Nueces Property Taxes Cut in 59% of Informal Hearings
Informal appeals are the great equalizer when it comes to property taxes, as they allow the average taxpayer their first real shot to defy the Nueces County Appraisal District (NCAD). While many counties view them as little more than a step to get over to reach formal appeals, 59% of these simple protests were able to achieve a reduction in 2024. As more people appeal their taxes every year, these initial protests will continue in importance. Join O’Connor’s Property Tax Protection Program™ today and get an edge on whatever protest you make. There is no cost to join, and you will only pay from your winnings if your taxes are reduced. Enroll, relax, and save.
Resolved Informally Nueces CountySource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Thousands | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||
| Total Number | 11.185 | 11.206 | 13.656 | 10.517 | 12.039 | 13.560 | 9.822 | 13.295 | 16.700 | 24.842 | 24.977 | |
| Single Family | 7.209 | 7.550 | 9.245 | 6.725 | 6.947 | 7.169 | 4.523 | 6.561 | 8.783 | 16.064 | 15.051 | |
| Commercial / Other | 3.976 | 3.656 | 4.411 | 3.792 | 5.092 | 6.391 | 5.299 | 6.734 | 7.917 | 8.778 | 9.936 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since Most appeals are resolved with a reduction at the informal level.
Nueces County Property Tax Protests Resolved Informally
While they are simple, even informal appeals can benefit from improved evidence and support from a professional firm. With over 50 years of experience, O’Connor is a Texas-based firm that helps over 1853,000 clients a year lower their taxes. With both national resources and local expertise, O’Connor brings the best of both worlds to the table when it comes to taking on NCAD.
NCAD Informal Settlements
2024 saw the most informal appeals ever filed in the county’s history, with 24,977. This barely edged out 2023’s 24,842, but the two years stood head-and-shoulders above the rest of the decade. Like property taxes, protests have doubled in the past year and will only increase as taxes do. Hopefully, Nueces will join counties like Fort Bend and Travis that protest over a third of all real estate every year.
Appeals for residential real estate exploded in 2023, reaching 16,064. 2024 saw a retreat to 15,051, though this was still easily second-place all-time. While homes saw a massive spike in the last few years, commercial real estate has been growing at a steady pace, going up virtually every year. 2024 saw the most businesses ever protest, with 9,936.
Resulted in Reduction Through Informal Process Nueces CountySource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Thousands | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||
| Total Number | 8.474 | 8.498 | 9.939 | 8.596 | 9.709 | 10.821 | 8.433 | 7.563 | 6.693 | 13.309 | 14.799 | |
| Single Family | 6.182 | 6.343 | 7.462 | 5.849 | 6.673 | 7.169 | 4.523 | 4.812 | 5.100 | 10.150 | 8.129 | |
| Commercial / Other | 2.292 | 2.155 | 2.477 | 2.747 | 3.036 | 3.652 | 3.910 | 2.751 | 1.593 | 3.159 | 6.670 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since It is the world’s safest wager. No cost and a 60% chance of savings annually.
Nueces County Informal Hearing Reductions
While appeals were close between 2023 and 2024, the same could not be said for reductions. 2024 saw a substantial lead, with 14,799 informal reductions, easily the most ever. This means that initial protests were quite efficient and have improved in that regard since 2023. This was mostly thanks to businesses, which doubled from 3,159 reductions in 2023 to 6,670 in 2024. Homes took a corresponding step back in 2024, falling from 10,150 to 8,129.
Percent That Resulted in A ReductionSource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Percent | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||
| Total Number | 75.760% | 75.830% | 72.780% | 81.730% | 80.650% | 79.800% | 85.860% | 56.890% | 40.080% | 53.570% | 59.250% | |
| Single Family | 85.750% | 84.010% | 80.710% | 86.970% | 96.060% | 100.000% | 100.000% | 73.340% | 58.070% | 63.180% | 54.010% | |
| Commercial / Other | 57.650% | 58.940% | 56.160% | 72.440% | 59.620% | 57.140% | 73.790% | 40.850% | 20.120% | 35.990% | 67.130% | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since Errors in the appraisal districts records for your property often artificially inflate YOUR property taxes.
Nueces County Percentage of Informal Hearings with Reduction
Since 2020, the percentage of informal protests with a reduction has declined, but that was averted in 2024. 59.25% of all initial protests resulted in a reduction, the best year since 2020. This was due to a sharp rise in business reduction, which reached 67.13%, up from 35.99%. Only 54.01% of homes managed to land a reduction. It is usual in Texas for businesses to have a better win rate than homes, and this was the first time in the county’s history that it occurred.
$ Value Reduction From Informal ProcessSource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Billions of $ | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||
| $ Reduction Total | 0.4901 | 0.4926 | 0.9300 | 0.7098 | 1.0019 | 0.9385 | 0.4910 | 0.4125 | 0.3341 | 0.6597 | 0.6847 | |
| $ Reduction Single Family | 0.1415 | 0.1516 | 0.3080 | 0.1598 | 0.2790 | 0.2316 | 0.1478 | 0.1772 | 0.2065 | 0.4114 | 0.2402 | |
| $ Value Commercial / Other | 0.3485 | 0.3409 | 0.6220 | 0.5500 | 0.7229 | 0.7069 | 0.3432 | 0.2353 | 0.1275 | 0.2483 | 0.4445 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since Property taxes are the only type that can be negotiated based on subjective factors and judgment.
NCAD Value Reduction from the Informal Process
In 2024, these initial protests achieved their largest reduction figure since 2019. $684.70 million in value was cut thanks to the combined effort of businesses and homeowners. $444.50 million was reduced by businesses alone, the most since 2019. Homes fell sharply, but still managed to land a reduction of $240.20 million. This was a significant drop from 2023’s $41.14 million, which had been the record for the county. Homes saw much better numbers at the next stage, perhaps marking a change in residential trends.