Property tax

Homestead Exemption Cuts Your School Tax Bill

Texas law requires school districts to subtract $140,000 from the appraised value of your primary home before calculating school taxes — but you must apply at the Calhoun County Appraisal District to claim it.

Calhoun County Money & Taxes

If you own and live in your home as your primary residence, you can file for the general residence homestead exemption. State law requires school districts to knock $140,000 off your appraised value before calculating school taxes. On a $250,000 home that means school taxes are figured on only $110,000. Other local taxing units may add their own optional exemptions on top.

You file Form 50-114 with the Calhoun County Appraisal District (Calhoun CAD), located at 426 W. Main St., Port Lavaca. The CAD also handles ag-use valuation, over-65, and disabled person exemptions. Check the CAD website or call before the filing deadline each year — deadlines are set by state law and can change.

Once you are approved, the exemption renews automatically as long as you still own and occupy the home. If you buy a new home in Texas, you must file again. The Texas Comptroller's site has the current Form 50-114 and explains every exemption category.

Source to confirm: Texas Comptroller — Property Tax Exemptions

More Calhoun County notes

Property tax

Ag Valuation Taxes Land on Productivity, Not Market Price

Landowners who use property for farming, ranching, or qualifying wildlife management can apply for 1-d-1 open-space appraisal, which bases taxes on what the land can produce rather than its market value.

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Coastal windstorm / TWIA

Coastal Properties Need Separate Windstorm Coverage

Calhoun County is one of the 14 first-tier coastal counties where standard homeowners policies typically exclude wind and hail, so most property owners need a separate TWIA policy.

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Public lands / Fishing / Hunting

Matagorda Island WMA: Fishing, Hunting, and Camping by Boat Only

Matagorda Island Wildlife Management Area, accessible only by boat from Port O'Connor, offers 56,688 acres of barrier island for fishing, hunting, camping, and wildlife watching with no motorized vehicles allowed.

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Flood / Hurricane

Storm Surge Is the Biggest Hurricane Threat Here

Calhoun County's low coastal elevation makes it highly vulnerable to storm surge — rapidly rising ocean water that can travel miles inland during a hurricane — so knowing your flood zone and evacuation route matters before a storm forms.

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