39% of El Paso County homeowners owe no school property taxes this year

Nearly 72,000 homeowners in El Paso County — about 39% of all properties with homestead exemptions — will pay no school property taxes this year, according to El Paso Matters analysis of Central Appraisal District data.

The figure reflects an ongoing expansion of tax exemptions approved by Texas voters in November 2025. In 2024, just over 42,000 county homeowners, or 23% of those with homestead exemptions, paid no school taxes. The number jumped to more than 77,000 — about 42% — in 2025, and is projected to decline slightly this year but remain well above 2024 levels.

The Texas Legislature unanimously approved constitutional amendments in 2025 that increased the homestead exemption for school property taxes to $140,000 from $100,000, and raised the exemption for people with disabilities and those age 65 and older to $60,000, up from $10,000. Any home with a taxable value under $140,000 now owes no school property tax. Those with the additional over-65 or disability exemption pay no school taxes if the home's taxable value falls below $200,000.

The changes were designed to address voter anger over rising property tax bills following the COVID-19 pandemic housing boom. El Paso residents have been hit particularly hard, with the median home sale price in the county at $280,000 in June, below the state median of $342,900, according to the Texas Real Estate Research Center at Texas A&M University.

The exemptions have created disparities across school districts. Ysleta ISD, with an average home market value of about $211,000, has more homes paying no school taxes than El Paso ISD (average $280,000) or Socorro ISD (average $254,000). Ysleta offers an additional exemption not available elsewhere in the county: homeowners without disabilities or over 65 pay no school taxes on homes with a taxable value of $175,000 or less.

While the exemptions have provided relief to homeowners facing inflation and rising utility bills, they have strained school district finances. The shifts in tax burden fall primarily on commercial, industrial, and rental properties. Socorro and Ysleta ISDs will ask voters to approve property tax increases in the November general election, according to El Paso Matters.