Texas has significantly expanded property tax breaks for seniors and other homeowners through recent legislative cuts. Some 60% of Texas homeowners age 65 and up no longer pay school property taxes, part of a broader pattern affecting 2.4 million Texans. The Legislature boosted homestead exemptions, lowering school tax bills statewide.
Where
Statewide
When
Last year; current data as of October 2026
Sources
Reported by 2 outlets
Taxes and money
School property tax bills for general homesteads fell 13.6% to $896 statewide; for seniors fell 33% to $380; approximately 40% of Texas homeowners no longer pay property taxes.
Homestead exemption on school district taxes$140,0003Who pays or receives it: homeowners
Senior homestead exemption (school property taxes)$200,0003Who pays or receives it: homeowners age 65 and up
Statewide average school tax bill for general homesteads$8963Who pays or receives it: general homesteads
Statewide average school tax bill for seniors$3803Who pays or receives it: seniors
Who's involved
Jane LindsleyHays County homeowner, age 72
State Sen. Paul BettencourtHouston Republican who authored property tax cuts
Lt. Gov. Dan PatrickState official proposing additional tax relief
Gov. Greg AbbottState official proposing to eliminate school property taxes
Derrick WilsonChairman of Texas Young Republican Federation
Texas LegislaturePassed property tax cuts last year
The facts
Jane Lindsley's property taxes on her Hays County home shrank by more than 40%.123Stated by 3 sources
About 60% of Texas homeowners age 65 and up no longer pay school property taxes.3
Nearly 2.4 million Texans no longer pay school property taxes.3
The Legislature boosted homestead exemption on school district taxes last year.3
Statewide average school tax bill for general homesteads fell 13.6% to $896 last year.3
For seniors, school tax bills fell 33% to $380 last year.3
About 40% of Texas homeowners no longer pay property taxes.3
Who said what
These are statements and claims made by the people involved. They are reported, not verified.
State Sen. Paul Bettencourt People have paid a lifetime of taxes; when they finally pay zero and realize it's not a mistake, it's a great day for them.3
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick Wants to extend senior homestead exemption on school property taxes to people age 55 and up.3
Gov. Greg Abbott Proposed eliminating school property taxes for all homeowners.3
Derrick Wilson, Texas Young Republican Federation State's tax-cut hawks have focused enough on providing relief for older homeowners; younger folks have struggled to buy homes.3
How they headlined it
The same event, as each outlet put it. Marked words appear in only one outlet's headline.
Texas seniors are getting a huge property tax break. Everyone else is picking up the tab.
These outlets were found through Google News headlines. Google decides which outlets appear there, and they lean mostly one way, so this sheet can only be as balanced as the reporting it was built from. Leanings are AllSides Media Bias Ratings.
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