What a San Marcos house pays
Property tax, water, trash and energy from public rates. Look up your address to make it yours, and see how to pay less.
Sent only to free public map services to find who serves it. Not stored unless you save your house.
Starts at $328,846 of value before exemptions. Typical use.
- Property tax$5,053
1.951% of $328,846, less $140,000 school district homestead exemption and less $15,000 city of san marcos homestead exemption and less $5,000 hays county homestead exemption
- Electricity and gas$2,399
983 kWh a month $1,561 · 31 therms $837
- Water and sewer$2,096
7,000 gallons a month on City of San Marcos (SMTX Utilities): water $76, sewer $81, stormwater (typical residential, 1,980-3,363 sq. ft. of impervious cover) $16, roadway lighting (once per account) $1 a month
- Trash$379
65-gallon, $32 a month
- Home insurance$2,397
Typical premium $2,397
A typical San Marcos house pays about $12,300 a year: $5,050 property tax and charges, $2,100 water and sewer, $380 trash, $2,400 electricity and gas, $2,400 home insurance. Estimated from public rates, not anyone's actual bill.
Rates checked Oct 20, 2026. Insurance: what you enter, or a typical premium until you do. Sources are listed at the bottom.
Ways to pay less
Nothing here applies to every house automatically. These are worth checking:
Seniors 65+: file the over-65 exemption$60,000 off school taxable value
At 65, San Marcos CISD takes another $60,000 off your home's taxable value, the City of San Marcos $35,000 and Hays County $45,000.
How: Apply with the appraisal district.
Income at or below 250% of poverty: utility bill assistance
Households at or below 250% of the federal poverty level can get help with their City of San Marcos utility bill, up to four times a year (October-September).
How: You need an active SMTX Utilities account; email the Utility Billing Assistance team for help applying.
Use your four bulk pickups
Residential garbage customers get four bulk pickups a year, each up to 3 cubic yards.
How: Call the Resource Recovery Office at (512) 393-8412.
Watch winter water use
For 5/8-3/4 inch, 1 inch and 1 1/2 inch meters, residential sewer rates are based on average water use on the bills dated the previous December, January and February.
How: Track your water use in the SMTX Utilities customer portal.
Energy Efficient Home rebateRebate for HVAC, insulation, windows
For existing single-family residential SMTX Utility customers with an account in good standing: rebates for efficient HVAC systems, attic and wall insulation, duct sealing, ENERGY STAR windows and doors, and solar window film and screens.
How: Download the flyer and application from the city's Energy Rebate Programs page.
Irrigation conversion rebateRebate for drip conversion or removal
For SMTX water customers with an account in good standing: rebates for converting spray zones to drip irrigation, removing irrigation zones or removing the whole irrigation system.
How: Download the flyer and application from the city's Water Rebate Programs page.
Money dates
- Jan 31in 100 daysProperty taxes are generally due; penalty and interest start on Feb. 1.
- Apr 30Deadline to file a residence homestead exemption (late applications up to two years after).
- May 15Usual deadline to protest your appraisal, or 30 days after the notice is mailed if later.
Who serves this house
- Water
- City of San Marcos (SMTX Utilities)
- inside-city rates for a 5/8 inch to 3/4 inch meter, billed monthly
- Property tax
- 1.95% of value
- 2026 tax year, Hays County
- Garbage
- Texas Disposal Systems (TDS)
- Weekly garbage; recycling and green waste every other week
- Sewer
- City of San Marcos
- For 5/8-3/4, 1 and 1 1/2 inch meters, residential sewer is based on average water use on the December, January and February bills
- Electricity
- SMTX Utilities (City of San Marcos)
- Bills include a Power Cost Recovery Factor for power bought from LCRA
- Gas
- CenterPoint Energy
- San Marcos is in CenterPoint's South Texas rate area ($30.33 customer charge)
- Schools
- San Marcos CISD
- School tax $1.0152 per $100
Your water
- Source
- Edwards Aquifer wells, Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer groundwater (Alliance Regional Water Authority) and Canyon Lake surface water pumped from Lake Dunlap.
- Lead
- The 90th-percentile lead result for 2022-2024 was 1.63 ppb; the action level is 15 ppb.
- Violation
- Total trihalomethanes (a disinfection byproduct) exceeded the limit as a running annual average in October-December 2025; the city is flushing parts of the system.
