Ellis County Property Tax Guide for Homeowners and Sellers
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Last updated November 13, 2026. Figures come from the county and appraisal district sites linked below, the Texas Property Tax Code and the U.S. Census Bureau.
Property tax in Ellis County comes from several taxing units, and each one sets its own rate. Your county, city, school district and any special districts all appear on one bill. Texas property taxes are due by January 31 and turn delinquent in February. Unpaid tax stays attached to the house, so it gets settled when you sell.
Ellis County property tax at a glance
| Who sets the value | Ellis Appraisal District |
| Who sends the bill | Ellis County Tax Assessor-Collector. 302 N. Monroe St., Waxahachie, TX 75165. (972) 825-5150 |
| Due date | January 31 of the year after the tax year. For 2026 taxes, January 31, 2027 is a Sunday, so the last day without penalty is Monday, February 1, 2027 |
| First month late | February: 6% penalty plus 1% interest, 7% in total |
| After June 30 | The account can go to a delinquent tax attorney, who can add up to 20% (Sec. 33.07) |
| Protest deadline | May 15 or 30 days after the appraisal district delivers your notice, whichever is later |
| Median home value | $348,600 (Census Bureau, 2020-2024 estimates) |
| Median real estate taxes paid | $4,697 a year (Census Bureau, 2020-2024 estimates) |
How much is property tax in Ellis County?
Several governments tax the same house, and each sets its own rate. The appraisal district sets the value of your property, the taxing units set the rates, and the tax assessor-collector sends the bill. Counties and school districts tax nonexempt property in their area, and you may also pay a city and special districts such as water or road districts.
The Census Bureau's 2020-2024 estimates put the median home value in Ellis County at $348,600 and the median real estate tax paid by homeowners at $4,697 a year. Dividing one by the other gives about 1.3 percent, a rough yardstick from two medians and not a rate you will be billed.
About 76 percent of occupied homes in Ellis County are owner-occupied, and roughly 37 percent of those owners have no mortgage. Owners without a mortgage have no lender escrow account, so they pay the tax bill themselves.
About 31 percent of the housing was built in 2010 or later, and about 22 percent was built before 1980. Newer neighborhoods often sit inside special districts that add their own rate, while older homes may have been reappraised against a very different value than the one the last owner paid.
The larger cities in the county are Waxahachie (50,090), Midlothian (46,683), Ennis (25,694) (Census Bureau 2025 population estimates). Each city, and the school district serving it, adds its own rate to the county's.
Ellis County property tax calculators
Use these two to estimate your annual bill and the cost of paying late. Add the city, school and district rates from your own statement.
Estimates only. The bill estimate multiplies taxable value by the rates you enter. The late-payment estimate uses the penalty and interest percentages in Texas Property Tax Code Sec. 33.01 for February through July. In July the estimate also shows the largest collection penalty an attorney can add under Sec. 33.07.
When are Ellis County property taxes due?
Texas property taxes are due when the bill arrives and turn delinquent if they are not paid by January 31 of the following year, so taxes for 2026 are due by January 31, 2027 (Sec. 31.02). That date is a Sunday.
Under Property Tax Code Sec. 1.06, a deadline that falls on a weekend or holiday moves to the next business day, so the last day to pay without penalty is Monday, February 1, 2027. After that, penalty and interest build month by month.
| Month paid | Penalty | Interest | Total |
| February | 6% | 1% | 7% |
| March | 7% | 2% | 9% |
| April | 8% | 3% | 11% |
| May | 9% | 4% | 13% |
| June | 10% | 5% | 15% |
| July | 12% | 6% | 18% |
The penalty stops at 12 percent, and interest keeps rising 1 percent a month after that (Sec. 33.01). Not getting a bill does not change the due date, the penalty or the lien. The appraisal district sets values on January 1, mails notices of appraised value in the spring, certifies the roll in July, and the taxing units adopt their rates in late summer. Bills follow in the fall.
How do I look up or pay my Ellis County property tax bill?
The Ellis County Tax Assessor-Collector sends the bill, and Ellis Appraisal District sets the value. These are the main ways to look up or pay:
- Online: use the payment and account search page. Card payments often carry a convenience fee, so check the fee before you pay.
- Look up your account and value: Ellis Appraisal District property search.
- In person or by mail: Ellis County Tax Assessor-Collector, 302 N. Monroe St., Waxahachie, TX 75165. Phone (972) 825-5150.
- Check with your lender: if a mortgage servicer pays from escrow, ask for proof that it paid before the deadline. You are still the owner and the lien stays on the house until the tax is paid.
What happens if I don’t pay property taxes in Ellis County?
A tax lien attaches to the property every January 1 (Sec. 32.01). Whoever owns the property on that date is personally liable for that year’s tax, and selling the house does not end that liability (Sec. 32.07). Unpaid tax then picks up the penalty and interest shown above.
