Nueces Property Tax Protests: by Value and Property Type
More than just a tourist paradise, Nueces County boasts a growing population and a fast-developing economy. Thanks to top real estate being at a premium, the county has seen property values double in the past decade, with taxes going sky-high as well. However, the people of Corpus Christi and the rest of the county are no longer taking the values imposed by the Nueces County Appraisal District (NCAD) at face value and are fighting back with more property tax protests than ever before. Protect your home or business when you enroll in O’Connor’s Property Tax Protection Program™ today. You will never be charged an upfront fee and will only pay if your taxes are lowered. Enroll, relax, and save.
Total Parcels and Total Protests Nueces CADSource: 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 Parcels | 174.36 | 180.60 | 182.30 | 183.10 | 185.13 | 214.43 | 216.39 | 210.55 | 212.40 | 215.15 | 217.11 | |
| Total Protests Filed | 18.68 | 20.08 | 24.80 | 22.93 | 21.02 | 22.82 | 22.66 | 23.55 | 28.46 | 39.14 | 35.62 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since Mass appraisal used by appraisal districts includes many errors based on limited resources. About 500 appraisers value all 20 million Texas tax parcels; about 40,000 per appraiser. Another 1,500 appraisers measure new construction.
Nueces County Property Tax Protests
With property values doubling in the past decade, the competition for prime real estate on Corpus Christi and the rest of Nueces County has become fiercer than ever. This means that buyers are often pushed out of the market and that longtime residents are constantly beset by larger tax bills. Pushes from companies like AIRBNBs to turn homes into rental properties are also driving up demand. In response, the county has seen record-breaking appeals over the last few years.
It takes a lot of evidence to win an appeal, especially in an environment that sees more homes and businesses head to formal appeals every year. Join with O’Connor and get professional support in gathering evidence, filing appeals, and even representation for hearings. For over 50 years, O’Connor has represented taxpayers and helped them get reductions on their taxes. As one of the largest firms in the country, O’Connor has the experience and resources to take on the Nueces County Appraisal District (NCAD).
Total Parcels in NCAD
Parcels are a unit of measurement for real estate and/or properties in Texas. This bundles them together in units that can then be appraised and taxed. There were 217,110 parcels in the county as of 2024. While not a large county, there is a lot of value in this relatively small space. 35,620 parcels were protested in 2024, the second-most ever, only behind 2023.
Total Protests 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 Protests | 18.68 | 20.08 | 24.80 | 22.93 | 21.02 | 22.82 | 22.66 | 23.55 | 28.46 | 39.14 | 35.62 | |
| Single Family Home Protests | 11.50 | 11.86 | 14.55 | 12.09 | 10.47 | 10.69 | 10.08 | 10.47 | 15.83 | 23.21 | 16.35 | |
| Commercial / Other Protests | 7.18 | 8.22 | 10.25 | 10.84 | 10.55 | 12.13 | 12.58 | 13.08 | 12.64 | 15.93 | 19.27 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since It is their right.
Total Protests
Like the rest of Texas, protests have been on the rise in Nueces County. 2023 has so far been the peak, with 39,140 appeals. 35,620 protests in 2024 were a step back, but the trend has been steady increases, and it was still easily in second place. It is common for long growth streaks to see a down year on occasion, and they are usually followed by an even bigger boom the next year.
There were 19,270 commercial protests in 2025, which was a new record. Businesses and homes have constantly vied for first place in the county, with each taking the lead about 50% of the time. Homes had set their own record in 2023 with 23,210 appeals, but saw a sharp decline to 16,350. More homes than ever before pushed for formal appeals in 2024, indicating that things may be shifting to quality over quantity, but it was the first year to see a decrease in residential appeals since 2020.
% of Parcels Protested Nueces CountySource: 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 | ||
| Percent Protested | 10.71% | 11.12% | 13.6% | 12.52% | 11.35% | 10.64% | 10.47% | 11.18% | 13.4% | 18.19% | 16.41% | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since About 60% of appeals are successful.
NCAD – Percentage of Parcels Protested
16.41% of all parcels were protested in 2024, just down from the top mark of 18.19% in 2023. Both 2023 and 2024 are far and away higher than the rest of the decade, which started with just 10.71% in 2014. While this participation in the appeal process is solid, high-dollar counties like Travis, Denton, and Fort Bend all see protest rates of over 30%. Despite the small drop, taxpayers saved more money than ever before through appeals and lawsuits.
Protests by Property Type 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 | 18.68 | 20.08 | 24.80 | 22.93 | 21.02 | 22.82 | 22.66 | 23.55 | 28.46 | 39.14 | 35.62 | |
| Single Family | 11.50 | 11.86 | 14.55 | 12.09 | 10.47 | 10.69 | 10.08 | 10.47 | 15.83 | 23.21 | 16.35 | |
| Multi-Family Res | 0.79 | 0.62 | 0.68 | 0.66 | 0.62 | 0.59 | 0.27 | 0.64 | 0.76 | 1.03 | 4.53 | |
| Commercial | 2.95 | 2.71 | 3.17 | 3.39 | 3.67 | 4.05 | 5.32 | 4.95 | 5.17 | 5.32 | 6.89 | |
| All Other | 3.44 | 4.89 | 6.39 | 6.79 | 6.25 | 7.49 | 6.98 | 7.50 | 6.71 | 9.59 | 7.85 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since Correcting an error in the appraisal district’s description of your property can reap savings in future years.
Nueces County Protests by Property Type
The 2024 high-water mark was driven almost exclusively by residential appeals, and the 2024 drop was as well. In 2023, 23,205 pieces of residential real estate were protested by their owners, a huge jump from 15,528 in 2022. This number dipped to 16,353 in 2024, though it was still the second-most appeals done by homeowners ever seen in the county. Participation has been growing every year since 2021, so the trend is generally in an upward direction.
Businesses saw a jump in their total. Industrial and oil and gas saw a bit of a backslide, going from 9,590 appeals in 2023 to 7.850 in 2024. However, commercial real estate climbed quickly to 6,892. The fastest-riser was multi family housing, which nearly quadrupled its 2023 total to reach 4,531 in 2024. These last two categories have been running mostly steadily for the past decade.
Value of Property Protested by TypeSource: 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 | ||
| Value Protested Total | 8.97 | 9.83 | 11.65 | 12.13 | 12.61 | 15.96 | 16.12 | 16.26 | 20.28 | 26.33 | 22.49 | |
| Single Family | 2.18 | 2.37 | 2.99 | 2.70 | 2.40 | 2.48 | 2.40 | 2.67 | 4.87 | 8.12 | 7.84 | |
| Multi-Family Res | 0.96 | 1.13 | 1.49 | 1.62 | 1.69 | 1.77 | 1.86 | 1.99 | 2.37 | 2.30 | 2.50 | |
| Commercial | 2.68 | 2.78 | 3.22 | 2.89 | 2.56 | 4.08 | 4.29 | 5.04 | 5.84 | 5.85 | 5.89 | |
| All Other | 3.15 | 3.55 | 3.95 | 4.93 | 5.96 | 7.63 | 7.57 | 6.57 | 7.20 | 10.06 | 6.26 | |
Nueces Value of Property Protested by Type
$22.49 billion in taxable value was challenged in 2024, which once again slightly trailed 2023. This was mostly thanks to a large dip in value for industrial and oil and gas properties, which declined from $10.06 billion to $6.26 billion. Commercial and multi family real estate each edged up to new records, though they could not match the industrial decline. Homes fell slightly but still reached $7.84 billion.