Karnes County, Texas
7 local notes for Karnes County — practical, plain-English, and pointed at the official source to confirm. San Antonio / South Central.
Money & Taxes
Property Tax
Two Separate Offices Handle Your Property Tax in Karnes County
Karnes County splits property tax work between two offices: one sets your value, the other collects your bill.
Homestead Exemption
How to File a Homestead Exemption in Karnes County
Filing a homestead exemption can lower your property tax bill if the home is your main residence.
Home & Property
Mineral Rights
Karnes County Sits in the Heart of the Eagle Ford Shale
If you buy land in Karnes County, mineral rights may already be severed from surface rights — meaning someone else owns the oil and gas underground.
Water Wells
New Water Wells in Karnes County Need District Approval
Karnes County is part of the Evergreen Underground Water Conservation District, which regulates well drilling and groundwater use.
Outdoors
History & Culture
History
Karnes County Is Home to Panna Maria, Texas's First Polish Settlement
The small community of Panna Maria, founded in 1854, is documented as the first Polish colony in the United States.
History
Helena Was Once the County Seat — Then the Railroad Bypassed It
The original county seat of Karnes County was Helena, a town that declined after the railroad passed it by in 1886.