Cameron Property Tax Values and Property Tax Protest Facts

Cameron County is quickly growing beyond its border roots and is set to become one of the most vibrant areas in Texas. Thanks to a diversifying economy that is embracing tech, a burgeoning population, and an ascendent middle class, Brownsville and its surrounding area are certainly something to watch. As home values continue to shoot to the moon, the people of Cameron County have begun embracing property tax appeals like never before. Join O’Connor’s Property Tax Protection Program™ today and get support from one of the largest protest specialist firms in the nation. No charge to join, and you only pay when your taxes are lowered. Enroll, relax, and save.

Total Market Value Cameron CountySource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.

	Billions of $
	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
$ Total Market Value	19.044	19.732	20.420	21.032	21.928	23.257	25.522	26.236	29.313	38.230	43.935
Single Family	9.979	10.265	10.552	10.841	11.455	11.811	12.224	13.035	14.713	21.901	24.262
Multi-family	0.638	0.674	0.709	0.733	0.760	0.806	1.051	1.055	1.161	1.260	1.647
Commercial	3.734	3.839	3.945	4.062	4.107	4.647	5.024	5.015	5.168	5.673	6.436
All Other	4.693	4.954	5.215	5.396	5.606	5.992	7.222	7.130	8.271	9.396	11.590

Texas property owners should protest annually As part of maintaining their property, like a HVAC checkup.

Cameron County Property Tax Trends

Established on the border with Mexico and built around Brownsville, Cameron County is an area on the come. Not only is it a mecca for international trade, but the county also plays host to tourism, industry, and even space travel. It is in many ways an area in flux and has seen major developments in just the past few years. This progress has led to increasing taxable value and taxes, however, and property tax appeals are quickly catching on. Join O’Connor for your tax appeal and get support from a Texas-based firm that has been fighting taxes for over 50 years.

Cameron County Total Market Value of Property

Between 2014 and 2023, the total property value of the county doubled. This is not unusual in Texas, as immigration and population movement from other states has pushed up the demand for properties across the board. The trick is to discover what is the result of natural growth and what is caused by overvaluation from the Cameron Appraisal District (Cameron CAD). This can be hard to spot in a growing community, but this gray area is the best place to utilize appeals.

The property type that has led to this meteoric rise is single family homes. As is typical in Texas, residential property took the bull by the horns, increasing every year. $21.90 billion in value came from homes in 2023, up from $14.71 billion in 2022. Industrial, utilities, and oil and gas were No. 2 with $9.40 billion, while commercial properties added $5.67 billion to the tally. Apartments rounded out the contributors with $1.26 billion in 2023.

Property Value Reduction By Type of Appeal Source: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.

	Billions of $
	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
Total	0.198	0.182	0.173	0.157	0.173	0.354	0.445	0.601	0.758	1.145	1.06
Informal Appeal	0.109	0.118	0.111	0.105	0.121	0.169	0.217	0.374	0.531	0.804	0.531
Formal ARB Determination	0.0370	0.0190	0.0280	0.0320	0.0400	0.1730	0.2170	0.2060	0.1950	0.2990	0.4300
Judicial Appeal	0.0530	0.0460	0.0330	0.0200	0.0120	0.0110	0.0110	0.0210	0.0320	0.0430	0.0980

Texas property owners should protest annually since Texas law requires property owners to protest to get information on their property and comparable sales in the area. This information is free and available upon request via U.S. mail (once you file a protest).

Cameron CAD Value Reduction by Type of Appeal

Appeals can be utilized in many ways to benefit communities and taxpayers. First, they keep Cameron CAD honest, as an educated populace rejects unfair values out of hand. They also keep values down for older people, working families, and locals that worry about being priced out of their homes or businesses due to economic changes. Many Texas communities have been transformed due to outside influences or funding, and this is usually thanks to rising property values.

$1.15 billion in taxable value was taken off the books in 2023, the most yet seen in Cameron County. This was mainly thanks to informal appeals, which have skyrocketed since 2020. $804 million in taxable value was cut informally in 2023, up from $531 million in 2022. Formal appeals have also been on an upswing, with $299 million being contested with the appraisal review board (ARB) in 2023, a new record. Though relatively small, judicial appeals have also grown every year, notching an impressive tally of $43 million.

Total Property Tax Savings All Protests and AppealsSource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.

	Millions of $
	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
All Property Types	4.16	3.82	3.63	3.30	3.63	7.43	9.34	12.62	15.92	24.05	22.23
Single Family	0.82	0.65	0.68	0.51	0.90	0.77	0.43	3.79	7.16	13.56	7.67
Commercial / All other	3.34	3.17	2.95	2.79	2.73	6.66	8.91	8.83	8.76	10.49	14.56

Texas property owners should protest annually since Because it is the surest way to reduce property taxes.

Total Cameron CAD Property Tax Savings by Property Type

While initial value reductions were impressive, the real tax savings were even more so. $24.05 million in taxes were refunded to the people of the county in 2023. This was a huge jump from $15.92 million in 2022 and completely blew away the 2021 result of $12.62 million. To see how effective appeals have become, when compared to 2014, taxpayers saw savings skyrocket over 478%.

Once again, single family homes are to thank. Since 2020, residential properties have seen an explosion of savings. This implies that homes are both increasing in value and seeing much more effort put into protests. From just $430,000 in 2020, single family homes flew to a 2023 total of $13.56 million in savings. Commercial property had been the No. 1 source of tax savings for decades but was finally surpassed by homes in 2023. There were also fantastic savings for businesses as well. In 2023, these also saw record tax refunds, totaling $10.49 million.