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.

Taylor County History & Culture

Three private universities sit inside Abilene. Hardin-Simmons University is Baptist and opened in 1891. Abilene Christian University is Churches of Christ and opened in 1906. McMurry University is United Methodist and opened in 1923.

Most cities this size have one college, maybe none. Abilene has three. That is rare.

The schools bring real benefits to people who move here. Think arts events, sports, and a younger mix of residents. Libraries on campus are often open to the public.

The schools also create jobs. Abilene Christian University runs a health sciences campus, which adds medical jobs to the area.

If you look at a home near one of the campuses, expect more students nearby and more rental housing on the street.

Source to confirm: Handbook of Texas — Abilene, TX

More Taylor County notes

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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