Hays County
Mortgage broker serving all of Hays County
I am licensed throughout Texas, and Hays County is where most of my files come from: Kyle, Buda, San Marcos, Dripping Springs, and Driftwood, incorporated or not. This page is the county-level view, tax rates by city and school district, and a jump to whichever city page you actually need.
Jennifer Ferrara
Loan Officer · NMLS #2781982
Fourteen years navigating real estate deals taught me to listen before I recommend anything. Tell me what you're working with, and let's talk it through.
Property taxes
Hays County tax rates by city and school district
Every property in Hays County is taxed by the county, a school district, and, if it sits inside city limits, that city too. These are the entity-level rates as most recently adopted or proposed, sourced from each city, school district, and the county's own published rate notices.
| City | City rate | School district | ISD rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kyle | 0.5957% | Hays CISD | 1.1546% |
| Buda | 0.3576% | Hays CISD | 1.1546% |
| San Marcos | 0.6515% | San Marcos CISD | 1.0152% |
| Dripping Springs | 0.2268% | Dripping Springs ISD | 1.0610% |
| Driftwood (unincorporated) | No city tax | Dripping Springs ISD | 1.0610% |
Every one of these entities re-adopts its rate on its own budget calendar, so the numbers above will move, usually once a year. Your actual bill also includes the county's emergency services and utility district rates that vary by exact address, on top of whichever rows above apply to your property. Confirm the current combined rate for a specific address with the Hays County Appraisal District before you rely on it for a purchase decision.
The cities
Five markets, one county
Each city page below has its own price band, local FAQs, and the loan programs that actually come up most in that market.
Kyle, TX
Most purchases here land between $250,000 and $500,000
Kyle sits about 20 miles south of Austin on I-35, and in 2021 the Texas Legislature made it official: this is the Pie Capital of Texas, a title anchored by the Texas Pie Company on West Center Street, whose giant slice-topped roof is hard to miss downtown. It is also where I do the most work, and it is the market I know in the most detail.
Read moreBuda, TX
Most purchases here land between $250,000 and $500,000
Buda sits about 15 miles south of Austin, and its walkable historic Main Street, anchored by Buda Mill & Grain Co., a converted 1914 grain mill now full of shops and restaurants, makes the downtown feel bigger than the town's size. Most of the new construction here is in Sunfield and Persimmon.
Read moreSan Marcos, TX
Most purchases here land between $250,000 and $500,000
San Marcos sits about 31 miles south of Austin, and it runs on two things: Texas State University and the San Marcos River. The river is spring-fed and famously clear, and floating it right through downtown is one of my favorite things to do in any of the six cities I work in.
Read moreDripping Springs, TX
Most purchases here start around $650,000 and run well past $950,000
Dripping Springs sits about 25 miles west of Austin and has trademarked its own nickname, the Wedding Capital of Texas, alongside a real distinction: the largest concentration of wineries, breweries, and distilleries anywhere in the state. Headwaters is the community I see the most files from out here.
Read moreDriftwood, TX
Most purchases here start around $650,000 and run well past $950,000
Driftwood sits about 24 miles southwest of Austin, and most people who have heard of it know it for one reason: the original Salt Lick BBQ, open since 1967, with Salt Lick Cellars winery right next door. La Ventana and the Driftwood Golf and Ranch Club are the two communities that come up most, both built around acreage and privacy rather than a typical subdivision layout.
Read more
Programs
Down payment assistance and grants in Hays County
Every city in Hays County qualifies for TSAHC's statewide programs (Home Sweet Texas, Homes for Texas Heroes, and the MCC tax credit) and for SETH's 5 Star Texas Advantage, a 5% grant that Travis County buyers cannot use but Hays County buyers can. BCL of Texas's NeighborhoodLIFT adds up to $7,500 in forgivable assistance across the whole county. San Marcos also runs its own city-funded Homebuyer Assistance Program on top of all of that. Income and program specifics vary, and I confirm what you actually qualify for before you count on any number.
See every Texas grant and down payment programQuestions people actually ask
About buying in Hays County
Hays County's own rate is 0.3999% of your home's appraised value for fiscal year 2026. That is only one piece of your bill though, you also owe whichever city and school district rates apply to your specific address, which is why the combined rate looks very different in Kyle than it does in unincorporated Driftwood.
Keep going
Worth a look next
Loan Programs
Every program I work with, compared side by side.
Read moreCalculators
Run your own numbers before or after we talk.
Read moreMortgage Glossary
Any term in this process, defined in plain English.
Read moreGetting Pre-Approved
What you need before you can make a real offer.
Read more
This is not a commitment to lend. All loans are subject to credit approval, income and property verification. Rates, terms, and programs are subject to change without notice. Nook Lending is powered by MPA Home Loans. Jennifer Ferrara, Loan Officer, NMLS #2781982. MPA Home Loans NMLS #2778343. Equal Housing Opportunity.
Tell me what you are trying to do
Send me the situation in your own words. I will tell you honestly what it can do and what it cannot, before anybody pulls your credit.