Webb Property Tax Protests: by Value and Type
While adoption started slowly, Webb County is now starting to embrace property tax protests like never before. In 2024, a record of 11.86% of all property was protested. This is more impressive when the giant size of 179,260 parcels is factored in, meaning there were 21,260 appeals. This number will keep increasing as the Webb County Appraisal District (WCAD) continues to be aggressive. Get help with your appeal when you join O’Connor’s Property Tax Protection Program™ today. Enroll, relax, and save.
Total Parcels and Total Protests Webb 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 | 145.73 | 143.42 | 137.72 | 141.25 | 143.46 | 149.69 | 175.80 | 177.01 | 183.46 | 188.12 | 179.26 | |
| Total Protests Filed | 6.19 | 9.03 | 8.10 | 11.31 | 11.99 | 13.08 | 9.97 | 13.71 | 17.06 | 18.50 | 21.26 | |
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.
Webb County Property Tax Protests
Like most of Texas, Webb County saw its property value double between 2014 and 2024, with it showing no sign of stopping. While much of this is thanks to the growing economy and population of Laredo and the surrounding area, WCAD is also partially responsible, thanks to aggressive valuations. To counter this, the people of Webb are following the lead of other counties and have started embracing property tax appeals on a large scale.
A successful appeal taxes evidence, courage, and dedication, all of which O’Connor brings to the table. For over 50 years, O’Connor has helped Texans fight their appraisal district, securing reductions in both values and taxes. As one of the top firms in the nation, O’Connor can call upon resources beyond Texas, while also deploying local expertise.
Total Parcels in WCAD
There were 179,260 parcels in Webb County in 2024, which was a rare retreat from 2023’s 188,120. This still makes Webb one of the largest counties in the state, and that area represents a diverse set of people and properties. In addition, 21,260 protests were launched against the values of WCAD in 2024, which was easily the most ever. As long as taxes keep going up, so will protests.
Total Protests Webb 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 | 6.19 | 9.03 | 8.10 | 11.31 | 11.99 | 13.08 | 9.97 | 13.71 | 17.06 | 18.50 | 21.26 | |
| Single Family Home Protests | 0.88 | 1.19 | 1.21 | 2.36 | 2.92 | 2.43 | 0.92 | 2.36 | 3.97 | 5.31 | 5.45 | |
| Commercial / Other Protests | 5.31 | 7.84 | 6.89 | 8.95 | 9.06 | 10.65 | 9.05 | 11.35 | 13.09 | 13.20 | 15.81 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since It is their right.
Total Protests
With protests breaking records in 2024, Webb showed that it was adapting to the current property tax model in Texas. There may have been some legislative changes boosting exemptions in the past few years, but Texas still has some of the highest property taxes in the nation. In addition, most exemptions do not benefit businesses, with the exception of the business personal property (BPP) exemption. This makes protests extra important to businesses.
This was seen in the number of protests. There was a record of 15,810 commercial real estate appeals in 2024. Not to be outdone, homes set their own record with 5,450. While it is usual for there to be more commercial protests than residential appeals, it does show that more homeowners need to be involved in the process. Businesses often protest annually, simply as a measure to cut costs. This approach should also be taken by homeowners, especially in light of rising values.
% of Parcels Protested Webb 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 | 4.25% | 6.3% | 5.88% | 8.01% | 8.35% | 8.74% | 5.67% | 7.74% | 9.3% | 9.84% | 11.86% | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since About 60% of appeals are successful.
WCAD – Percentage of Parcels Protested
11.86% of all parcels in the county were appealed in 2024, the most ever. This rate has been gradually growing since 2020, with every year seeing a significant increase in participation. While most of this is concentrated in businesses, there is a growing contingent of homeowners in the mix as well. Most high-dollar counties see appeal rates up to 33%, such as Fort Bend or Travis. Still, 11.86% is an impressive rate for a county that is mostly focused on working people.
Protests by Property Type Webb 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 | 6.19 | 9.03 | 8.10 | 11.31 | 11.99 | 13.08 | 9.97 | 13.71 | 17.06 | 18.50 | 21.26 | |
| Single Family | 0.88 | 1.19 | 1.21 | 2.36 | 2.92 | 2.43 | 0.92 | 2.36 | 3.97 | 5.31 | 5.45 | |
| Multi-Family Res | 0.10 | 0.16 | 0.16 | 0.13 | 0.26 | 0.28 | 0.18 | 0.29 | 0.41 | 0.46 | 0.50 | |
| Commercial | 1.43 | 2.66 | 2.00 | 2.13 | 2.62 | 2.75 | 2.12 | 2.88 | 3.36 | 3.15 | 3.68 | |
| All Other | 3.78 | 5.02 | 4.73 | 6.70 | 6.19 | 7.62 | 6.75 | 8.18 | 9.32 | 9.59 | 11.64 | |
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.
Webb County Protests by Property Type
The dominance of business real estate is easier to understand when it is broken down into several different categories. When it is, it can be clearly seen that the prime motivator is oil, gas, and utility businesses. While Texas is known for all three of these types, they have an outsized impact in Laredo and the surrounding area. There was a total of 11,640 protests filed for oil, gas, and utility properties in 2024, the most ever.
Residential properties managed to come in second place, despite their low numbers in other metrics. Residential real estate has been climbing, however, and could truly break out in a few years. There were 5,449 homes that were protested in 2024. Commercial properties followed with 3,675, while apartments contributed 501 appeals. This shows the dominance of oil and gas in the county.
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 | 4.28 | 10.62 | 8.30 | 10.23 | 12.10 | 13.42 | 9.05 | 10.52 | 16.85 | 20.75 | 22.50 | |
| Single Family | 0.17 | 0.21 | 0.21 | 0.46 | 0.54 | 0.49 | 0.20 | 0.58 | 0.96 | 1.47 | 1.65 | |
| Multi-Family Res | 0.38 | 0.29 | 0.30 | 0.30 | 0.34 | 0.39 | 0.36 | 0.47 | 0.66 | 0.77 | 0.92 | |
| Commercial | 3.21 | 2.74 | 2.30 | 2.44 | 3.01 | 3.55 | 2.95 | 3.78 | 4.96 | 5.30 | 7.40 | |
| All Other | 0.53 | 7.37 | 5.48 | 7.02 | 8.21 | 8.99 | 5.54 | 5.68 | 10.27 | 13.21 | 12.53 | |
Webb County Value of Property Protested by Type
Oil and gas properties truly show their worth when the value protested is examined. $12.53 in value was contested in 2024 alone, dwarfing the competition. Commercial property did account well for itself, even with only a few pieces of real estate. Commercial managed to contest $7.4 billion in value. Single family homes managed to challenge $1.65 billion, while apartments contested $920 million.