The Travis Central Appraisal District (TCAD) values every home and business in Austin, Pflugerville, Lakeway, Bee Cave, Manor, and the rest of Travis County. Most people know it as "TCAD," and most come looking for one of four things: a property record, this year's value, an exemption, or a protest.
TCAD Contact Information
| Contact |
Details |
| Office |
850 East Anderson Lane, Austin, TX 78752 |
| Mailing address |
P.O. Box 149012, Austin, TX 78714-9012 |
| Phone |
512-834-9317 |
| Exemption helpline |
512-873-1560 |
| Email |
csinfo@tcadcentral.org |
| Hours |
Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 7:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.; Tuesday, Thursday: 9:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. |
| Website |
traviscad.org |
Note the later 9:00 a.m. opening on Tuesdays and Thursdays before you drive over.
TCAD Property Search
Use TCAD property search to look up any property by owner name, street address, or property ID. A record shows the market and appraised value for the current and prior years, the exemptions on file, the taxing units, and the building and land details. For parcel boundaries and neighborhood views, TCAD also has maps.
TCAD only mails a Notice of Appraised Value when a value goes up by at least $1,000, so you may not get a notice in a year your value fell. Check your record online every spring either way.
What TCAD's 2026 Values Show
After several years of rising appraisals, TCAD cut most residential values for 2026:
| Measure (TCAD 2026 value release) |
Figure |
| Average market value change, single-family homes |
Down 1.8% |
| Median homestead market value |
$493,449 (2025: $519,677, down about 5%) |
| Median homestead taxable value |
$384,747 |
| Total market value of the county roll |
Up 5.48%, to about $482 billion |
| Notices mailed |
More than 427,000 |
Two takeaways for homeowners. First, the total roll rose while home values fell, so commercial property (healthcare, industrial, office) is carrying more of the county's growth. Second, a lower value isn't automatically a fair value. If your notice dropped less than similar homes nearby, or still sits above what your home would sell for, you can still protest.
Travis County Exemptions by Taxing Unit (2026)
| Taxing unit |
Homestead |
Over-65 |
Disabled |
| Travis County |
20% (min. $5,000) |
$145,269 |
$145,269 |
| Central Health (Travis County Healthcare District) |
20% (min. $5,000) |
$197,000 |
$197,000 |
| City of Austin |
20% (min. $5,000) |
$204,000 |
$204,000 |
| Austin Community College |
1% (min. $5,000) |
$75,000 + tax ceiling |
$75,000 + tax ceiling |
| Austin ISD |
$140,000 |
$85,000 + tax ceiling |
$75,000 + tax ceiling |
| Eanes ISD |
$140,000 |
$80,000 + tax ceiling |
$80,000 + tax ceiling |
| Manor ISD |
$140,000 |
$85,000 + tax ceiling |
$75,000 + tax ceiling |
| Pflugerville ISD |
$140,000 |
$69,100 + tax ceiling |
$60,000 + tax ceiling |
| Del Valle ISD |
$140,000 |
$60,000 + tax ceiling |
$60,000 + tax ceiling |
| Lake Travis ISD |
$140,000 |
$60,000 + tax ceiling |
$60,000 + tax ceiling |
| City of Bee Cave |
20% (min. $5,000) |
$65,000 |
$65,000 |
| City of Pflugerville |
None |
$50,000 |
$50,000 |
| City of Lakeway |
None |
$50,000 |
None |
Source: Travis Central Appraisal District 2026 exemption listing. Over-65 and disabled amounts are in addition to the homestead exemption. MUDs, ESDs, and other cities have their own amounts; your TCAD record shows the units that tax your property.
Apply for a homestead exemption online, by mail, or at the Anderson Lane office. Include a Texas driver's license or ID showing the property's address. TCAD acts on applications within 90 days. For eligibility, deadlines, and the over-65 and disabled rules in detail, see our Travis County homestead exemption guide.
A Sample 2026 Austin Tax Bill
TCAD sets values, but the Travis County Tax Office (512-854-9473) sends bills and collects payments. Here's what a homeowner pays at TCAD's 2026 median homestead market value of $493,449, living in Austin and Austin ISD, with only the general homestead exemptions:
| Taxing unit |
2026 rate per $100 |
Taxable value |
Tax |
| Austin ISD |
$0.918400 |
$353,449 |
$3,246 |
| City of Austin |
$0.579948 |
$394,759 |
$2,289 |
| Travis County |
$0.386210 |
$394,759 |
$1,525 |
| Central Health |
$0.132863 |
$394,759 |
$524 |
| Austin Community College |
$0.103643 |
$488,449 |
$506 |
| Total |
$2.121064 |
|
$8,091 |
Rates: Travis County Tax Office 2026 adopted rates. Austin ISD adopted its 2026 rate of $0.9184 on September 24, 2026. Homes whose taxable value is held down by the 10% homestead cap will owe less.
The City of Austin's rate rose about 10.7% for 2026, to $0.579948. See the Austin property tax rate breakdown for other cities and school districts.
Protesting With TCAD
- File by the deadline: May 15, or 30 days after your notice was mailed if that's later.
- Use the portal if you can. Your Portal is TCAD's fastest option. Log in with the owner ID and PIN from your notice to file, upload evidence, review TCAD's evidence, and accept or decline a settlement offer. You can also mail your protest to P.O. Box 149012 or drop it off on Anderson Lane.
- Informal meeting. After your protest and evidence are processed, you can meet with a TCAD appraiser.
- ARB hearing. If you don't settle, the Appraisal Review Board hears your case at the Anderson Lane office. Bring five sets of your evidence, or take part by affidavit, through an agent, or by a pre-scheduled phone hearing. If you don't appear in one of those ways, the protest is dismissed.
- Missed it? Send a letter to the ARB chairperson within four days of the hearing showing good cause to ask for a new one.
For a side-by-side of the two stages, read TCAD informal review vs. ARB hearing. For every date in the season, see the Travis County protest deadlines guide.
TCAD Calendar
| Date |
What happens |
| January 1 |
Property is valued as of this date |
| April 15 |
Business personal property rendition deadline |
| April |
Notices of Appraised Value are mailed (for increases of $1,000 or more) |
| April 30 |
Exemption application deadline |
| May 15 (or 30 days after your notice) |
Protest deadline, whichever is later |
| Late spring and summer |
Informal meetings and ARB hearings |
| October |
Tax bills are mailed by the Travis County Tax Office |
| January 31 |
Property taxes are due |
Want Us to Handle Your TCAD Protest?
Ballard Property Tax Protest reviews your TCAD value every year, files the protest through the portal, and represents you at the informal meeting and the ARB. There's no upfront cost, and you only pay if we lower your value.
Sign up in a few minutes or see how our Travis County property tax protest service works.
Sources
Rates and exemption amounts in this guide come from the sources above and were current when we checked them in October 2026. They're for general information only. Taxing units can change their rates and exemptions each year, and your tax bill and your TCAD property record are the official figures for your property.
