Williamson County vs Travis County Property Tax
Buying in the Austin area and deciding between Round Rock / Georgetown (Williamson County) and Austin (Travis County)? On the same home value, Williamson County's representative combined rate is lower - about 1.68% vs about 2.05%, or roughly $5,465 vs $6,891 a year on a $400,000 home. The gap is mostly that Travis County carries Central Health and Austin Community College county-wide, while Williamson has neither on most bills. But read the whole picture: at the county-median level the two effective rates are close (Williamson ~1.61%, Travis ~1.54%), and Austin's higher home values can even the dollar bills out.
Data current as of July 2026. Representative 2025 stacks (Round Rock / Round Rock ISD; City of Austin / Austin ISD); effective rates are Census ACS estimates. Full detail on the Williamson County and Travis County pages.
Key Takeaways
- Lower headline rate: Williamson. The representative combined rate is about 1.68% in Williamson (Round Rock) vs about 2.05% in Travis (Austin) - roughly $1,426 a year less on a $400,000 home.
- Why: Travis County adds two county-wide units Williamson lacks on most bills - Central Health (hospital, ~$0.118) and Austin Community College (~$0.103) - and Austin ISD's rate is higher than Round Rock ISD's.
- Effective rates are close. At the county-median level the two run within about half a point (Williamson ~1.61%, Travis ~1.54%), so on real bills the gap is smaller than the headline rate suggests.
- Home values matter. Austin homes generally cost more than Round Rock or Georgetown, so a pricier Travis home can carry a similar dollar bill despite the lower effective rate.
- 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: Williamson vs Travis
| Measure | Williamson County | Travis County |
|---|---|---|
| Metro / anchor city | Greater Austin - Round Rock, Georgetown | Greater Austin - Austin |
| Combined rate (representative) | ~1.68% | ~2.05% |
| Typical effective rate (ACS) | ~1.61% | ~1.54% |
| County's own rate /$100 | $0.413776 | $0.375845 |
| Representative city /$100 | Round Rock $0.372000 | Austin $0.524017 |
| Representative school district /$100 | Round Rock ISD $0.8931 | Austin ISD $0.9252 |
| County-wide hospital / college | None on most bills (ACC only in annexed areas) | Central Health $0.118 + Austin Community College $0.1034 |
| Est. tax on a $400,000 home* | $5,465 | $6,891 |
| Sales tax | 8.25% | 8.25% |
| Annual car tax | None | None |
| Homestead / cap | School $140k + 10% cap; county greater of $5k or 5% | School $140k + 10% cap |
| 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 (Round Rock / Round Rock ISD; City of Austin / Austin ISD), before local-option city/county exemptions and any MUD. Rates from each county's adopted 2025 records; effective rates are Census ACS estimates. Your exact bill depends on your city, school district, and special districts. See the Williamson County and Travis County pages for full sources.
Which County Is Actually Cheaper?
For the same home value, Williamson (Round Rock) is cheaper - about $1,426 less a year on a $400,000 home in this representative comparison. That gap is structural: Travis County's bill carries Central Health and Austin Community College across the whole county, and Austin ISD is a bit higher than Round Rock ISD. Williamson County's own rate is slightly higher than Travis County's, but it has no county-wide hospital or college district on most bills, which more than makes up the difference.
But "lower rate" is not the same as "lower bill." Two things narrow the gap in practice:
- Effective rates are close. Across all parcels, the county-median effective rate is about 1.61% in Williamson and about 1.54% in Travis - Travis is marginally lower, because much of Williamson's growth is in higher-rate districts (Leander, Hutto, Georgetown) and municipal utility districts (MUDs), while the Round Rock example sits at the low end for the county.
- Austin homes cost more. Travis County's median home value is higher than Williamson's, so a pricier Austin home can produce a similar or larger dollar bill even at a comparable effective rate. The median annual real estate tax is actually close between the two counties.
Bottom line: if you are comparing the same home in Round Rock vs Austin, Williamson wins on the property-tax line. If you are comparing an Austin home to a cheaper Round Rock home, run the actual numbers - the higher-value Austin home can cost more even though the effective rate is similar.
Compare your actual numbers. Use the Texas county tax comparison calculator to enter a specific home value and see the estimated bill in Williamson, Travis, and the other covered counties side by side.
Choosing Between the Austin Suburbs
Williamson County anchors the fast-growing northern Austin suburbs - Round Rock, Georgetown, Cedar Park, Leander, and Hutto - while Travis County is the urban core around Austin. Property tax is one input; commute, schools, home price, and whether a parcel sits in a MUD all move the total cost of ownership more than the headline rate does. Within Williamson, a Round Rock ISD home is on the lower-rate end; Leander ISD and newer MUD-heavy developments run higher. Within Travis, the City of Austin / Austin ISD stack used here is a common but not universal combination.
Next Steps
- See each county in full: Williamson County property tax and Travis 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 Williamson County or Travis County?
On the same home value, the representative combined property tax rate is lower in Williamson County (about 1.68%, using a Round Rock / Round Rock ISD stack) than in Travis County (about 2.05%, using a City of Austin / Austin ISD stack) - roughly $5,465 vs $6,891 a year on a $400,000 home with a homestead exemption. The main reason is that Travis County carries Central Health and Austin Community College county-wide, while Williamson County has neither on most bills. At the county-median level the two effective rates are closer (Williamson about 1.61%, Travis about 1.54%), and Austin-area home values are higher, so actual dollar bills can end up similar.
Why is Travis County property tax higher than Williamson County?
Travis County's representative stack adds two county-wide taxing units that Williamson County does not have on most bills: Central Health (the hospital district, about $0.118 per $100) and Austin Community College (about $0.103). Austin ISD's rate is also higher than Round Rock ISD's. Williamson County's own rate is actually a little higher than Travis County's, but the missing hospital and college districts more than offset it.
Does the lower rate in Williamson County mean a lower tax bill?
Not always. On the same home value, the Round Rock stack is cheaper. But Austin (Travis County) home values are generally higher than Round Rock and Georgetown, so a pricier Austin home can carry a similar or larger dollar bill even at a comparable effective rate. Higher-rate Williamson districts (Leander, Hutto) and municipal utility districts (MUDs) in newer developments can also erase the gap. Compare a specific home value with the Texas county tax comparison calculator.
Do Williamson and Travis 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
-
Williamson County - 2025 tax rates
County, City of Round Rock, and Round Rock ISD adopted 2025 rates and exemptions; full source list on the county page.
Williamson County property tax -
Travis County - 2025 tax rates
County, City of Austin, Austin ISD, Central Health, and Austin Community College adopted 2025 rates; full source list on the county page.
Travis County property tax -
U.S. Census Bureau - American Community Survey (ACS)
Typical effective rate 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 are Census ACS estimates. Rates change yearly. 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)