78550 Property Tax Rate
Harlingen, Texas · Part of Cameron County
Effective Tax Rate
1.52%
41.7% below state avgMedian Annual Tax
$1,826
$152/mo escrow
Estimate Your Tax
Annual Tax
$1,826
Monthly
$152
Eff. Rate
1.52%
Buyer decision brief
What ZIP 78550 means for your housing budget
Use this ZIP page to compare recurring tax burden before you compare listing prices. The numbers below are Census ZCTA estimates, so they are strongest for neighborhood comparison and weakest for parcel-specific tax planning.
Monthly escrow signal
$152/mo
Based on median annual tax paid
State context
0.16 percentage points above the Texas average
Texas average: 1.35%
Data confidence
High confidenceThe Census margin of error is $173, about 9% of the median tax estimate.
Verify before you offer
- Confirm parcel assessed value with Cameron County assessor.
- Check homestead, senior, veteran, and disability exemptions.
- Ask whether purchase triggers reassessment or value-cap reset.
- Review school district and special assessment boundaries.
Lower-rate similar ZIPs
This is informational content, not tax, legal, or mortgage advice. Local assessor records remain the source of truth for a specific property.
Data confidence ledger
Can you trust ZIP 78550 for comparison?
ACS vintage
2019-2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
Five-year Census ZCTA estimates.
ZCTA caveat
Census area, not parcel boundary
USPS ZIP routes and taxing districts can differ inside the same area.
Field completeness
3/3 required fields
Median tax, home value, and derived rate are present.
MOE status
Strong ACS confidence
$173 tax MOE, 9% of the median tax estimate.
Last site refresh
March 10, 2026
Dataset and page-quality audit run locally before publication.
County fallback
County advisory available
Cameron County is used for assessor verification and broader context.
Tax bill anatomy
What can change your actual bill in ZIP 78550
Use the ZIP estimate to compare neighborhoods, then verify these parcel-level inputs before relying on a payment estimate.
Assessed value
The ZCTA median home value is $120,500, but your bill starts with the local assessed value for a specific parcel.
Effective rate
The displayed rate is 1.52%, derived from median tax paid divided by median home value.
Exemptions
Homestead, senior, veteran, disability, and local exemptions can reduce taxable value. Confirm eligibility before estimating escrow.
Reassessment
A purchase can change assessed value depending on Texas and county rules. Ask how sale price affects the next assessment cycle.
Escrow impact
The median tax paid in this ZCTA equals about $152 per month before insurance, HOA dues, or special assessments.
Assessor verification
Cameron County assessor or tax collector records are the source of truth for parcel taxes, appeal windows, and exemptions.
How ZIP 78550 Compares
Median Annual Property Tax
ZIP 78550
1.52%
Effective rate
Texas Avg
1.35%
Effective rate
National Avg
1.10%
Effective rate
State Ranking
Property Tax Rank in Texas
Higher than 65% of ZIP codes in Texas(65th percentile, 1,654 ZIPs compared)
Property Tax Analysis
Property Tax Insights for ZIP 78550
Property owners in ZIP code 78550 (Harlingen, Texas) pay a median of $1,826/year in property taxes on homes valued at $120,500. This translates to an effective tax rate of 1.52%, which is 12% above the Texas state average of 1.35%.
The monthly property tax burden for a median-valued home in 78550 is approximately $152, which factors into escrow payments on mortgages. This ZIP code is located within Cameron County. This is $1,305 less than the Texas average of $3,131/year.
Compared to similar ZIP codes in Texas, 78550 has lower property taxes. ZIP codes with similar effective rates include 79842 (1.51%) and 79370 (1.52%).
In Harlingen, property taxes represent approximately 3.5% of the median household income of $51,524, providing context for the relative tax burden on homeowners in this area.
Texas law limits homestead appraisal growth to 10% annually, but you must file your Homestead Exemption application with the Cameron County Appraisal District by April 30 of the year following your purchase to activate this cap. The exemption reduces your school tax burden by removing a portion of assessed value, saving most Cameron County homeowners $400–$700/year. Request your Notice of Appraised Value after closing and submit a protest to the Cameron CAD by May 15 if the valuation appears above fair market value.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the property tax rate in ZIP code 78550?
How much are property taxes in Harlingen, TX (78550)?
How does ZIP 78550 compare to the Texas average?
What is the median home value in ZIP 78550?
What county is ZIP code 78550 in?
Margin of Error
The median property tax estimate for this ZIP code has a margin of error of ±$173. ZCTA-level data has wider margins than county-level estimates due to smaller sample sizes.
County-Level Data
ZIP code 78550 is part of Cameron County, Texas. View the full county profile for broader context and more data.
View Cameron County on TaxByCounty →Explore Harlingen, TX
View all 2 ZIP codes in Harlingen with property tax comparisons.
View Harlingen Property Tax Rates →Why compare these ZIPs?
Better comparison set for ZIP 78550
Each ZIP highlights a homebuyer tradeoff: lower rate, stronger value context, shared county rules, city boundary changes, or nearby missing data.
78559
La Feria, TX
0.38 percentage points lower than ZIP 78550.
Rate
1.14%
Tax
$1,137
Quality
84
78583
Rio Hondo, TX
0.33 percentage points lower than ZIP 78550.
Rate
1.18%
Tax
$1,746
Quality
84
78593
Santa Rosa, TX
0.21 percentage points lower than ZIP 78550.
Rate
1.31%
Tax
$876
Quality
84
78597
South Padre Island, TX
0.17 percentage points lower than ZIP 78550.
Rate
1.34%
Tax
$6,841
Quality
78
78578
Port Isabel, TX
0.13 percentage points lower than ZIP 78550.
Rate
1.39%
Tax
$2,686
Quality
89
78586
San Benito, TX
0.01 percentage points lower than ZIP 78550.
Rate
1.50%
Tax
$1,249
Quality
89
75205
Dallas, TX
0.86 percentage points lower than ZIP 78550.
Rate
0.66%
Tax
$10,001
Quality
82
75225
Dallas, TX
0.84 percentage points lower than ZIP 78550.
Rate
0.67%
Tax
$10,001
Quality
82
Data from U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates (ZCTA level). ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census approximations of USPS ZIP codes.
Estimates are informational only and should not be used as financial or legal advice.