Deaf Smith County, Texas

6 local notes for Deaf Smith County — practical, plain-English, and pointed at the official source to confirm. Panhandle / High Plains.

Money & Taxes

Property Tax

Two offices handle your property taxes in Deaf Smith County

The appraisal district sets your property value and also handles tax collection in Deaf Smith County; the tax assessor-collector office does not collect property taxes here.

Ag Valuation

Agricultural land in Deaf Smith County can qualify for a lower tax value

Land used mainly for farming or ranching can be appraised at its agricultural use value instead of its market value, which usually results in a much lower tax bill.

Home & Property

Water & Wells

All water wells in Deaf Smith County tap the Ogallala Aquifer

The Ogallala Aquifer is the only major freshwater source under most of the county, and a state groundwater district controls who can drill and how much they can pump.

Outdoors

Hunting

Deaf Smith County offers pheasant, mule deer, pronghorn, and quail hunting

The county falls in the Panhandle hunting zones for pheasant, mule deer, and pronghorn — species not available in most of Texas — though almost all land here is private.

History & Culture

Local History

A WWII prisoner-of-war camp once stood just outside Hereford

During World War II, a large military camp near Hereford held about 5,000 Italian prisoners of war; a restored chapel and state historical marker are the main physical reminders today.

County Origins

Deaf Smith County was cattle country first; the railroad built Hereford

The county is named for a Texas Revolution scout, started as open-range ranch land, and only got its permanent county seat after the railroad arrived in the late 1890s.