Galveston Property Tax Protests: by Value and Property Type
Galveston is one of the most protested counties in Texas because of the demand for each of the precious parcels of land. Leaning on formal appeals and lawsuits over informal protests, Galveston County property tax appeals keep bringing in record results every year. Disputing $39.2 billion in taxable value in 2023, over 33% of all property in the county is protested every year. Thanks to complex evidentiary requirements in formal appeals, it is often in the best interest of a taxpayer to join with an expert in taxes when it comes to protests. O’Connor is here to help. Join the Property Tax Protection Program™and get help from an elite firm based in Texas that understands how to navigate appeals in every county. There is no cost to join, and you will never see a hidden fee. Enroll, relax, and save.
Total Parcels and Total Protests Galveston CADSource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Thousands | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||
| Total Parcels | 180.95 | 188.46 | 189.23 | 191.05 | 192.92 | 194.67 | 196.83 | 197.01 | 197.84 | 200.30 | 205.68 | |
| Total Protests Filed | 9.49 | 17.89 | 33.47 | 38.99 | 34.06 | 37.65 | 51.65 | 60.24 | 59.76 | 71.74 | 61.92 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since Mass appraisal used by appraisal districts includes many errors based on limited resources. About 500 appraisers value all 20 million Texas tax parcels; about 40,000 per appraiser. Another 1,500 appraisers measure new construction.
Galveston County Property Tax Protests
While it may not have the new-age hype of counties like Collin or Denton, Galveston is still one of the true high-dollar counties in Texas. Much more than just the island itself, Galveston County has been at the core of Texan society since the founding of the state. With every precious parcel of land filled to the brim with value, it is little wonder that the taxpayers of Galveston County are willing to fight the Galveston County Central Appraisal District (GCAD) utilizing property tax protests.
Since Galveston relies so heavily on appraisal review board (ARB) hearings and lawsuits, launching a protest in the county can be a daunting task. Thankfully, O’Conner is here to help with more than 50 years of experience in such matters and is one of the nation’s largest property tax firms to boot. Based in Houston, O’Connor has the local talent and national resources needed to guide you to victory.
Total Parcels in GCAD
Parcels are a blanket term for units of land or real estate that can be categorized and taxed by various government entities, notably GCAD. While most counties continually add more to their roster, the limited size of Galveston County’s various islands has put a relatively tiny cap on what can be used. The 200,300 parcels in 2023 were the largest on record and finally saw the county break the 200,000 mark. 71,740 of these parcels were protested in 2023, another record.
Total Protests Galveston CountySource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Thousands | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||
| Total Protests | 9.49 | 17.89 | 33.47 | 38.99 | 34.06 | 37.65 | 51.65 | 60.24 | 59.76 | 71.74 | 61.92 | |
| Single Family Home Protests | 6.13 | 11.43 | 21.04 | 32.41 | 24.70 | 29.21 | 39.11 | 47.14 | 47.55 | 56.08 | 46.73 | |
| Commercial / Other Protests | 3.36 | 6.46 | 12.43 | 6.58 | 9.36 | 8.43 | 12.54 | 13.10 | 12.21 | 15.66 | 15.19 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since It is their right.
Total Protests
There were 71,740 protests held in 2023, as mentioned above, each representing a business or homeowners that were trying to pay only their fair share. This number has been on an upward trend for at least a decade. Due to their overall number, single family homes have always been the primary driver of protests, and this was certainly true in 2023, where residential properties contributed 56,060 protests to the total. While smaller in number, commercial protests contribute the most value when everything is put together. There were 15,660 protests.
Thanks to things like AIRBNBs, the line between home and business has blurred, especially in a place built around tourism like Galveston County. Other homes are vacation residences, ones that typically do not benefit from homestead exemptions. That means that protests are vital to controlling taxable value, as they are the only way to blunt skyrocketing rates. Of course, locals are left holding the bag in all of this and are forced to fight GCAD just to stay in their homes.
