Fair Appraisals for Bosque County

How Overvaluation Raises Your Taxes

Even a small increase in appraised value can cost you hundreds more—here’s how it adds up.

Here is a simple example to help explain how taxing works in Texas and what happens when your property is overvalued by the Bosque Appraisal District (BCAD):

🏠 A Simple Scenario.

Your home’s actual value = $150,000

The Appraisal District bumps it up by 13.43%, claiming it’s worth $170,145.

Taxing entities (like your city, school, and county) apply their tax rates to that BCAD value. Let’s say that in this simple example, the taxing entities affecting this home have a combined rate of $2.50 per $100 of value (just for example).

Formula:

Property Tax = (Assessed Value ÷ 100) × Total Tax Rate

TOTAL TAX BILL $ 4,253.63

That’s $503.63 more you’d owe just from an overvaluation. Your house didn’t change. The tax rate was set. The difference? The Appraisal District overvalued your home.

If you live on a fixed income or work paycheck to paycheck, an extra $503.63 on your property tax bill can make or break your budget. Now, multiply the BCAD's overvaluations across the majority of homes in Bosque County per the 2024 School District Property Value Study, and you’re looking at a massive sum pulled from local families.

💰 Where does that extra money go?

Possibly, it is in reserves, like the one the Bosque Central Appraisal District already has.

Reserve Fund and Non-Operating Expenditures (2024)

Technology & Professional Services Reserve: $374,602.57

Legal & Litigation Reserve: $50,000.00

EQUALING A TOTAL NON-OPERATING RESERVE OF $424,602.57

These reserves were classified as non-operating expenses. No budgetary evidence in the 2025 adopted budget suggests a refund or offset to taxpayers, raising questions about whether revenue from inflated appraisals is being quietly stockpiled.

🏠 What About the Homestead Exemption?

In Texas, if you own and live in your home as your primary residence, you can file for a Homestead Exemption.

This exemption reduces the taxable value of your home—not the appraised value—meaning you pay taxes on a lower amount.

🔍 How It Works in this Simple Scenario:

TOTAL TAX BILL $ 1,753.63

Extra You Still Pay Due to Overvaluation:

$1,753.63 – $1,250 = $503.63

🚨 Key Point:

Even with the Homestead Exemption in place, overvaluation still increases your property tax bill, because the exemption doesn’t stop the CAD from inflating your appraised value. The higher they set it, the higher your taxable value after the exemption is applied.

Who's Overvaluing Your Home? 2024 SDPVS: Breaking Down the Numbers - BCAD Property Appraisals Across Bosque ISDs vs State Estimates

Download the PDF: Table showing each Bosque County ISD's Single-Family appraisal data, with the percentage over/under the state estimate rounded to two decimal points, with clickable links to the official Texas Comptroller audit results.

In plain terms, in 2024 the Bosque County Appraisal District valued the majority of our Homes higher than the state believed they are worth.