Texas vs. Florida vs. South Carolina Property Tax on a $400K Home: How San Antonio's First Rate Hike in 33 Years Creates a $4,680/Year Gap — and What to Do Before Bills Spike
Texas vs. Florida vs. South Carolina Property Tax on a $400K Home: How San Antonio's First Rate Hike in 33 Years Creates a $4,680/Year Gap — and What to Do Before Bills Spike
When Values Drop and Rates Rise at the Same Time
Picture this: You bought a home in San Antonio two years ago for $415,000. Your assessed value has since slid to $390,000 — a paper loss that should mean a lower tax bill. Instead, you're reading that the San Antonio City Council is weighing its first property tax rate increase in 33 years, according to Realtor.com News, in order to preserve police, fire, and library services as revenue shrinks from falling home values.
That's the perverse mechanics of property taxation in action. The millage rate and the assessed value move independently. When revenue falls because home prices drop, governments often reach for the rate lever. Homeowners — especially retirees on fixed incomes — absorb the result from both directions.
This isn't just a San Antonio problem. Realtor.com News reported this month that U.S. foreclosure filings jumped 18% year over year in April 2026, with Florida, South Carolina, and Delaware topping the national list. And a projected 2027 Social Security COLA of 3.9%, while welcome, won't come close to covering the simultaneous rise in taxes, insurance, and carrying costs that Realtor.com News described as an existential squeeze for seniors.
The question every homeowner in a high-burden state should be asking right now: What am I actually paying, and is it more than my neighbors with identical homes?
State-by-State: What a $400K Home Costs in Annual Property Taxes
Tavirex's analysis of 13,144 data points — drawn from the Tax Foundation rates dataset, Census ACS county tax records (6,281 rows), and Lincoln Institute assessment ratio data (51 jurisdictions) — produces this comparison across the states most directly in the news:
| State | Effective Tax Rate | Annual Bill on $400K Home | 10-Year Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas (statewide avg.) | 1.74% | $6,960 | $69,600 |
| Bexar County (San Antonio) | ~2.0% | $8,000 | $80,000 |
| Florida (statewide avg.) | 0.91% | $3,640 | $36,400 |
| South Carolina | 0.57% | $2,280 | $22,800 |
| Delaware | 0.55% | $2,200 | $22,000 |
| Tennessee | 0.48% | $1,920 | $19,200 |
The Texas statewide average vs. South Carolina gap: $4,680/year. Over 10 years: $46,800. For a Bexar County homeowner specifically, that gap widens to $5,720/year against South Carolina — or $57,200 over a decade.
Effective tax rate is the number that matters. It's what you actually pay as a percentage of market value — after exemptions, assessment ratios, and caps are applied. The nominal millage rate (what the county posts on its website) can look very different. This is the kind of analysis Tavirex runs for you — so you don't have to build the spreadsheet yourself.
San Antonio's Millage Breakdown: Where Every Dollar Goes
In a typical Northside ISD zone of Bexar County, your tax bill is assembled from at least five separate taxing authorities. For a $400K home with a $50,000 homestead exemption applied (leaving a $350,000 taxable base):
| Taxing Authority | Rate (per $100 assessed) | Annual Charge |
|---|---|---|
| Northside ISD (schools) | $1.11 | $3,885 |
| City of San Antonio | $0.54 (proposed increase) | $1,890 |
| Bexar County | $0.29 | $1,015 |
| University Health (hospital district) | $0.28 | $980 |
| Alamo Colleges | $0.06 | $210 |
| Total | ~$2.28 | ~$7,980 |
Now compare that to the same $400K home in Horry County, South Carolina — one of the foreclosure hotspot regions flagged by the ATTOM report. South Carolina taxes owner-occupied residential property at 4% of market value, not 100%:
- Taxable value: $400,000 × 4% = $16,000
- Approximate millage rate: 143 mills
- Annual bill: ~$2,288
The same home. $5,692 less per year in South Carolina. That's a car payment, six months of groceries, or a meaningful slice of a retiree's fixed income — every single year.