Real property accounts still unpaid on June 30 can be sent to a delinquent tax attorney, who can add a penalty of up to 20 percent of the taxes, penalty and interest owed (Sec. 33.07). If the account stays unpaid, the taxing units can sue to foreclose the lien and sell the property.
After a tax sale, Texas law gives the former owner a limited right to buy the property back, and the period is longer for a homestead (Sec. 34.21).
The tax assessor-collector cannot waive penalty or interest. Only the governing body of the taxing unit can, and only in the situations listed in Sec. 33.011, such as a bill the post office returned undelivered.
Can an exemption or protest lower my Ellis County bill?
Exemptions reduce taxable value. For school district taxes, a homeowner’s residence homestead exemption is $140,000, and homeowners 65 or older or disabled get an additional $60,000 (Sec. 11.13). Other taxing units set their own exemptions, so check what each one offers. You apply through Ellis Appraisal District, not the tax office. A late homestead application can be filed within two years after the delinquency date (Sec. 11.431).
To protest your appraised value, file by May 15 or 30 days after the appraisal district delivers your notice, whichever is later (Sec. 41.44). A late protest can still get a hearing if you show good cause before the appraisal review board approves the records.
Homeowners 65 or older, or disabled, can pay the current year’s homestead tax in four installments with no penalty or interest if they ask in writing before the tax is delinquent. The installments are paid before February 1, April 1, June 1 and August 1 (Sec. 31.031). Miss one and penalty and interest begin on that amount.
How to sell a house in Ellis County when you owe property taxes
You can sell a house in Ellis County with unpaid property taxes. Title companies generally want taxes cleared at closing, so the usual route is to pay what is owed out of your proceeds. That part describes how closings tend to work in our experience. It is not a county rule.
- Get the amount due. Call Ellis County Tax Assessor-Collector at (972) 825-5150, or use the property search, to get the amount due. Penalty and interest change each month after January 31, so ask for the figure for the month you expect to close.
- Check whether the account went to a delinquent tax attorney. After June 30 of the delinquency year, the added penalty of up to 20 percent can apply.
- Settle the current year in the contract. The owner on January 1 stays personally liable, so agree with the buyer who pays what, and have the title company show it on the settlement statement.
- Set the closing date ahead of the next deadline. For 2026 taxes, that is February 1, 2027, because January 31 falls on a Sunday.
A cash sale helps when a deadline is close. There is no lender approval to wait for, and you pick the closing date. Read about how we buy houses across Texas.
Behind on Ellis County property taxes and thinking about selling? Call (424) 435-2326 or request a cash offer. There is no cost and no obligation.
Ellis County property tax FAQ
What is the Ellis County property tax rate?
We could not confirm an adopted Ellis County rate from an official source for this guide, so we do not state one. Your bill combines the county, city, school district and any special districts. The rates are on your tax statement and with Ellis Appraisal District.
When are Ellis County property taxes due?
January 31 of the year after the tax year. Taxes for 2026 are due by January 31, 2027. That date is a Sunday, so the last day without penalty is Monday, February 1, 2027 (Sec. 1.06). Confirm payment cutoffs and postmark rules with the tax office.
What happens if I do not pay Ellis County property taxes on time?
Penalty and interest start in February, at 7 percent in total, and reach 18 percent by July (Sec. 33.01). After June 30 an attorney can add up to 20 percent more (Sec. 33.07). The lien on the property stays until the tax is paid.
Can I sell a house in Ellis County with unpaid property taxes?
Yes. Get the amount due from the tax office and give it to the title company, and the taxes are paid from your proceeds at closing. If the account went to a delinquent tax attorney, ask for the total that includes the additional penalty first.
Can I pay Ellis County property taxes in installments?
Partial payments are accepted, but any balance left after the deadline starts to accrue penalty and interest. Homeowners 65 or older, or disabled, can ask in writing to pay the homestead tax in four installments without penalty or interest (Sec. 31.031).
Sources
- Ellis Appraisal District
- Ellis County: pay or search taxes
- Ellis Appraisal District property search
- Texas Property Tax Code, Chapter 31 (billing and payment)
- Texas Property Tax Code, Chapter 32 (tax liens)
- Texas Property Tax Code, Chapter 33 (delinquent taxes)
- Texas Property Tax Code, Chapter 34 (tax sales)
- Texas Property Tax Code, Chapter 41 (protests)
- Texas Property Tax Code, Chapter 11 (exemptions)
- Texas Comptroller: Property Tax Bills
- U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates
This guide is general information, not tax or legal advice. Rates, fees and dates change, so confirm amounts with the Ellis County Tax Assessor-Collector and Ellis Appraisal District. Where we describe how closings usually work, that comes from our own experience and not from an official source.