% of Parcels Protested Galveston CountySource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Percent | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||
| Percent Protested | 5.24% | 9.49% | 17.69% | 20.41% | 17.65% | 19.34% | 26.24% | 30.58% | 30.21% | 35.82% | 30.11% | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since About 60% of appeals are successful.
GCAD – Percentage of Parcels Protested
35.8% of all parcels were protested in 2023, making Galveston one of the top counties in the state when it comes to appeals. This puts Galveston in the same tier as Travis, Denton, and Fort Bend counties, a rare place indeed. This means that GCAD is constantly challenged, and that values cannot be simply thrown out without careful thought. This benefits taxpayers that do not protest as well, since tax bills tend to be more honest. When combined with the unheard-of use of judicial appeals, it is evident that Galveston is a unique county with no true peer.
Protests by Property Type Galveston CountySource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Thousands | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||
| Total Number | 9.49 | 17.89 | 33.47 | 38.99 | 34.06 | 37.65 | 51.65 | 60.24 | 59.76 | 71.74 | 61.92 | |
| Single Family | 6.13 | 11.43 | 21.04 | 32.41 | 24.70 | 29.21 | 39.11 | 47.14 | 47.55 | 56.08 | 46.73 | |
| Multi-Family Res | 0.04 | 0.07 | 0.13 | 0.70 | 0.60 | 0.70 | 0.24 | 0.27 | 1.08 | 1.18 | 0.41 | |
| Commercial | 0.47 | 0.88 | 1.71 | 2.80 | 2.54 | 2.58 | 5.12 | 5.64 | 4.34 | 4.67 | 4.47 | |
| All Other | 2.84 | 5.50 | 10.59 | 3.08 | 6.23 | 5.15 | 7.18 | 7.19 | 6.78 | 9.82 | 10.30 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since Correcting an error in the appraisal district’s description of your property can reap savings in future years.
Galveston County Protests by Property Type
Protests of all kinds keep moving upward, driven by ever-increasing taxes. Single family homes keep making more appearances every year, as locals, rental businesses, and second homes all continue to see surging prices. 56,081 residential properties were protested in 2023, a large increase over 2022’s 47,553. While most categories of real estate are launching record protests, it is single family homes that act as the bellwether and primary mover for the total.
When opened up into subtypes, the various kinds of business properties can be explored. Industrial, utility, and oil and gas properties combined for 9,820 protests in 2023, a big jump from 6,780 in 2022. Commercial properties added 4,667, while multi family housing contributed 1,176. While famous as a tourist spot, the county boasts a lot of industrial and commercial might, not to mention shipping.
Value of Property Protested by TypeSource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Billions of $ | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||
| Value Protested Total | 2.48 | 12.14 | 10.70 | 15.17 | 14.97 | 17.29 | 22.80 | 30.95 | 33.96 | 39.20 | 40.07 | |
| Single Family | 0.47 | 6.04 | 5.43 | 9.12 | 6.73 | 9.32 | 12.21 | 16.95 | 19.01 | 25.91 | 24.44 | |
| Multi-Family Res | 0 | 0.04 | 0.41 | 0.73 | 0.74 | 0.96 | 1.41 | 1.88 | 2.23 | 2.53 | 2.88 | |
| Commercial | 0.08 | 1.65 | 1.49 | 2.30 | 2.25 | 2.24 | 3.66 | 5.48 | 6.20 | 6.92 | 7.88 | |
| All Other | 1.92 | 4.41 | 3.37 | 3.02 | 5.24 | 4.77 | 5.52 | 6.64 | 6.52 | 3.84 | 4.86 | |
Galveston County Value of Property Protested by Type
It was not just the number of protests that increased but also the value of each appeal. In 2023, $39.2 billion in total value was contested. This was the best seen yet, even in an incredibly competitive county. $25.91 billion was from single family homes alone, again acting as the leader for the total. Commercial properties added $6.92 billion, while apartments added $2.53 billion. Oil and gas were a bit down but still managed to contest over $3.84 billion.