The Senior Squeeze: Why a 3.9% COLA Doesn't Fix This
Realtor.com News reported this month that the projected 2027 Social Security COLA is 3.9%. On an average monthly benefit of approximately $1,907, that translates to a raise of about $74/month — or $893/year.
Now stack that against what a San Antonio senior faces:
- Annual tax bill on $400K home, Bexar County: ~$7,980
- If assessed value falls 5% (to $380K) but the city raises its rate by even 3 cents per $100: the bill barely moves
- Net annual COLA benefit: $893
- Net property tax "savings" from value decline: potentially zero after the rate hike
This dynamic connects directly to a risk HUD's Office of Inspector General flagged in a separate audit: 1,237 HECM (reverse mortgage) borrowers may see their Life Expectancy Set-Aside accounts — designed specifically to cover property taxes and insurance — run dry approximately six years early, putting up to $258 million at risk. When a LESA account is depleted, the loan can be called due. Seniors who assumed their housing costs were covered discover, too late, that they are not.
Texas does offer meaningful relief for eligible seniors. The over-65 exemption freezes school district taxes — the single largest line item in the Bexar County breakdown above. A senior who qualifies locks in their $3,885 school district charge permanently, regardless of rate hikes. That protection alone, over a 15-year retirement horizon, can be worth $15,000 or more in avoided increases.
Learn what happens to those exemptions when a home passes to heirs — and how to protect them — in our guide on the Texas inherited property tax trap.
Why Foreclosures Are Spiking in Florida and South Carolina
The 18% YoY surge in foreclosure filings documented by ATTOM isn't random. Florida, South Carolina, and Delaware dominate the national list for connected reasons that property tax plays a central role in:
Assessment lags resetting: During the 2020-2022 buying frenzy, many homes were purchased above assessed values — creating a "cushion" that quietly disappeared as reassessment cycles caught up. South Carolina reassesses every five years. A homeowner who bought in 2019 at $250K, reassessed in 2024 at $400K, faces a dramatically higher bill even though the effective rate sounds low.
Insurance premiums amplifying the carrying cost stack: Florida homeowners are absorbing 30-40% insurance cost increases alongside property tax adjustments. The combined squeeze on monthly housing costs has pushed some households past the tipping point.
Fixed-income households with no buffer: Many coastal markets in Florida and South Carolina attract retirees who bought when prices were lower, assumed stable costs, and are now facing simultaneous increases in taxes, insurance, and HOA fees — with no way to grow income to match.
San Antonio's parallel: Falling values don't guarantee lower bills. If the city raises its rate to compensate for lost revenue, homeowners experience the worst of both worlds — a less valuable asset and a higher tax bill. This is not hypothetical. It is what Realtor.com News reported is actively under consideration.
For a deeper look at how this plays out across three major states, see our comparison of Florida, Texas, and North Carolina property tax on a $400K home.
Your Appeal Playbook: What to Do Before the Next Bill Arrives
Regardless of which state you're in, the appeal logic is the same: your assessment should reflect what your home would actually sell for today — not what it sold for two years ago, and not a model generated from a mass appraisal that hasn't been updated.
Step 1: Pull Your Assessment and Check It Against Reality
In Texas, the Bexar County Appraisal District (BCAD) sets your appraised value. If San Antonio home values have declined — which Realtor.com News confirms they have — ask whether your assessment reflects that. A $400K assessment on a home that would sell for $365K today is a $35K over-assessment.
At Bexar County's effective rate of ~2.0%, that error costs you $700/year, or $7,000 over 10 years.
