Retiring in Central Texas

Williamson County Over-65 Exemption: 2026 Guide

How the Williamson County over-65 exemption works in 2026: the $125,000 county exemption, city amounts, which taxes freeze, and how to apply with WCAD.

If you own and live in your home in Williamson County, the Williamson County over-65 exemption takes $125,000 off your home's taxable value for county taxes, and the county freezes its tax at the amount you pay the year you qualify. Your school district, and in many cases your city, add their own over-65 benefits on top of that.

You apply once, for free, with the Williamson Central Appraisal District (WCAD), and the benefits follow you each year you stay in the home. Here is what each layer of your tax bill offers for 2026, and what to watch for.

How much is the Williamson County over-65 exemption?

For the 2026 tax year, Williamson County's published chart of exemptions lists:

General homestead exemption: 5 percent of the home's value, with a $5,000 minimum, for every homestead owner.
Over-65 exemption: $125,000 off the taxable value for county taxes.
Disabled person exemption: also $125,000.
Tax ceiling: the county has adopted a local option freeze, so county taxes on your homestead generally will not rise above the amount you pay in the year you qualify.

The county raised the over-65 amount from $90,000 to $125,000 in 2022, and the 2026 chart keeps it at $125,000. The county's separate farm-to-market and road (FM/Road) tax has a $3,000 homestead exemption and no separate over-65 amount, but WCAD says the over-65 ceiling also applies to that road tax.

Williamson County Over-65 Exemption

What do Cedar Park, Leander, Georgetown and Round Rock offer?

Cities set their own over-65 exemptions, and only some have adopted a tax ceiling. From the county's 2026 chart:

Cedar Park: $30,000 over-65 exemption, plus a homestead exemption of 1 percent (at least $5,000). City taxes are frozen.
Leander: $10,000 over-65 exemption, plus 1 percent (at least $5,000) homestead. City taxes are frozen.
Georgetown: $12,000 over-65 exemption, plus 5 percent (at least $5,000) homestead. City taxes are frozen.
Round Rock: $22,000 over-65 exemption. The chart does not show a freeze for Round Rock, so city taxes can still rise.
Liberty Hill: $15,000 over-65 exemption, with a freeze.
Hutto: no over-65 dollar exemption listed, but city taxes are frozen.
Pflugerville: $35,000 over-65 exemption, with no freeze shown.
Austin Community College (if your home is in its taxing district): $75,000 over-65 exemption, with a freeze.

Some municipal utility districts (MUDs) also offer over-65 exemptions, while many offer none. Your appraisal notice lists every taxing unit on your home, so check each one against the county chart.

How does it work with the school tax freeze?

School taxes are usually the largest line on a Central Texas tax bill, and they follow statewide rules. Every Williamson County school district gives a $140,000 homestead exemption plus a $60,000 over-65 exemption, and some (Georgetown, Leander and Liberty Hill ISDs) add $3,000 more. Pflugerville ISD adds $9,100. School taxes are also frozen at a ceiling once you qualify.

We cover how that school ceiling works, including how it moves with you if you sell, in our article on the school tax freeze at 65 in Texas.

A simple example

Here is an illustration using the 2026 rates and exemptions on the county's chart. Your own bill will depend on your appraised value, your taxing units and any value cap.

Picture a Cedar Park couple with about $1.5 million saved for retirement. One spouse turns 65 in 2026, and the home's appraised value is $700,000.

County tax without the over-65 exemption: $700,000 less the 5 percent homestead exemption ($35,000) leaves $665,000. At the 2026 county rate of $0.381218 per $100, that is about $2,535.
County tax with the over-65 exemption: subtract another $125,000, leaving $540,000. The county tax drops to about $2,059, a savings of roughly $477.
City of Cedar Park tax: $700,000 less the $7,000 homestead exemption and the $30,000 over-65 exemption leaves $663,000. At the 2026 city rate of $0.377930 per $100, that is about $2,506, roughly $113 less than without the over-65 exemption.

Both the county and city amounts then become ceilings. If the home's appraised value rises to $800,000 later, the county tax at the same rate would be about $2,421, but with the freeze the couple still pays no more than about $2,059 to the county.

Who qualifies?

You qualify for the over-65 exemption if:

You are 65 or older (only one owner needs to be)
You have an ownership interest in the home
The home is your principal residence and you claim no other homestead

You qualify starting the year you turn 65, and the exemption applies to that whole tax year. Homeowners with a qualifying disability can receive a disabled person exemption instead. If you qualify for both, you may receive both only if they apply to different taxing units.

How do I apply in Williamson County?

You apply with WCAD, not with the county tax office. Filing is free.

Go to wcad.org and find your property with the Property Search tool.
Select the "HS Exemption" icon to open the homestead application (Form 50-114).
Check the box for the age 65 or older exemption.
Upload a copy of your Texas driver's license or state ID. The address must match the home.

If you moved from another Texas county and already had a school tax ceiling there, ask your old appraisal district for a tax ceiling transfer certificate and include it with your application.

You do not need to reapply each year unless the chief appraiser asks or you move. If you missed the filing deadline, WCAD accepts late applications up to two years after the date the taxes become delinquent.

The county tax office says changes from WCAD can take 4 to 6 weeks to appear on its website, so check your next statement to confirm the exemption and ceiling are in place.

What happens to the exemption when a spouse dies?

The surviving spouse can keep the school tax ceiling if the survivor is 55 or older, has ownership in the home, and lives there. The survivor must apply to WCAD for the ceiling to transfer. Send WCAD a copy of the death certificate and proof of age.

Can I defer my property taxes instead?

Yes. Homeowners who are 65 or older, or disabled, can file a tax deferral affidavit with WCAD and postpone paying property taxes on their homestead. The taxes are not forgiven. According to the Williamson County Tax Assessor-Collector, deferred taxes build up with 5 percent interest per year and become due when you or a qualifying surviving spouse no longer own and live in the home. Check with your mortgage or reverse mortgage lender first, because some require taxes to be paid every year.

Deferral can help a retiree who is house-rich and cash-poor, but it reduces what passes to heirs, so treat it as part of the wider plan.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Williamson County over-65 exemption automatic?

Not always. If WCAD already has your birth date with your general homestead exemption, it may add the over-65 exemption for you. The safest step is to apply through the HS Exemption link on wcad.org the year you turn 65.

Are Williamson County taxes frozen at 65?

Yes. Williamson County and its FM/Road tax have adopted a tax ceiling, so those taxes generally will not rise above the amount for the year you qualify, except for new improvements. School taxes are frozen under state law. Some cities, including Cedar Park, Leander and Georgetown, also freeze their taxes, while Round Rock does not.

How much does the over-65 exemption save in Williamson County?

It depends on your home's value and taxing units. At the 2026 county rate, the $125,000 county exemption alone is worth about $477 a year. School and city exemptions add more.

Does the freeze go away if I improve my home?

No, but it can go up. Adding a pool, garage or room can raise the ceiling by the tax on that new value. Normal repairs and maintenance do not.

Do I need to apply again if I move within Williamson County?

Yes. The exemption is tied to the home, so you file a new application for the new homestead. You can transfer the same percentage of your school ceiling. A county or city ceiling generally transfers only if you stay within that same taxing unit.

Talk it through with us

Property tax relief is one piece of the housing decision in retirement: whether to stay, downsize or move closer to family, and how that fits with income, Social Security and taxes. If you are turning 65 in Williamson County or weighing a move, book a Financial Clarity Session with our team. Vital Wealth & Retirement has helped Central Texas families plan for retirement since 2005.