Bastrop County, Texas
14 local notes for Bastrop County — practical, plain-English, and pointed at the official source to confirm. Austin / Central Texas / Hill Country.
Money & Taxes
Property tax
Homestead Exemption Cuts Your School Tax Bill
If you own and live in your home in Bastrop County, you can apply for a homestead exemption that removes $140,000 from your school district taxable value.
Property tax
Two Offices Handle Your Property Tax — Know Which Does What
Bastrop Central Appraisal District sets your property value; the Bastrop County Tax Assessor-Collector sends your bill and collects payment.
Property tax / Agriculture
Agricultural Valuation Can Sharply Lower Your Land Tax
Land in Bastrop County actively used for farming, ranching, or wildlife management can be taxed on its agricultural production value rather than its market value.
Home & Property
Flood
Building Near the Colorado River Means a Floodplain Permit
Bastrop County requires a permit before you build in or near the 100-year floodplain, with stricter rules for structures inside the flood zone.
Water / Septic
Septic System Permit Required Outside City Sewer Service
Most rural land in Bastrop County has no public sewer. You need a licensed professional and a county permit before you can install a septic system.
Water / Wells
Lost Pines Groundwater Conservation District Regulates Wells
The Lost Pines Groundwater Conservation District, created by voters in 2002, issues water well permits and oversees groundwater use in Bastrop and Lee counties.
Wildfire
Wildfire Is a Real Risk in the Lost Pines Area
The 2011 Bastrop County Complex Fire burned for 55 days, destroyed over 1,600 homes, and scorched nearly all of Bastrop State Park — a reminder that homes in the Lost Pines area face significant wildfire exposure.
Cars & Driving
Outdoors
State park
Bastrop State Park: National Historic Landmark and Lost Pines
Bastrop State Park, about 32 miles east of Austin, protects the Lost Pines ecosystem and stone cabins built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s.
Fishing
Lake Bastrop: Warm-Water Bass and Catfish Near Town
Lake Bastrop is a 906-acre reservoir near Bastrop known for largemouth bass, with special size and gear restrictions because the LCRA uses it as a power plant cooling lake.
Rules & Licenses
Short-term rental
City of Bastrop Requires Registration for Short-Term Rentals
Since April 2025, the City of Bastrop requires all Airbnb- and VRBO-style rentals to register with the city and pay hotel occupancy tax.
Endangered species
The Houston Toad: Bastrop County Is a Core Stronghold
The federally endangered Houston toad lives mainly in Bastrop County's sandy soils and Lost Pines forest. Landowners should know what that means for their land.
History & Culture
History
The Man Behind the Name: Baron de Bastrop
Bastrop County is named for Felipe Enrique Neri — a Dutch man who called himself Baron de Bastrop and helped Stephen F. Austin secure land grants from Mexico.
History
CCC Craftsmen Built Bastrop State Park in the 1930s
Bastrop State Park's stone cabins, refectory, and trails were built by Civilian Conservation Corps workers starting in 1933. That work earned the park National Historic Landmark status in 1997.