Texas Tax-Delinquent Property Entry Costs by County: 312x Spread Across 110 Counties

Most articles about Texas tax-delinquent investing treat the state as a single market. It isn't. Entry costs per parcel vary by more than 300x depending on which of Texas's 254 counties you're bidding in. That spread changes which strategies work, who can afford to enter, and where your capital actually goes further.

We analyzed 1,135,185 tax-delinquent property records across 110 Texas counties — pulled from county tax roll data — and ranked every county by average overdue tax balance per parcel. The cheapest county averages $53 per parcel. The most expensive averages $16,534. If you've been treating Texas as one market, the numbers say you're probably in the wrong county.

The Headline Numbers

• 110 Texas counties in our coverage area, covering 1.1M+ delinquent parcels.
• Franklin County has the lowest average overdue tax: $53 per parcel.
• Harris County (Houston) has the highest: $16,534 per parcel — 312x more.
• Statewide average overdue tax: $4,355 per parcel.
• Texas-wide heir-property signals: 15,996 parcels (1.4% of records).

Cheapest Texas Counties to Enter (Lowest Avg Overdue Tax)

These are the counties where the minimum bid at a tax deed sale is most likely to be modest. A low average overdue tax usually means smaller tax bills, younger delinquencies, or lower-value parcels — any of which translates to a lower capital bar to get started.

Rank	County	Avg Overdue Tax	Parcels	Avg Property Value
1	Franklin	$53	16,032	$219,381
2	Wheeler	$274	6,455	$163,921
3	Gregg	$907	5,508	$89,198
4	Denton	$934	33,312	$113,153
5	Refugio	$1,385	5,292	—
6	Brazoria	$1,772	14,509	$110,930
7	Potter	$2,165	7,447	—
8	Navarro	$2,220	7,968	$217,748
9	Galveston	$2,315	9,408	$201,592
10	Bell	$2,326	17,408	$261,665

Most Expensive Texas Counties (Highest Avg Overdue Tax)

Rank	County	Avg Overdue Tax	Parcels	Avg Property Value
1	Harris (Houston)	$16,534	37,063	$864,026
2	Travis (Austin)	$14,333	6,255	$398,183
3	Tarrant (Fort Worth)	$6,419	14,803	$244,104
4	Kaufman	$5,298	10,103	$303,379
5	Hidalgo	$4,823	9,271	$159,450
6	Dallas	$4,338	42,474	$117,095
7	Williamson	$4,140	22,842	—
8	Collin	$3,968	7,784	$324,626
9	Jefferson	$3,797	9,019	$210,953
10	Ector	$3,774	10,583	—

Best Value-to-Tax Ratio (Property Value per Dollar of Tax)

This is the metric that actually matters if you're trying to acquire tangible real estate through the tax-deed system. Higher ratio = more property per dollar of minimum bid. Keep in mind that competitive bidding drives the final clearing price up from the minimum — but the minimum bid floor still starts at the overdue tax balance.

Rank	County	Value-to-Tax Ratio	Avg Tax	Avg Property Value
1	Wheeler	598.3x	$274	$163,921
2	Denton	121.1x	$934	$113,153
3	Bell	112.5x	$2,326	$261,665
4	Johnson	99.6x	$2,488	$247,704
5	Gregg	98.3x	$907	$89,198
6	Navarro	98.1x	$2,220	$217,748
7	Galveston	87.1x	$2,315	$201,592
8	Waller	84.9x	$3,345	$283,884
9	Midland	84.4x	$2,422	$204,522
10	McLennan	82.3x	$3,325	$273,530

What This Means for Investors

If You Have Limited Capital

Franklin, Wheeler, Gregg, and Denton are the most accessible entry points. Average overdue taxes under $1,000 per parcel mean you can participate at a few tax-deed auctions without needing six figures of buying power. Wheeler County in particular stands out — 598x value-to-tax ratio is an outlier that deserves investigation.

If You Want Premium Properties

Harris (Houston) and Travis (Austin) have the highest average property values on their delinquent roll — $864,026 and $398,183 respectively — but the entry cost is proportionally higher. These are competitive markets; don't expect minimum bids to clear uncontested.

The Suburban Sweet Spots

Denton ($934 avg tax, 33,312 parcels), Bell ($2,326 avg, 17,408 parcels), and Williamson are the high-volume suburban counties where you can get meaningful deal flow at moderate cost. Waller County — just outside Houston — averages $3,345 in back taxes on parcels worth $283,884 on average; that's an 85x ratio on properties in a growing commuter corridor.

Important Caveats

• Average ≠ minimum. The average overdue tax balance is a proxy for typical entry cost, but the actual minimum bid at a tax deed sale includes penalties, interest, court costs, and fees on top. Always pull the actual sale listing.
• Competitive bidding drives prices up. These numbers describe the starting point. In Harris County auctions, premium parcels routinely clear at multiples of the minimum.
• Some counties show $0 average tax because their data hasn't been enriched with tax balance info yet. Counties in that state aren't ranked here.
• Texas has 254 counties; our coverage currently includes 110. Numbers will update as coverage expands.
• These are all tax-delinquent records, not all currently for sale at auction. Each county sets its own auction calendar.

Get the Full County List and Auction Calendar

We track tax-delinquent parcels across 110 Texas counties, with county tax-sale websites linked directly. Our Texas tax sale website directory has each county's portal.

If you want to filter these records by score, tax owed, property value, or heir-property signals — create a free account and explore the cases browser. Every county above is live in the platform.

Questions about methodology or want us to pull similar data for a different state? Email [email protected].