Mortgage broker serving all of Hays County
I am licensed throughout Texas, and Hays County is where most of my business comes from: Kyle, Buda, San Marcos, Dripping Springs, Driftwood, and Wimberley, 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.
Reviewed by Jennifer Ferrara, NMLS #2781982Last updated
Hays County
- County property tax rate
- 0.41%
- fiscal year 2027
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 adopted for the 2026 tax year, sourced from each city, school district, and the county’s own published rate notices and adoption announcements.
What changed for the 2026 tax year
Every Hays County taxing unit voted on its rate this fall. Here is how the 2026 rates compare with 2025, and what that did to the combined rate in each town.
- Lower
- Hays CISD, San Marcos CISD, Dripping Springs ISD, Wimberley ISD (slightly), City of Kyle, City of Dripping Springs
- Higher
- Hays County, City of Buda
- Unchanged
- City of San Marcos
Combined rate by town, 2026 and 2025
Combined means the county, the city (where there is one) and the school district, which is the rate on most of a Hays County tax bill. Special districts such as MUDs and PIDs are extra.
| Town | 2026 | 2025 | Change in points |
|---|---|---|---|
| KyleCounty 0.41% + City 0.55% + Hays CISD 1.14% | 2.10% | 2.15% | down 0.05 |
| BudaCounty 0.41% + City 0.39% + Hays CISD 1.14% | 1.94% | 1.91% | up 0.03 |
| San MarcosCounty 0.41% + City 0.65% + San Marcos CISD 0.89% | 1.95% | 2.07% | down 0.12 |
| Dripping SpringsCounty 0.41% + City 0.22% + Dripping Springs ISD 1.10% | 1.73% | 1.73% | no change |
| Driftwood (unincorporated)County 0.41% + Dripping Springs ISD 1.10% (no city property tax) | 1.51% | 1.51% | no change |
| WimberleyCounty 0.41% + Wimberley ISD 1.01% (no city property tax) | 1.42% | 1.41% | up 0.01 |
Rate by taxing unit
| Taxing unit | 2026 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hays County | 0.41% | 0.40% | up 0.01 |
| City of Kyle | 0.55% | 0.60% | down 0.05 |
| City of Buda | 0.39% | 0.36% | up 0.03 |
| City of San Marcos | 0.65% | 0.65% | no change |
| City of Dripping Springs | 0.22% | 0.23% | down 0.01 |
| Hays CISD | 1.14% | 1.15% | down 0.01 |
| San Marcos CISD | 0.89% | 1.02% | down 0.13 |
| Dripping Springs ISD | 1.10% | 1.11% | down 0.01 |
| Wimberley ISD | 1.01% | 1.01% | no change |
How to cite this table
Nook Lending, “Hays County property tax rates by city and school district, 2026 tax year,” nooklending.com/areas/hays-county, updated October 23, 2026. Free to use with a link.
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.
Sources
- Hays County adopts FY2027 budget and tax rate, $0.41 (My Neighborhood News, citing Hays County)
- City of Kyle fiscal year 2026 to 2027 budget and tax rate, $0.55 (CBS Austin)
- City of Buda budget and tax rate, $0.39 (City of Buda)
- City of San Marcos fiscal year 2026 to 2027 budget and tax rate, $0.65 (Community Impact)
- City of Dripping Springs fiscal year 2026 to 2027 budget and tax rate, $0.22 (Community Impact)
- Hays CISD 2026 tax rate resolution, $1.14, adopted September 28, 2026
- San Marcos CISD tax rates, 2026 to 2027 adopted, $0.89 (San Marcos CISD)
- Dripping Springs ISD approves 2026 tax rate, $1.10 (Dripping Springs ISD)
- Wimberley ISD budget and 2026 tax rate, $1.01 (Hays Free Press)
- Hays County 2025 tax rates and exemptions (Hays County)
- Hays Central Appraisal District
2026 rates are the rates each unit adopted in August and September 2026. The 2025 comparison uses the county’s 2025 rate table and each unit’s 2025 adoption. Rates are shown to two decimal places and kept to full precision in the data file.
Six towns, 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, TXMedian sale price about $292,000 (Redfin, three months to September 2026)
- Buda, TXMedian sale price about $390,000 (Redfin, three months to September 2026)
- San Marcos, TXMedian sale price about $300,000 (Redfin, three months to September 2026)
- Dripping Springs, TXMedian sale price about $480,000 (Redfin, three months to September 2026)
- Driftwood, TXMedian home value about $811,000 (Census ACS, 2020 to 2024)
- Wimberley, TXMedian sale price about $489,000 (Redfin, three months to September 2026), with a wide spread from cabins to acreage
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 is another down payment assistance option, funded in rounds, so I check current availability. 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 programAbout buying in Hays County
What is the property tax rate in Hays County, TX?
Hays County’s own rate is 0.41% of your home’s appraised value for fiscal year 2027. 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.
Which cities does Nook Lending serve in Hays County, TX?
Kyle, Buda, San Marcos, Dripping Springs, Driftwood, and Wimberley directly, and I am licensed to write a loan anywhere else in the county or the state if you land somewhere outside those six.
Do I need a different lender for unincorporated Hays County, like Driftwood, TX?
No. Being unincorporated changes your tax bill, not your financing. I work the same way and shop the same panel of wholesale lenders whether the property sits inside city limits or out in the county.
Is down payment assistance available in Hays County, TX?
Programs exist for qualifying buyers, and the details depend on income and the specific program. I will give you a straight answer on what you qualify for once I see your numbers, rather than a generic yes.
Worth a look next
- Loan ProgramsEvery program I work with, compared side by side.
- CalculatorsRun your own numbers before or after we talk.
- Mortgage GlossaryAny term in this process, defined in plain English.
- Getting Pre-ApprovedWhat you need before you can make a real offer.
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
Text or call and you reach me directly. I will tell you honestly what it can do and what it cannot, before anybody pulls your credit.