Fort Bend County vs Montgomery County Property Tax
Weighing the Houston suburbs - Sugar Land / Katy (Fort Bend County) vs Conroe / The Woodlands (Montgomery County)? This is a case where the headline and the reality point different ways. On the representative stacks, Fort Bend's combined rate is slightly lower - about 1.84% vs about 1.91% ($5,871 vs $6,299 on a $400,000 home). But the typical Montgomery homeowner pays much less: its effective rate is about 1.37% vs 1.65%, and its median annual bill (about $4,985) is far below Fort Bend's (about $6,716).
Data current as of July 2026. Representative 2025 stacks (City of Sugar Land / Fort Bend ISD; City of Conroe / Conroe ISD); effective rates are Census ACS estimates. Full detail on the Fort Bend County and Montgomery County pages.
Key Takeaways
- Slightly lower headline rate: Fort Bend. The representative combined rate is about 1.84% (Sugar Land) vs about 1.91% (Conroe) - close, about $428 a year apart on a $400,000 home.
- Much lower real bill: Montgomery. Its county-median effective rate is about 1.37% vs 1.65%, and the median annual bill (~$4,985) is well below Fort Bend's (~$6,716) - a bigger gap than the headline rate suggests.
- Why the flip: Montgomery home values are lower, much of the county sits in The Woodlands (unincorporated, no city tax), and the 10% cap holds down long-held homesteads - even though Montgomery adds a county-wide hospital district (MCHD) and Lone Star College that Fort Bend lacks.
- Watch for MUDs. A large share of Fort Bend parcels (Sugar Land, Katy, Missouri City master-planned areas) sit in a municipal utility district (MUD) or levee district (LID) that adds its own rate - not included in the table. Montgomery has MUDs too, especially in newer developments.
- Same everywhere else: both are 8.25% sales tax, both have no annual car tax and no state income tax. The difference is property tax only.
Side by Side: Fort Bend vs Montgomery
| Measure | Fort Bend County | Montgomery County |
|---|---|---|
| Metro / anchor cities | Greater Houston - Sugar Land, Katy, Missouri City | Greater Houston - Conroe, The Woodlands |
| Combined rate (representative) | ~1.84% | ~1.91% |
| Typical effective rate (ACS) | ~1.65% | ~1.37% |
| Median annual bill (ACS) | ~$6,716 | ~$4,985 |
| County's own rate /$100 | $0.412 (+ $0.010 drainage) | $0.377 |
| Representative city /$100 | Sugar Land $0.358827 | Conroe $0.4272 |
| Representative school district /$100 | Fort Bend ISD $1.0569 | Conroe ISD $0.9496 |
| County-wide hospital / college | None (small drainage district only) | MCHD hospital $0.0473 + Lone Star College $0.1060 |
| Est. tax on a $400,000 home* | $5,871 | $6,299 |
| Common extra district | MUD / LID very common | MUD common (esp. The Woodlands) |
| Sales tax | 8.25% | 8.25% |
| Annual car tax | None | None |
| Due / protest | Jan 31 / May 15 | Jan 31 / May 15 |
*Example applies the $140,000 school-district homestead exemption to a $400,000 home against each county's representative stack (City of Sugar Land / Fort Bend ISD; City of Conroe / Conroe ISD), before local-option city/county exemptions and any MUD or LID. Rates from each county's adopted 2025 records; effective rates and the median bill are Census ACS estimates. Your exact bill depends on your city, school district, and special districts. See the Fort Bend County and Montgomery County pages for full sources.
Which County Is Actually Cheaper?
The headline says Fort Bend; the typical bill says Montgomery. On the representative Sugar Land vs Conroe stacks, Fort Bend's combined rate is a hair lower (about 1.84% vs 1.91%) - a small $428-a-year edge on a $400,000 home. Montgomery's nominal rate is a touch higher partly because it adds a county-wide hospital district (MCHD) and Lone Star College that Fort Bend does not have.
But the average homeowner pays much less in Montgomery. Its county-median effective rate (about 1.37%) is well below Fort Bend's (about 1.65%), and the median annual bill is roughly $4,985 vs $6,716. Three things drive the reversal:
- Lower home values. Montgomery's median home value is lower than Fort Bend's, so the same effective rate produces a smaller dollar bill - and its effective rate is lower too.
- The Woodlands has no city tax. A large share of Montgomery's value sits in the unincorporated Woodlands (a township levy, no municipal rate), which pulls the county-wide median down.
