Hale County, Texas
13 local notes for Hale County — practical, plain-English, and pointed at the official source to confirm. Panhandle / High Plains.
Money & Taxes
Property Tax Basics
Two offices handle property taxes in Hale County
Hale County splits property tax duties between two offices, which can confuse new property owners.
Homestead Exemption
A homestead exemption can lower your property tax bill
Texas law lets homeowners reduce what their home is taxed on if they live there as their main residence.
Agricultural Valuation
Farm and ranch land can be taxed on what it produces, not its market price
Texas allows working agricultural land to be appraised at its farming productivity value, which is usually much lower than market value.
Home & Property
Mineral Rights
Mineral rights and surface rights are often owned by different people in Hale County
Oil was discovered in Hale County in 1946, and mineral rights on many properties were severed from surface rights long ago — check before you buy.
Groundwater
Your well water in Hale County comes from the Ogallala Aquifer — a finite resource
Hale County sits over the Ogallala Aquifer, which supplies most irrigation and many private wells but is slowly declining.
Weather Hazards
Hale County sits in prime tornado and hail country
The South Plains around Plainview sees frequent severe thunderstorms, large hail, and occasional tornadoes, especially from March through June.
Flood Risk
Running Water Draw can flood — check FEMA maps before buying near it
Running Water Draw passes through Hale County and its floodplain is mapped by FEMA — property near it may require flood insurance.
Outdoors
Rules & Licenses
History & Culture
County History
Hale County was carved from open range in 1876 and organized in 1888
The county is named for a soldier who died at San Jacinto, and its seat Plainview was named for the vast treeless landscape its founders saw.
Archaeology
A 9,000-year-old spear point found near Plainview changed American archaeology
In 1941, workers near Plainview found ancient bison bones and a uniquely shaped spear point that showed people lived here thousands of years ago.
Agriculture & Economy
Cotton and irrigated farming built Hale County's economy
Hale County became one of Texas's leading farming counties, built on cotton, grain sorghum, wheat, corn, and Ogallala-fed irrigation.
Education & Culture
Wayland Baptist University has anchored Plainview since 1909
Wayland Baptist University is a four-year private university in Plainview that has shaped the town's identity for over a century.