Agricultural Valuation
Farm and Ranch Land Can Be Taxed on Productivity, Not Market Value
If you own agricultural land in San Patricio County, you may be able to have it appraised on what it can produce — not what it might sell for.
Texas law allows qualifying farm, ranch, and timberland to be taxed on its productivity value instead of its market value. Productivity value is based on how much the land can earn from agriculture — crops, livestock, or other ag uses. That number is usually much lower than what someone might pay to buy the land.
To qualify, the land must have been used for agriculture for five of the past seven years. You apply at the San Patricio County Appraisal District using state form 50-129. If you stop using the land for agriculture, you may owe back taxes called a rollback tax. The Texas Comptroller's site explains the rules in plain terms.
Source to confirm: Texas Comptroller — Agricultural Special Appraisal