Benchmark report
2026 Property Tax Appeal Benchmark
22 counties · Texas and Florida · refreshed June 2026
Texas counties
| County | Metro | % of owners filing | Informal settle rate | Median reduction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harris County | Houston | 27-32% | 55-65% | 8-14% |
| Dallas County | Dallas | 22-28% | 50-60% | 7-12% |
| Tarrant County | Fort Worth | 20-26% | 55-65% | 6-11% |
| Travis County | Austin | 30-36% | 60-70% | 10-18% |
| Williamson County | Austin | 28-34% | 60-70% | 9-15% |
| Collin County | Dallas | 26-32% | 55-65% | 8-13% |
| Denton County | Dallas | 26-32% | 55-65% | 9-14% |
| Fort Bend County | Houston | 25-31% | 55-65% | 8-13% |
| Montgomery County | Houston | 22-28% | 50-60% | 7-12% |
| Bexar County | San Antonio | 18-24% | 55-65% | 6-11% |
| Hays County | Austin | 25-31% | 55-65% | 9-15% |
| El Paso County | El Paso | 12-18% | 55-65% | 5-10% |
Florida counties
| County | Metro | % of owners filing | Informal settle rate | Median reduction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Dade County | Miami | 3-5% | 40-50% | 5-10% |
| Broward County | Fort Lauderdale | 3-5% | 40-50% | 5-10% |
| Palm Beach County | West Palm Beach | 3-5% | 40-50% | 5-9% |
| Hillsborough County | Tampa | 2-4% | 40-50% | 5-9% |
| Pinellas County | St. Petersburg | 2-4% | 40-50% | 5-9% |
| Orange County | Orlando | 2-4% | 40-50% | 5-9% |
| Duval County | Jacksonville | 2-4% | 40-50% | 4-8% |
| Lee County | Fort Myers | 3-5% | 40-50% | 5-10% |
| Brevard County | Melbourne | 2-4% | 40-50% | 4-8% |
| Sarasota County | Sarasota | 3-5% | 40-50% | 5-10% |
What the numbers say
- Texas filers see meaningfully larger reductions. The combination of no income tax, high effective property tax rates, and a well-developed informal-review process pushes Texas median reductions two to three times higher than Florida.
- Travis and Williamson lead on both filing rate and reduction size. Sharp 2024-2026 valuation corrections in the Austin metro produced the deepest comp-based reductions in the dataset.
- Florida's Save Our Homes cap masks the underlying gap. New buyers and recently re-noticed properties carry most of the appeal upside; long-held homestead parcels rarely benefit from filing.
- Informal settlement is the highest-leverage step. The gap between counties' median reductions correlates more with informal-stage culture than with formal board outcomes.
Methodology
Figures are model estimates derived from publicly available sources: the Texas Comptroller's biennial Property Value Study and county appraisal-district annual reports for Texas, and the Florida Department of Revenue's county tax-base disclosures and Value Adjustment Board annual reports for Florida. Ranges reflect the 2023-2025 reporting windows and are refreshed each season as certified rolls publish in July and August. All figures should be treated as directional benchmarks, not parcel-level guarantees.
Common questions
Where does this data come from?
Model estimates derived from public county notice-and-protest disclosures, Texas Comptroller Property Value Study reports, and Florida Department of Revenue county tax-base summaries, refreshed each appeal season. Ranges are intentional: county-level outcomes vary by neighborhood and submission quality.
Why are Texas protest shares so much higher than Florida?
Texas has no state income tax and relies heavily on property tax, which makes appeals economically meaningful for almost every owner. Florida's Save Our Homes 3% cap insulates long-held homesteads from large year-to-year jumps, lowering the incentive to file.
Does a higher informal-settlement rate mean a county is friendlier?
Not exactly. It means the district routinely offers reductions before the formal hearing. The median reduction column is the better measure of how much value an appeal actually returns.
Can I cite this report?
Yes. Attribute to trimmytaxes.com with a link back to /report/2026-appeal-benchmark. We keep the page updated and timestamp every refresh.
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Check my assessmentCite this report as: trimmytaxes.com, "2026 Property Tax Appeal Benchmark," updated June 2026. Glossary · How to appeal