- Fort Bend's MUDs and LIDs. Many Fort Bend master-planned parcels carry a municipal utility district or levee improvement district on top of the stack - real dollars the representative table excludes.
Bottom line: if you are comparing identical Sugar Land vs Conroe homes on paper, the rates are close and Fort Bend edges it. But for a typical homeowner, Montgomery is meaningfully cheaper in practice - and a Fort Bend MUD can widen that gap further. Always check the specific parcel's district list.
Compare your actual numbers. Use the Texas county tax comparison calculator to enter a specific home value and see the estimated bill in Fort Bend, Montgomery, and the other covered counties side by side.
Choosing Between the Houston Suburbs
Fort Bend County anchors the southwestern Houston suburbs (Sugar Land, Missouri City, Katy, Richmond, Rosenberg), while Montgomery County covers the north (Conroe, The Woodlands, Magnolia, Willis). Both border Harris County. Because a municipal utility district can add a large line to either county's bill - especially in newer master-planned communities - the single most important step is to pull the exact taxing-unit list for the specific address, not just the county. Property tax is one factor alongside home price, schools, commute into Houston, and flood risk.
Next Steps
- See each county in full: Fort Bend County property tax and Montgomery County property tax - each has the taxing-unit stack, an exemption-aware estimator, and official sources.
- Compare a specific home value with the Texas county tax comparison calculator.
- See all Texas counties ranked on the Texas property tax rates by county page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is property tax lower in Fort Bend County or Montgomery County?
It flips depending on how you measure. On the representative City of Sugar Land vs City of Conroe stacks, Fort Bend County's combined rate is slightly lower (about 1.84% vs about 1.91%), roughly $5,871 vs $6,299 a year on a $400,000 home. But in practice the typical Montgomery County homeowner pays much less: Montgomery's county-median effective rate is about 1.37% vs Fort Bend's about 1.65%, and Montgomery's median annual bill (about $4,985) is far below Fort Bend's (about $6,716). Lower Montgomery home values, The Woodlands having no city tax, and Fort Bend's very common municipal utility districts (MUDs) drive the reversal.
Why is Montgomery County's effective rate so much lower than its combined rate?
Montgomery County's nominal combined rate (about 1.91%) is actually a bit higher than Fort Bend's, because Montgomery carries a county-wide hospital district (MCHD) and Lone Star College. But its effective rate (about 1.37%) is one of the lowest in the Houston area, because much of the county's value sits in The Woodlands (unincorporated, no city tax), home values are lower than in Fort Bend, and long-held homesteads benefit from the 10% appraisal cap. The posted rate and the rate people actually pay diverge more here than in most counties.
Do Fort Bend and Montgomery County homes have extra district taxes?
Often, yes - and this is a big part of the real-world difference. A large share of Fort Bend County parcels, especially in master-planned communities around Sugar Land, Katy, and Missouri City, sit in a municipal utility district (MUD) or levee improvement district (LID) that adds its own rate on top of the county/city/school stack. Montgomery County also has MUDs (common in The Woodlands and newer developments). Neither the combined-rate table nor the example bill includes a MUD, so check the specific parcel.
Do Fort Bend and Montgomery County have the same sales tax and car tax?
Yes. Combined sales tax is 8.25% in both (6.25% Texas state plus a 2.0% local portion), and neither county levies an annual vehicle property tax - Texas has no annual car tax and no state income tax. The counties differ only in property tax.
Sources
-
Fort Bend County - 2025 tax rates
County, drainage district, City of Sugar Land, and Fort Bend ISD adopted 2025 rates; full source list on the county page.
Fort Bend County property tax -
Montgomery County - 2025 tax rates
County, MCHD hospital district, Lone Star College, City of Conroe, and Conroe ISD adopted 2025 rates; full source list on the county page.
Montgomery County property tax -
U.S. Census Bureau - American Community Survey (ACS)
Typical effective rate and median bill estimates (median real estate taxes / median home value). Estimates, not adopted rates.
data.census.gov - last verified July 2026
Data current as of July 2026. Combined rates are representative nominal stacks at adopted 2025 rates; effective rates and median bills are Census ACS estimates. Rates change yearly, and a MUD or LID can add materially to either county's bill. Verify current figures on each county page and with the county appraisal district before making financial decisions.
More Comparisons
- Texas property tax rates by county (all 10 ranked)
- All comparison tables
- Texas property tax & sales tax by county (hub, grouped by metro)