because the other entities may hold flat, rise, or decline in the same tax year. The interplay among all of those rates shapes the final number you owe.

Pull your most recent property tax statement and look at each entity’s line. The city is one of several, and the combined rate across all of them determines your annual payment. The state’s $140,000 homestead exemption reduces the school district portion of your bill. The city’s own homestead exemption of $5,000 or 20% reduces the city portion. The $85,000 city exemption for homeowners over 65 or homeowners with disabilities provides additional relief on the city line. That full breakdown by entity is the clearest way to see which rate moved your bill and by how much.

Exemptions That Reduce Your City Tax Bill

San Antonio offers several city-level exemptions that shrink the taxable value on the city portion of your bill. The general homestead exemption removes 20 percent of your appraised value from city taxation, with a $5,000 floor. That applies to any homeowner whose property is their primary residence. The state’s $140,000 homestead exemption covers the school district portion of the bill separately. Between state and city exemptions, a typical owner-occupied home sees its taxable base reduced across multiple billing lines.

Senior and disabled homeowners get deeper relief on the city line. The city exempts $85,000 of appraised value for residents 65 and older and a separate $85,000 for those with qualifying disabilities. The state adds its own $60,000 over-65 exemption on school taxes. Because these exemptions stack across taxing entities, a qualifying senior homeowner pulls substantial value off the tax rolls before any rate calculation begins. The FY2027 budget projects $156.4 million in total exemption relief across the city, reflecting how many residents already carry active filings.

Filing for a homestead exemption through the Bexar County Appraisal District is free. You do not need to wait for a notice before submitting your application online or by mail. The deadline to protest your appraised value is May 15 each year. If you believe BCAD overvalued your property, filing a protest is the single most direct way to lower every line on your tax bill, not just the city portion. An exemption reduces the base. A successful protest reduces the starting value itself.

How to Protest Your Property Appraisal

Every property owner in Bexar County can protest their appraised value with the Bexar County Appraisal District. Filing is free. The deadline is May 15, or within 30 days of receiving your appraisal notice. You do not need to wait for your notice to arrive before submitting. File online at www.bcadonline.org or by mail if postmarked by May 15. A successful protest lowers the appraised value that all taxing entities use, so even a small reduction compounds across every line of your bill.

The appraisal district manages roughly 797,000 properties across Bexar County. With continued softening in the local real estate market, your home’s current appraised value may sit well above what comparable properties in your neighborhood actually sold for over the past several months. That gap between the district’s number and real transaction prices is your protest’s foundation. Gather three to five recent closings near your property with similar square footage, lot size, age, and condition. Those comps carry more weight than any other form of evidence you can bring.

If your home has foundation cracks, roof damage, or deferred maintenance that a buyer would discount, bring photos and repair estimates to your hearing. The district considers physical condition alongside sales data when reviewing a protest. You are not required to hire a tax consultant or property tax agent. Many homeowners present their own evidence at the informal hearing stage and reach an agreement without going to the Appraisal Review Board. Even a partial reduction pays off, because lowering your appraised value by a few thousand dollars reduces what you owe to every taxing entity for the year.

The Bottom Line

San Antonio’s FY2027 city tax rate is 56.288 cents per $100 of taxable value, up from 54.159 cents. The city estimates the increase at $2.95 more per month for the average homeowner with a homestead exemption. That city line is one of several on a Bexar County tax bill, and your school district, the county, and special districts each add their own rate on top.

The two levers that shape your actual bill are exemptions and protests. The general homestead exemption alone removes 20 percent of your appraised value from the city’s tax calculation. If your appraisal does not reflect what your property would sell for, filing a protest with the Bexar Appraisal District is the direct way to bring your taxable value down.