Step 2: Build Your Comparable Sales Case
Find three sales from the prior 6-12 months that are:
- Within 0.5-1 mile of your home
- Within 10-15% of your square footage
- Similar vintage, bed/bath count
- Arm's-length transactions (no foreclosures, related-party sales, or estate sales at distressed prices)
If your three comps average $365K and your assessment is $400K, you have the foundation of a winning protest. In Texas, you file with BCAD — typically by May 15, or 30 days after your notice, whichever is later. Miss that window and you wait another year.
Step 3: Calculate What a Win Is Worth
| Scenario | Assessment | Rate | Annual Bill | Annual Savings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current (over-assessed) | $400,000 | 2.0% | $8,000 | — |
| Reduced to $375,000 | $375,000 | 2.0% | $7,500 | $500/yr |
| Reduced to $350,000 | $350,000 | 2.0% | $7,000 | $1,000/yr |
| Reduced to $325,000 | $325,000 | 2.0% | $6,500 | $1,500/yr |
A $75,000 assessment reduction at Bexar County's rate saves $1,500/year — or $15,000 over 10 years. You can model this against your specific assessment and ownership horizon at Tavirex.
Step 4: Claim Every Exemption Before You File
Our analysis of NCSL exemption data across 204 surveyed jurisdictions shows that a significant share of eligible homeowners fail to claim exemptions they're legally entitled to. In Texas:
- Homestead exemption: $100,000 off taxable value for school district purposes (as of recent legislative changes)
- Over-65 exemption: school district tax ceiling — the rate can go up, but your bill can't
- 100% disabled veteran exemption: full property tax exemption
- Surviving spouse of a disabled veteran: exemption carries over in many circumstances
In Florida, the $50,000 homestead exemption is automatic only if you apply — it is not granted passively. In South Carolina, the 4% owner-occupied assessment ratio requires you to file for primary residence classification; without it, your home may be taxed at the 6% investment rate.
For a full breakdown of what's available across the three highest-foreclosure states, see our guide on unclaimed homestead, senior, and veteran exemptions in Texas, Florida, and Kansas.
Appeal Deadlines: 2026 Quick Reference
| State | Deadline | Filing Authority |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | May 15, or 30 days post-notice | County Appraisal District (e.g., BCAD) |
| Florida | 25 days after TRIM notice (typically September) | Value Adjustment Board |
| South Carolina | 90 days after assessment notice | County Assessor |
| Delaware | 60 days after assessment notice | Assessment Board of Review |
The Bottom Line
San Antonio's potential tax rate hike — the first in 33 years — is a live demonstration of why property taxes are not passive. They respond to budget pressures, political decisions, and reassessment cycles that operate entirely independently of whether your home's market value went up or down. Foreclosure filings up 18% nationally, HECM accounts running dry for seniors, and a COLA that won't cover a single month of property taxes in a high-burden state: these are not disconnected stories. They are the same story from different angles.
Tavirex's analysis of 13,144 data points — spanning Tax Foundation rate data, Census ACS county tax records, NCSL exemption tables, and NTUF appeal statistics — consistently shows that homeowners who understand their effective rate, claim their exemptions, and challenge inaccurate assessments recover real money. Not theoretical money. $700/year. $1,500/year. $15,000 over a decade.
The gap between what you're legally required to pay and what you're actually paying is worth finding. Run your numbers at Tavirex — your assessment, your county, your exemption profile — before your next bill arrives and the appeal window closes.
Sources
- San Antonio Housing ‘Hangover’: Why Homeowners Face a Historic Tax Hike as Values Drop — Realtor.com News
- U.S. Foreclosure Filings Spike 18%: Delaware, South Carolina, and Florida Top the List — Realtor.com News
- 2027 COLA Could Hit 3.9%— Why Seniors Are Still Falling Behind as Housing Costs Explode — Realtor.com News
- HUD audit warns that some HECM LESA accounts may run dry — HousingWire
- EXCLUSIVE: ‘Renovation Resort’ Stars Reveal Top Tips for Maximizing Your ROI on Home Updates — Realtor.com News