Buying a home in Ellis County, Texas
What to check before you buy in Waxahachie, Midlothian, Ennis & Ellis 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 Ellis County address. No sign-up.
- Checks automated here
- 16 of 29
- Ellis County tax rate (2025)
- $0.274
- MUDs taxing in the county
- 6
- Windstorm (TWIA) area
- No
Who keeps the records
- Appraisal district (value, exemptions, protests): www.elliscad.org, 972-937-3552
- Tax assessor-collector (tax bills, unpaid taxes, tax certificates): www.ellistaxoffice.com, 972-825-5150
- Texas Comptroller county directory for Ellis 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.
6 municipal utility districts (MUDs) and 11 water, utility, improvement and similar districts in all reported a 2025 tax rate in Ellis County. The median MUD rate was $0.80 and the highest $1.00 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 Alma | $0.25 |
| City of Bardwell | $0.1742 |
| City of Cedar Hill | $0.6364 |
| City of Ennis | $0.6807 |
| City of Ferris | $0.5648 |
| City of Garrett | $0.45 |
| City of Glenn Heights | $0.5628 |
| City of Grand Prairie | $0.66 |
| City of Italy | $0.4108 |
| City of Mansfield | $0.639 |
| City of Maypearl | $0.4923 |
| City of Midlothian | $0.65 |
| City of Milford | $0.2213 |
| City of Oak Leaf | $0.30 |
| City of Ovilla | $0.6162 |
| City of Palmer | $0.6669 |
| City of Pecan Hill | $0.2134 |
| City of Red Oak | $0.6953 |
| City of Venus | $0.7665 |
| City of Waxahachie | $0.5906 |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Avalon ISD | $0.8215 | B |
| Ennis ISD | $1.2152 | C |
| Ferris ISD | $1.2308 | B |
| Frost ISD | $1.2197 | C |
| Italy ISD | $1.0737 | B |
| Maypearl ISD | $0.9698 | C |
| Midlothian ISD | $1.0708 | B |
| Milford ISD | $1.0506 | C |
| Palmer ISD | $1.0502 | B |
| Red Oak ISD | $1.0633 | C |
| Waxahachie ISD | $1.1681 | 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
Ellis County is outside the Texas coastal windstorm (TWIA) area. Reports here still include hail history from NOAA storm reports.
What a HouseDirt report covers in Ellis County
16 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 | Not yet | |
| Permits & renovation history | Partly automated | Automated in Midlothian; 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 Midlothian, Waxahachie; elsewhere we name who to ask. |
| Schools | Partly automated | District and its state rating are automated; zoned campuses are the district's nearest, 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 Waxahachie; 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 Ellis County property tax rate?
- Ellis County's own rate for 2025 was $0.274 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 Ellis County?
- 6 municipal utility districts reported a 2025 tax rate in Ellis County to the Texas Comptroller.
- Is Ellis County in the TWIA windstorm area?
- No. Ellis County is outside TWIA's catastrophe area.
- Where do I check unpaid property taxes in Ellis County?
- The Ellis County tax assessor-collector (www.ellistaxoffice.com) 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