How Much Are Property
Taxes in Katy, TX?

Katy homeowners don’t pay one property tax; they pay several at once, to Katy ISD, their county, and often a municipal utility district. For tax year 2025, Katy ISD’s rate was $1.1171 per $100 of assessed value, and total effective rates for Katy homes typically land around 1.65% on the Fort Bend County side and roughly 2.4% on the Harris County side before exemptions. Here’s how to read your bill and what it means when you’re buying.

Where Your Katy Property Tax Bill Comes From

Texas property taxes are local taxes. Every home in Katy pays a school district tax, a county tax, and, depending on the exact address, city and municipal utility district (MUD) taxes as well. Each district sets its own rate every year, expressed per $100 of assessed value.

That’s why two similar homes a few miles apart can carry noticeably different tax bills. The subdivision’s MUD, the county line, and whether the home sits inside Katy city limits all change the total, which is one more reason to compare Katy neighborhoods on more than the price tag.

Katy ISD’s Rate, in Plain Numbers

The school district is the largest single piece of most Katy tax bills. For tax year 2025, Katy ISD held its rate flat for a second consecutive year: $0.7271 per $100 for maintenance and operations plus $0.3900 per $100 for debt service, for a combined $1.1171 per $100 of assessed value. The district’s board approved the rate on September 22, 2025.

On a home assessed at $400,000, the Katy ISD portion alone works out to about $4,468 a year before any exemptions. The arithmetic is simple: $1.1171 multiplied by 4,000, the number of $100 units in $400,000.

Harris County vs. Fort Bend County

Katy spans two counties, and which side of the line a home sits on matters. On the Harris County side, the combined county rate, which includes the county, flood control, the hospital district, and the port, was roughly $0.62 per $100 for 2025, according to the Harris County Tax Office. Stack Katy ISD on top and you’re near $1.74 per $100 before any MUD or city tax.

On the Fort Bend County side, the county’s 2025 rate was about $0.42 per $100, and Fort Bend has no hospital district. Third-party analyses commonly cite effective total rates for Katy homes of around 1.65% on the Fort Bend side and around 2.4% on the Harris side, before exemptions. If a home sits inside Katy city limits, the City of Katy’s adopted 2025 rate of $0.425 per $100 is added on top.

The Homestead Exemption Lowers the Real Bill

The rates above apply to assessed value, and most homeowners don’t pay on the full amount. Texas offers a school district homestead exemption of $140,000 for homeowners who live in their home, plus additional exemptions for homeowners 65 and older or with disabilities. On that same $400,000 home with a $140,000 exemption, the taxable value drops to $260,000, and the Katy ISD portion falls to about $2,904 a year.

Because the exemption is subtracted before the rate is applied, it meaningfully lowers the effective rate on owner-occupied homes. Investors and second-home buyers don’t get the homestead exemption, which is one reason the tax math looks different for rentals.

What This Means for Buyers

Property taxes are a monthly cost, not a one-time closing cost. Most buyers pay them through an escrow account held by their lender, so the tax bill shows up inside the mortgage payment. When you compare two Katy homes, ask for the actual tax history of each property and the current rate for its exact taxing districts; the difference can be several hundred dollars a month.

Katy remains a strong market for families and long-term owners, as my current Katy market snapshot shows, and the tax picture is part of the honest math of owning here. It’s also why I walk every buyer through the full cost of a home, not just the price.

Get the Exact Number for a Specific Home

Every address has its own combination of taxing districts, and the rates change each year. The most reliable way to get your number is to look at the specific property’s most recent tax statement and confirm the current rates with the county appraisal district. I also pull this information for buyers before they make an offer, so there are no surprises at the closing table.