Baylor County, Texas

6 local notes for Baylor County — practical, plain-English, and pointed at the official source to confirm. DFW / North Texas.

Money & Taxes

Property tax

How the homestead exemption cuts your Baylor County property tax bill

Texas lets homeowners who live in their primary home claim a homestead exemption. It lowers the taxable value of your home. Baylor County homeowners apply through the Baylor County Appraisal District in Seymour.

Agricultural valuation

Ag valuation in Baylor County: lower taxes, but a rollback if you change the land

Texas lets qualifying farm and ranch land be taxed on its agricultural productivity value, not market value. That is usually much lower. But if you change how the land is used, you owe a rollback tax covering the past three years.

Home & Property

Water / Groundwater

Drilling a well in Baylor County? You are tapping the Seymour Aquifer

The Seymour Aquifer is the main freshwater source under Baylor County. The Rolling Plains Groundwater Conservation District oversees well permits and water use in the county.

Outdoors

Fishing / Recreation

Lake Kemp: the 15,590-acre reservoir north of Seymour

Lake Kemp sits on the Big Wichita River in Baylor County and covers about 15,590 acres. It offers public fishing for striped bass, white bass, catfish, crappie, and largemouth bass, with multiple boat ramp access points.

Rules & Licenses

Emergency / Weather hazards

Severe weather in Baylor County: tornadoes, hail, and extreme heat

Baylor County is in an active tornado and severe thunderstorm corridor. It has had 29 recorded tornadoes since 1950, including an EF3 near Seymour in April 2025. Large hail and extreme summer heat are also real hazards.

History & Culture

History

How Baylor County and Seymour came to be

Baylor County was created in 1858 and organized in 1879, with Seymour as the county seat. Cattle, cotton, and wheat built the early economy, and oil arrived in 1924.