Texas Just Doubled the Senior and Disabled Homestead Exemption — Here's What $200,000 in Relief Means for San Antonio Homeowners

If you own a home in San Antonio and you are 65 or older, or you live with a qualifying disability, your property tax bill is about to get meaningfully smaller. The Texas Legislature has passed SB 23 and its companion constitutional amendment, SJR 85, raising the additional school district homestead exemption for seniors and disabled homeowners from $10,000 to $60,000. When you stack that on top of the $140,000 general ISD homestead exemption established through SB 4, eligible homeowners now have a combined $200,000 in ISD homestead exemption. The Senate estimates this reaches 2.08 million Texans, with average annual savings of $950.87 per household.

Before we dig into what this means locally, it helps to understand the basic mechanics. A homestead exemption reduces the taxable value of your home for school district tax purposes. If your home is appraised at $300,000 and you qualify for a $200,000 ISD exemption, the school district taxes only the remaining $100,000. School district levies typically make up the largest single slice of a Texas property tax bill, so reducing that taxable value is where you feel the most relief.

For San Antonio homeowners, that matters a great deal. The city sits within several independent school districts, including San Antonio ISD, North East ISD, Northside ISD, South San Antonio ISD, Southwest ISD, East Central ISD, Harlandale ISD, Judson ISD, and Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD, among others in the broader metro. Regardless of which district your home falls in, if you are 65 or older or disabled and the home is your primary residence, the new $200,000 combined ISD exemption applies. The relief is not limited to any particular ZIP code or neighborhood. Whether you live in Alamo Heights, Helotes, Converse, Floresville, or a longtime neighborhood on the South Side, the same rules cover you.

If you are already receiving the over-65 or disabled exemption, you do not need to do anything dramatic. Texas law generally freezes a senior or disabled homeowner's school district tax bill once the exemption is in place, so your bill cannot rise above what it was when you first qualified, even if your home's appraised value increases. The new, higher exemption amount may actually push your frozen bill lower, which is a benefit worth understanding. Contact the Bexar Appraisal District to confirm your current exemption status and ask how the updated amount will be reflected on your account.

If you have not yet applied for the exemption and you qualify, this is the year to do it. You must file a homestead exemption application with the Bexar Appraisal District if your property is in Bexar County. The general deadline to apply for most exemptions for a given tax year is April 30, though late applications are sometimes accepted. If you missed this year's window, plan to file early in 2026 so you capture the full benefit at the new level.

For homeowners who are approaching 65, it is worth marking your calendar. The over-65 exemption and the accompanying tax freeze take effect the year you turn 65, and they can be applied retroactively to January 1 of that year regardless of when your birthday falls. The savings at the new $200,000 combined exemption level make that timing even more valuable than it was before.

From a buying and selling perspective, this change adds a layer of financial context worth discussing with your agent. A home's net carrying cost is not just the mortgage payment. Property taxes in Bexar County can be significant, and for a buyer who qualifies as a senior or disabled homeowner, the effective tax burden on a modest home could be considerably lower than the raw appraisal district numbers suggest. If you are helping an aging parent explore a move to a smaller home in a neighborhood like Stone Oak, Woodlake, or Lackland City, or even to one of the active adult communities in Converse or Cibolo, the tax picture under this exemption is worth running through carefully.

For renters, the direct benefit is limited since homestead exemptions apply only to owner-occupied primary residences. That said, tax relief for landlords who are seniors or disabled could, in some cases, ease upward pressure on rents, though that outcome is not guaranteed and depends on the individual property owner.

The constitutional amendment, SJR 85, still requires voter approval to take full effect. Texas voters will have the opportunity to ratify it at the ballot. Given the bipartisan support these measures have received and the broad base of homeowners who benefit, passage is widely anticipated, but it is not yet a done deal as of today.

If you have questions about how this affects the value or carrying cost of a specific property you own, are buying, or are considering listing in the San Antonio area, our team at 5 Star Real Estate is glad to help you think it through. Property taxes are one of the most meaningful variables in a real estate decision, and changes like this one deserve a close look.