Property Tax in Katy TX: How Your Bill Is Built
Texas has no state property tax, so your Katy bill is built from local rates that add together. Knowing which taxing units apply to your home is the first step to estimating it.
Property tax in Katy TX is set locally, because Texas has no state property tax [1]. Local governments set the tax rates and collect the tax, and they use it to pay for local services [1]. Those services include schools, streets and other local needs [1].
In Katy, several local taxing units each set their own rate, so your bill is a combined total rather than one number [2]. Your home's assessed value is taxed at each rate, which means a change from one unit moves your bill even if the others stay the same.
This article walks through how the bill is built, from the city, school district and county rates to the homestead exemption, and shows where to check each figure. Use it as a map before you look up your own tax office.
What makes up your Katy property tax bill?
Your Katy property tax bill is the total of several local rates, each applied to your home's assessed value.
The City of Katy rate
The City of Katy rate for 2026 is $0.4250 per $100 of assessed value [2].
The Katy ISD rate
Katy ISD's 2026 rate is $1.1171 per $100 of assessed value, and it has been held flat for a second consecutive year [2]. A flat rate means the district set the same figure as the year before, so your school portion did not rise from that change.
The school rate is the larger of the two published rates, so it makes up most of the local amount.
The county rate
The county rate varies, so it is not included in either figure above. Add it to the city and school rates to get the combined rate for your property. Then apply that combined rate to your assessed value the same way.
Small rate changes add up quickly. That is why a one-cent change in a single rate matters more on a higher-value home.
How much can a homestead exemption lower it?
If your Katy home is your principal residence, you may qualify for a homestead exemption that lowers the value your tax is based on [3]. The City of Katy offers a 20% exemption with a minimum of $5,000 [3]. Eligibility depends on your own records, so the first step is to check that the home is your principal residence and that the owner details on file match yours.
What the minimum means
Take a home where 20% of the value comes to less than $5,000. The minimum still applies, so the smaller home gets a larger share of relief than the percentage alone would give [3].
How to apply
Apply through the official city and county tax offices, not through a calculator or a neighbor's experience. Work through these steps:
- Contact the City of Katy's tax information page to confirm the City's exemption terms [3].
- Contact the county tax office that covers your property. Katy spans more than one county, so use the office for the county where your home sits.
- Submit your application to the office that holds your property records, and keep a copy of what you filed.
Once the exemption is approved, your next bill should show a lower taxable value.
Why the offices decide
The city and county offices decide whether you qualify, not a rough estimate. Two homes on the same street can get different results if one owner has not filed or the records show a different primary residence. Treat the office's records as the final word on your exemption.
Does the county you live in change the bill?
Yes, the county changes who sends your bill and how you pay it. Katy addresses fall in Harris, Fort Bend and Waller counties, and each county has its own tax office. Your payment options depend on which office handles your property.
Fort Bend County
Fort Bend County's property tax page lists online payment options, including credit and debit cards and electronic checks. [4]
Card payments carry a convenience fee, so paying by card costs more than the tax itself. [4] Electronic check payments carry no convenience fee, so paying by e-check adds nothing to the tax. [4]
If your Katy address is in Fort Bend County, compare the two methods before you pay.
Harris County
Harris County accepts property tax payments by phone at 713-274-2273. [5] This line is useful if you prefer to pay without using the county's website.
Harris County also accepts credit cards, and you may use any combination of them for a payment. [5] If one card cannot cover the full amount, you can split the payment across two cards.
Waller County
Waller County runs its own tax office for the part of Katy that lies within its boundaries. If your address is there, your bill and payment options come from that office, not from Harris or Fort Bend.
Because each county sets its own process, a neighbor in another county may pay in a different way. Start with the office that sent your bill, and use its payment page for your exact options.
How can you estimate your own property tax?
A property tax calculator gives you a quick estimate of your own bill. It works from your location and assessed home value [6].
Enter your location and assessed value
Start by selecting the location that matches your home, then enter the assessed value from your appraisal notice. The calculator uses those two inputs to produce its estimate.
Use the value on your own notice, not the price you paid or a number from a listing. The calculator will return very different estimates for them, so the value you enter matters more than anything else in the tool.
Compare the estimate with the averages
Compare the estimate with the Texas and U.S. average shown in the same tool [6]. This tells you whether your figure is high, low or typical. If your estimate sits well above the Texas average, your home costs more to hold than most Texas homes, which matters when you compare two neighborhoods.
Run the same home twice, once with its current assessed value and once with a higher figure. The gap between the two results shows how much a reassessment could change your bill, so you get a range instead of a single number.
Treat the result as an estimate
A calculator result is a planning figure, not your official bill. It helps you judge whether a home fits your budget, but it does not replace the amount you will be sent. For the final amount and due date, contact the tax office for the county where your home is located.
Keep the estimate, the average and the county contact together in one note. When you compare a second home later, you can line up the numbers side by side and see which one stands out.
Where should you check your rate and due date?
Start with your county tax office. It confirms which jurisdiction your property falls in, along with the payment options and fees that apply [4][5]. Fort Bend County's site, for example, lists card convenience fees, while e-check payments carry none [4]. Harris County's payment page says you can pay with any combination of credit cards [5].
For your city rate and exemption, go to the City of Katy's tax information page. It explains the homestead exemption for a property that is your principal residence [3]. Read that page before you estimate what you owe.
For your school district, check the 2026 rate on its own published figures, since rates change from year to year [2]. Katy ISD's rate was held flat for a second consecutive year, so a small change in one year is normal [2].