High property taxes remains key issue in gubernatorial race; Abbott promises 'largest property tax cut in Texas history'

High property tax rates have become an important issue in the state of Texas, in particular with the midterm election coming up on Nov. 8.

 Both candidates for governor, Republican incumbent Greg Abbott and Democratic challenger Beto O'Rourke, have promised action on this issue to lower the financial burden on Texas homeowners.

“Texas is sitting on a $27 Billion SURPLUS because of our record-setting revenue. We will use much of it to deliver the largest property tax cut in Texas history,” Abbott wrote in an Oct. 18 tweet.

TaxRates.org reports that Texas' median effective residential property tax rate in 2022 is 1.81%. This figure measures the percent of a home's market value that is collected by taxing authorities, meaning any tax exemptions on the property are factored into the rate.

According to the report, two states often compared to Texas, California and Florida, have lower effective property tax rates than the Lone Star State at 0.74% and 0.97% respectively.

About 64% of Texans live in the 12 most populous of Texas' 254 counties, World Population Review reports. These regions include the major metropolitan areas of Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, Ft. Worth, Houston and El Paso. Harris County, the most-populated county, has a population of over 4.8 million, which has grown more than 18% since 2010.

According to data from TaxRates.org, each of these 12 most-populated counties have property tax rates higher than the statewide average. Harris County is no exception, with its rate of 2.31% being 28% higher than the statewide figure.

In a September debate, Abbott and challenger O'Rourke both identified high property tax rates as an issue worthy of action. While Abbott promised to use state budget revenues to buy down property tax burdens for homeowners, O'Rourke pointed to increasing the tax burden on commercial properties, adding new revenue streams such as legal marijuana, and expanding Medicaid.

“Greg Abbott is blocking $10 billion a year of our own tax dollars from coming back to Texas,” O’Rourke wrote in an Oct. 12 tweet. “I will expand Medicaid so we help more people see a doctor, create 300,000 jobs a year, keep hospitals open and reduce our property taxes.”