Understanding the City’s Low Historical Property Tax Rate
Published on May 21, 2025
The City of Arlington is facing a challenging Fiscal Year 2026. Throughout the next several months, our “Piecing it Together” budget series will provide a high-level overview of the unique situational and economic factors impacting Arlington’s budget this year. Have a question or topic you’d like to see included? Send us a message.
Each August, the Arlington City Council sets the City’s property tax rate as part of the annual budget approval process.
Property taxes make up a significant portion—45%—of the City of Arlington’s General Fund. The General Fund, combined with other revenue sources, allows Arlington to provide essential programs and services and maintain public infrastructure, from streetlights to storm drains, across our 99-square-mile city.
Arlington’s Property Tax Rate History
For 12 straight years— from Fiscal Year 2004 to Fiscal Year 2016— Arlington’s property tax rate remained at $0.648 per $100 of assessed value. That’s nearly five cents higher than today’s tax rate.
Starting in Fiscal Year 2017, the Council lowered the tax rate for eight straight years as assessed property values increased and generated additional property tax revenues for the City. A two-cent tax rate drop approved by Council for Fiscal Year 2023 was the largest property tax rate reduction in 30 years. It was followed in Fiscal Year 2024 by another one-cent tax rate drop.
Last August, the Council approved the first property tax rate increase in 20 years—along with $5.8 million in cost-saving measures —to balance the Fiscal Year 2025 budget. The one-cent tax rate increase generated approximately $4 million in revenue and allowed the City to fulfill commitments approved by voters and continue services that have strong resident demand, such as public safety, community cleanliness and enhancement and the opening of ACTIV. The rate increase returned the City’s property tax rate to what it had been two years earlier.
When you compare this to neighboring cities, you’ll find that Arlington’s property tax rate is lower than those in Mansfield, Kennedale, Dalworthington Gardens, Fort Worth and Dallas.
Understanding Your Total Property Tax Bill
The City of Arlington’s property tax rate is currently $0.5998 per $100 of assessed value.
While the City approves the tax rate, the Tarrant Appraisal District assesses the value of each property that the tax rate is applied to. For example, a family whose home appraised for $330,000, the median home value in Arlington, would pay the City about $1,980 in property taxes. That’s about $164 a month to pay for police, fire, parks, libraries, streets, 911 and other General Fund funded city services.
Each year, taxpayers in Tarrant County receive one bill from the county’s assessor-collector that combines property taxes owed to each taxing entity. Taxes owed to the City of Arlington typically make up about 20 to 25% of an Arlington homeowner's total property tax bill, depending on which school district your home is located within. The remainder of the bill comes from taxes owed to other entities, including Tarrant County, Tarrant County College District, the Tarrant County Hospital District and your school district. Each taxing entity sets its own tax rate.