Buying a home in Cameron County, Texas
What to check before you buy in Brownsville, Harlingen & Cameron County: flood maps, windstorm insurance, property taxes and special districts, schools, and which records HouseDirt looks up for you here. Every figure on this page comes from a public record named under Sources.
Free report for any Cameron County address. No sign-up.
- Checks automated here
- 17 of 29
- Cameron County tax rate (2025)
- $0.4742
- MUDs taxing in the county
- 4
- Windstorm (TWIA) area
- Yes
Who keeps the records
- Appraisal district (value, exemptions, protests): www.cameroncad.org, 956-399-9322
- Tax assessor-collector (tax bills, unpaid taxes, tax certificates): www.cameroncountytx.gov, 956-544-0800
- Texas Comptroller county directory for Cameron County
Property taxes and special districts
A Texas home pays tax to several bodies at once: the county, usually a city, a school district and often special districts. Rates are per $100 of taxable value, as reported to the Texas Comptroller for 2025. Your bill depends on which of these overlap the lot, which a HouseDirt report works out for the exact address.
4 municipal utility districts (MUDs) and 10 water, utility, improvement and similar districts in all reported a 2025 tax rate in Cameron County. The median MUD rate was $0.28 and the highest $0.4385 per $100. A MUD or PID can add a large share to a tax bill; see how MUD and PID taxes work.
City tax rates (2025)
| City | Rate per $100 |
|---|---|
| City of Bay View | $0.25 |
| City of Brownsville | $0.6035 |
| City of Combes | $0.70 |
| City of Harlingen | $0.5261 |
| City of Indian Lake | $0.765 |
| City of La Feria | $0.735 |
| City of Laguna Vista | $0.4541 |
| City of Los Fresnos | $0.685 |
| City of Los Indios | $0.55 |
| City of Palm Valley | $0.4841 |
| City of Port Isabel | $0.7904 |
| City of Primera | $0.60 |
| City of Rancho Viejo | $0.45 |
| City of Rio Hondo | $0.804 |
| City of San Benito | $0.7081 |
| City of Santa Rosa | $0.82 |
| City of South Padre Island | $0.2622 |
| City of Starbase | $0.55 |
Cities that extend into this county and reported a rate to the Comptroller. Outside city limits, no city tax applies.
School districts
| District | 2025 rate per $100 | TEA rating |
|---|---|---|
| Brownsville ISD | $0.8315 | B |
| Harlingen CISD | $0.9182 | B |
| La Feria ISD | $1.0307 | C |
| Los Fresnos CISD | $0.8803 | A |
| Lyford CISD | $1.0962 | B |
| Point Isabel ISD | $0.7303 | B |
| Rio Hondo ISD | $1.3419 | C |
| San Benito CISD | $1.0506 | C |
| Santa Maria ISD | $1.2614 | B |
| Santa Rosa ISD | $1.2819 | B |
The district rating is the Texas Education Agency's latest A–F accountability rating on TXschools.gov. School district taxes on a homestead are figured after the $140,000 homestead exemption. Attendance zones change; confirm the zoned campus with the district.
Flood risk
Every HouseDirt report checks the address against FEMA's National Flood Hazard Layer and FEMA's flood insurance claim history for the area. What the FEMA zones mean.
Newer or local flood maps also checked here: FEMA estimated flood maps. These can show risk the effective FEMA map doesn't yet.
Windstorm and hurricanes
Cameron County is one of the 14 first-tier coastal counties where the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) insures wind and hail. Many homeowners policies here exclude wind and hail, so buyers often add a TWIA policy, which needs a windstorm certificate for work done since 1988. How TWIA works.
Colonias
The Texas Attorney General maps colonias in this county: subdivisions, often sold by contract for deed, that lack some of safe water, sewer, paved roads or a legal plat. Reports here check the address against that map. What buyers should know about colonias.
What a HouseDirt report covers in Cameron County
17 checks are automated and 6 partly automated. For the rest, the report names the office to ask and the question to ask it.
| Check | Here | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Property record | Automated | |
| Flood zone (FEMA official map) | Automated | |
| Flood history (FEMA flood insurance records) | Automated | |
| Windstorm insurance, hurricanes & storm surge | Automated | |
| Permits & renovation history | Partly automated | Automated in Brownsville; elsewhere we name who to ask. |
| Code violations | Link and what to ask | City records: we name the city or county office to ask. |
| Property taxes & special districts | Automated | |
| Unpaid property taxes | Automated | Live account balance from the county's tax collector. |
| Title & liens | Link and what to ask | Links the County Clerk's records; deed and lien records are searched by owner name. |
| HOA / property owners association | Partly automated | Found from the parcel's subdivision name; rural tracts without one get a question to ask. |
| Soil & foundation risk (USDA) | Automated | |
| Natural hazards & contamination | Automated | |
| Zoning, lot restrictions & nearby development | Partly automated | Automated in Brownsville, Harlingen, South Padre Island; elsewhere we name who to ask. |
| Schools | Partly automated | Zoned campuses automated for Brownsville ISD; elsewhere the district's state rating is shown and the zoned campuses are to confirm. |
| Home internet (FCC broadband availability) | Automated | |
| Reported crime nearby | Link and what to ask | City records: we name the city or county office to ask. |
| Water, sewer, septic & lead pipes | Automated | |
| Aquifer & watershed rules | Automated | |
| Historic district & landmarks | Automated | |
| What you can build on this lot | Link and what to ask | Names who sets the zoning and lot rules. |
| Age-related risks & radon | Partly automated | Era risks need the year built from the parcel record. |
| Foreclosure notices | Link and what to ask | Links the county's posted foreclosure notices. |
| Appraised value & square-footage history | Automated | Appraisal district value history. |
| Road, rail & aircraft noise | Automated | |
| Major construction nearby | Automated | |
| Short-term rentals nearby | Partly automated | Automated in South Padre Island; not available elsewhere in the county yet. |
| Hail history | Automated | |
| Walkability & transit | Automated | |
| Sex offender registry | Link and what to ask | Links the state sex-offender registry search for this address. |
From the county profile that is live now; it updates with every release. See coverage for all 254 counties.
Common questions
- What is the Cameron County property tax rate?
- Cameron County's own rate for 2025 was $0.4742 per $100 of taxable value (Texas Comptroller). A home's total rate adds the city, school district and any special districts, so check the exact address.
- Are there MUDs in Cameron County?
- 4 municipal utility districts reported a 2025 tax rate in Cameron County to the Texas Comptroller.
- Is Cameron County in the TWIA windstorm area?
- Yes. Cameron County is one of the 14 first-tier coastal counties in TWIA's catastrophe area.
- Where do I check unpaid property taxes in Cameron County?
- The Cameron County tax assessor-collector (www.cameroncountytx.gov) holds tax balances and issues tax certificates. A HouseDirt report shows what it can look up for the address.
Sources
- Texas Comptroller, 2025 property tax rates and levies
- Texas Comptroller county directory
- Texas Education Agency, TXschools.gov ratings
- FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer
- Texas Windstorm Insurance Association
- Texas Attorney General, colonias