Taylor County, Texas
25 local notes for Taylor County — practical, plain-English, and pointed at the official source to confirm. West Texas / Permian / Trans-Pecos.
See the Abilene place page ->Money & Taxes
Property Tax Basics
Two offices handle property taxes here
Taylor County has both an appraisal district and a tax assessor-collector, but the county tax office does not collect property taxes — the appraisal district handles collection for most taxing units.
Homestead Exemption
Homestead exemption cuts your school tax bill
Texas law requires every school district to exempt $140,000 of your home's value from taxation, but you must apply through the Taylor County Appraisal District to get the benefit.
Agricultural Valuation
Farm and ranch land can be taxed on productivity, not market value
Texas allows agricultural land to be appraised on what it can produce rather than what it could sell for, which usually means a much lower tax bill.
Tax Bill Breakdown
Multiple taxing units appear on your property tax bill
Your Taylor County property tax bill can include charges from up to 18 different taxing units — the county, a school district, and possibly a city or water district.
Home & Property
Mineral Rights
Buying land does not always mean you own the minerals beneath it
In Taylor County and across Texas, mineral rights can be separated from surface rights, so a landowner may not own the oil or gas under their property.
Septic Systems
You need a permit before installing a septic system in Taylor County
Any property outside city sewer service in Taylor County that needs a septic system must get a permit and approved plan before construction begins.
Water Wells
You can look up water well records before buying rural land
Texas keeps a public database of water well records; you can search wells by location before buying land to understand what neighbors have found and at what depth.
Flood Risk
Check the FEMA flood map before buying property near Elm Creek
Parts of Taylor County along Elm Creek and other drainages carry FEMA flood zone designations; look up any address on the FEMA map before you buy or build.
City Limits & ETJ
Land just outside Abilene city limits may still be in the city's ETJ
Abilene's ETJ (extraterritorial jurisdiction) is a buffer zone just outside the city. Land in that zone must follow Abilene's subdivision rules even though it sits in unincorporated Taylor County.
Cars & Driving
Vehicle Registration
Taylor County vehicles need no inspection — safety or emissions — at registration
As of January 1, 2025, Texas dropped the annual safety inspection for non-commercial vehicles. Taylor County is also not an emissions-testing county, so no inspection of any kind is needed at registration.
Moving to Texas
New Texas residents must register their vehicle within 30 days
If you move to Taylor County from another state, Texas law requires you to register your vehicle within 30 days of establishing residency and get a Texas driver license within 90 days.
Outdoors
State Park
Abilene State Park offers camping, fishing, and CCC history
Abilene State Park sits 16 miles southwest of Abilene and includes a no-wake lake, camping, horse trails, and Depression-era stone buildings built by the Civilian Conservation Corps.
Freshwater Fishing
Lake Abilene holds bass, crappie, and catfish
Lake Abilene is a 595-acre reservoir inside Abilene State Park where you can fish for largemouth bass, white crappie, and channel catfish.
Hunting
White-tailed deer and quail are both legal to hunt in Taylor County
Taylor County is open for white-tailed deer, quail, dove, turkey, javelina, and several other species under TPWD regulations that change each year.
Geography
Taylor County straddles two river watersheds
The Callahan Divide runs through Taylor County, separating land that drains north toward the Brazos River from land that drains south toward the Colorado River.
Climate & Weather
Taylor County has a semi-arid climate with hot summers and periodic drought
Taylor County averages about 23 inches of rain per year, with hot summers, occasional drought, and the potential for severe thunderstorms and hail in spring.
Rules & Licenses
Hunting License
Every hunter in Texas needs a license, no matter their age
Texas requires a hunting license for every person who hunts any animal or bird, with no age exemption, except for feral hogs on private land with landowner permission.
Oil & Gas Regulation
The Railroad Commission regulates oil and gas in Taylor County
Taylor County is in Railroad Commission of Texas District 7B. The local district office is in Abilene and handles drilling permits, well operations, and pipeline safety.
Fishing License
A Texas fishing license is required on most public waters
Any resident or nonresident who fishes public waters in Taylor County must have a valid Texas fishing license with the appropriate freshwater endorsement.
History & Culture
County Origins
Taylor County was named for three Alamo defenders
The Texas legislature created Taylor County in 1858 and named it for Edward, James, and George Taylor, three brothers who died at the Alamo in 1836.
City History
Abilene was born from a railroad auction in 1881
The City of Abilene was platted and auctioned in two days in March 1881 after the Texas and Pacific Railway bypassed the original county seat of Buffalo Gap.
Military History
Dyess Air Force Base has shaped Abilene's economy since 1956
Dyess Air Force Base was dedicated on April 15, 1956, and has been a major employer and economic anchor for Abilene and Taylor County ever since.
Education & Culture
Abilene has three private universities within the city
Abilene has three private universities — Hardin-Simmons, Abilene Christian, and McMurry — all inside the city, giving a city of roughly 130,000 an unusually strong college presence.
Historic Site
Buffalo Gap was the county's first seat and is now a historic village
Buffalo Gap, about 13 miles southwest of Abilene, was Taylor County's first county seat. It is now preserved as Buffalo Gap Historic Village.
Economic History
Taylor County's economy shifted from cattle to cotton to oil over a century
Taylor County started as open-range cattle country, transitioned to cotton farming by 1910, and added petroleum production after oil was discovered in 1929.