Maverick County Appraised Value Tax Base Doubles in 10 Years, But Local Economy Tells a Different Story

By Jose G. Landa, Copyright 2026 Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc.

Maverick County’s taxable property value has more than doubled during the past decade, raising questions about whether the rapid growth accurately reflects the economic reality experienced by local families.

County tax records and reports from the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts show that Maverick County’s taxable property base increased from approximately $2.39 billion in 2015 to more than $5.06 billion in 2025.

That represents an increase of nearly 112 percent in only 10 years.

The countywide taxable value increased every year during that period. Annual increases remained between approximately 2.7 percent and 5.7 percent from 2016 through 2021 before accelerating dramatically.

Taxable value increased approximately 19.5 percent in 2022, followed by increases of nearly 12 percent in 2023, more than 13 percent in 2024 and almost 9 percent in 2025.

The Maverick County Appraisal District advised property owners in 2022 that some property values would increase by as much as 25 percent because of rising market prices. Texas law requires appraisal districts to value taxable property according to market conditions.

However, the dramatic growth in property valuations has not been matched by equally strong employment conditions for Maverick County residents.

Annual data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show that Maverick County continues experiencing an unemployment rate substantially higher than the statewide average.

The county’s annual unemployment rate was 10.7 percent in 2015 and increased to 11.1 percent in 2016. It gradually declined to 7.6 percent in 2019 before climbing to 15.3 percent during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Unemployment remained at 12.4 percent in 2021 before declining to 8 percent in 2022 and 7.5 percent in 2023. The rate then increased to 7.9 percent in 2024 and 9.4 percent in 2025.

Texas recorded an unemployment rate of approximately 4.1 percent in 2025. Maverick County’s unemployment rate was therefore more than twice the state rate.

The contrast raises an important question for taxpayers. How can Maverick County’s taxable property wealth more than double while local unemployment remains substantially higher than the Texas average?

An increase in a home’s appraised value does not mean the homeowner received additional income. A family’s property value can rise while household wages remain unchanged, living expenses increase or a household member loses employment.

Property wealth on paper is not the same as money available to pay taxes.

New construction and business development have contributed to the expanding tax base, but they do not appear to explain most of the increase.

Maverick County reported approximately $41 million in new improvements and new personal property during 2024, while the countywide taxable base increased by approximately $439 million.

New property therefore represented less than 10 percent of that year’s increase.

Most of the growth came from higher taxable valuations placed on property that already existed, including residential, commercial, industrial, mineral and utility property.

This distinction is important.

The county’s tax base did not more than double simply because twice as many homes, businesses or major developments were constructed.

Much of the increase resulted from existing property being placed at higher taxable values.

A growing taxable base allows local taxing entities to collect additional revenue even when they reduce their tax rates.

The actual amount collected depends on the adopted rate, exemptions, collection levels and other adjustments.

Maverick County is now proposing a tax rate of $0.366060 per $100 of taxable value for the 2026–2027 fiscal year. That is lower than the current rate of $0.378313.
Despite the lower proposed rate, the county estimates that the tax bill on a median-valued homestead will increase from $607.59 to $637.73.
The median homeowner would pay approximately $30.14 more, representing an increase of nearly 5 percent.

If commissioners adopted the no-new-revenue rate of $0.356531, the estimated bill would be $621.13. That amount would still be higher than the previous year because of increasing property values, but it would be $16.60 less than the bill produced by the county’s proposed rate.

The Maverick County Appraisal District determines property values independently from Commissioners Court. County commissioners do not decide how much an individual home or business is worth.
Commissioners do, however, decide what county tax rate will be applied to those values.
The numbers do not establish that the property valuations are incorrect. They demonstrate the need for greater public examination of how those values are determined, how much of the growth comes from existing properties and whether local tax rates are being reduced enough to protect residents.

A complete examination should also compare the growth in property values with changes in household income, poverty, population and job creation. Those measurements would help determine whether the community’s economic resources have grown anywhere close to the increase in taxable value.

If Maverick County’s taxable property base has increased by nearly 112 percent while unemployment remains more than twice the state average, taxpayers deserve to know where the additional revenue has gone and whether public services and infrastructure have improved proportionately.

More importantly, local leaders must consider whether residents whose financial conditions have not kept pace with rising appraisals are receiving meaningful tax relief or simply being asked to pay more under a lower advertised rate.