How Travis County Appraises Your Home

TCAD and the Mass Appraisal Process

The Travis Central Appraisal District (TCAD) is responsible for appraising all real and personal property in Travis County for tax purposes. With over 440,000 property accounts covering Austin and surrounding communities, TCAD uses mass appraisal — statistical models that estimate values for groups of similar properties rather than appraising each home individually.

By Texas law, TCAD must appraise all property at market value as of January 1 each year. The district is independent from the taxing entities (school districts, the county, the City of Austin, and other jurisdictions) that set tax rates and collect taxes. TCAD only determines property values; it does not set your tax rate or collect your payment.

Data Sources TCAD Uses

TCAD builds its valuation models using several data sources:

• Sales data: Closed sales recorded with the county clerk and MLS data where available. Prior-year sales are the primary calibration point for the district's models.
• Building permits: New construction, additions, and renovations update property records. Permits help TCAD track changes to living area and improvement quality.
• Property inspections: TCAD appraisers conduct field inspections to verify property characteristics. Not every property is inspected every year, so some records may reflect older observations.
• TCAD bulk data: TCAD makes its property data available for download at traviscad.org. This bulk data includes appraised values, land values, improvement values, and neighborhood classifications for all accounts.

How Neighborhoods Are Grouped

TCAD groups properties into neighborhoods using a neighborhood field in its bulk data. Properties within the same neighborhood share similar characteristics: location, construction type, age, and general price range. The district applies valuation models at the neighborhood level, then adjusts for individual property differences.

This grouping means your value is derived in part from how comparable properties in your neighborhood are valued. If the model assigns a value that does not reflect your specific home's condition, features, or situation, the data may support a different value when compared to similar properties in your area.

A Note on TCAD's Bulk Data

One important characteristic of TCAD's publicly available bulk data is that it does not include square footage for residential properties. While the data contains appraised values, land values, improvement values, and neighborhood classifications, the living area of each home is not included in the bulk download.

This means that per-square-foot comparisons — one of the most common tools for evaluating whether a property is appraised equitably — require supplementing TCAD's bulk data with other sources. Square footage can be obtained from the district's individual property records online, from prior appraisals, or from other county data systems. When square footage is not available from a direct source, it is sometimes estimated from the ratio of improvement value to a per-square-foot benchmark, though such estimates are inherently less precise.

The Role of the ARB

The Appraisal Review Board (ARB) is an independent panel that hears property tax protests in Travis County. The ARB is separate from TCAD — its members do not work for the appraisal district. If you file a protest, you first attend an informal hearing with a TCAD appraiser. If you and the appraiser cannot agree on a value, your case goes to the ARB for a formal hearing where an independent panel reviews the evidence from both sides and sets the final value.

How to File a Protest with TCAD

You have three options for filing a protest with TCAD:

Online (Recommended)

File at traviscad.org/online-protest. You will need your property account number (found on your Notice of Appraised Value or by searching at traviscad.org). Online filing provides immediate confirmation.

By Mail

Mail a completed Form 50-132 to:

Travis Central Appraisal District
PO Box 149012
Austin, TX 78714

Mail early enough that it arrives by the deadline. Consider sending it certified mail for proof of delivery.

In Person

Deliver the form to TCAD's office at 850 E Anderson Ln, Austin, TX 78752 during business hours.

TCAD Contact Information

• Phone: (512) 834-9317
• Website: traviscad.org

Preparing Your Evidence

TCAD groups comparable properties by neighborhood, and this is a good starting point for your evidence. Look up properties in your neighborhood on TCAD's website and compare their appraised values to yours. Because TCAD's bulk data does not include square footage, you may need to look up individual property details to build per-square-foot comparisons.

You can also supplement with recent sales data from your area. TCAD appraisers are familiar with local sales and give weight to documented closed sales of comparable properties.

Whether you prepare the evidence yourself or use a document preparation service, the key is presenting clear, organized comparable data from reliable sources — preferably the district's own records.