- Nitrate
- Highest nitrate result 1.77 ppm in January 2025; the limit is 10 ppm.
Other TX cities
What a Austin house paysWhat a College Station house paysWhat a Corpus Christi house paysWhat a Denton house paysWhat a League City house paysWhat a Pflugerville house paysWhat a The Colony house paysWhat a El Paso house paysWhat a Schertz house paysWhat a Bryan house paysWhat a Laredo house paysWhat a Fate house paysWhat a Kyle house paysWhat a Benbrook house paysWhat a Manor house pays
How these numbers are made
- Water: City of San Marcos inside-city rates from October 1, 2026 for a 5/8 to 3/4 inch meter ($31.70 a month plus $5.43 to $16.30 per 1,000 gallons). We add the 6% franchise fee to every charge and add the $0.06 customer assistance and $0.70 conservation charges to the monthly amount.
- Sewer: $32.40 for the first 2,000 gallons and $9.34 per 1,000 gallons after that, capped at 9,000 gallons, plus the 6% franchise fee and $0.06 assistance charge. The calculator takes a fixed charge plus a per-unit rate, so we use $32.40 minus 2 x $9.34 as the fixed part; that is exact at 2,000 gallons or more and too low below it. The city bases sewer on winter-average use; we use your monthly use.
- Stormwater ($15.76, typical residential) and roadway lighting ($1.34, once per account) are separate monthly utility-bill fees.
- Garbage: City of San Marcos Resource Recovery rates from October 1, 2026: $31.57 for the 65-gallon cart and $36.57 for the 96-gallon cart; both rates include recycling and green waste carts.
- Electricity: the city does not publish the PCRF as a number, so our per-kWh price comes from the city's FY 2026-27 typical residential electric bill ($122.31 for 983 kWh) minus the $12.94 minimum charge, divided by 983 kWh, plus the 6% franchise fee (about 11.8 cents per kWh). The monthly charge is the $12.94 minimum plus 6% and the $0.12 and $0.35 electric community benefit charges. Gas: CenterPoint R-2099-U commodity charge plus the October 2026 South Texas gas cost, divided by 1.037 to convert Ccf to therms; tax and franchise adjustments are left out.
- Property tax: 2026 rates per $100 (city 0.6515 from the city, Hays County 0.4097 from the county's FY 2027 release, San Marcos CISD 0.8902 as reported by Community Impact; the district's own notice was not found), with the $140,000 school and $15,000 city homestead exemptions. The starting value is the city's average homestead taxable value plus the city's $15,000 exemption ($328,846); it is a value before exemptions but runs a little high for seniors, whose larger exemptions lower the average. Hays County's own homestead exemption (1% or $5,000) is not applied, so county tax here may be about $20 a year high. Parts of the city may also be in other taxing districts (e.g. Hays CISD); these rates are for the San Marcos CISD part.
- Nothing here is legal, tax or insurance advice.
- City of San Marcos Utility Rates and Fees (Oct 1, 2026)
- City of San Marcos FY 2027 Ratepayer Impact Statement
- City of San Marcos: New rates effective October 1 (2026)
- City of San Marcos utility billing cycles
- City of San Marcos Resource Recovery (garbage/recycling)
- City of San Marcos Residential Curbside Services
- Notice of Resource Recovery Rate Change (FY 2027)
- City of San Marcos Stormwater Utility Fee Information
- City of San Marcos 2025 Water Quality Report
- Hays County 2025 Tax Rates and Exemptions
- City of San Marcos Current Tax Information
- Hays County: County adopts FY27 budget and tax rate
- Community Impact: San Marcos CISD adopts reduced tax rate for 2026-27
- City of San Marcos FY 2026-27 Taxpayer Impact Statement
- City of San Marcos Notice of Public Hearing on Tax Increase (2026)
- City of San Marcos homestead exemption article
- Texas Comptroller: property tax exemptions
- Texas Comptroller: property tax basics
- Texas Comptroller: property tax protests
- City of San Marcos Payment Assistance
- City of San Marcos Water & Energy Conservation
- City of San Marcos Energy Rebate Programs
- City of San Marcos Water Rebate Programs
- CenterPoint Energy residential rate R-2099-U GRIP 2026
- CenterPoint Energy Texas Purchased Gas Adjustments
- Insurance Information Institute: homeowners premiums by state
How San Marcos compares
A typical San Marcos house against the 11 Texas cities we cover, using the same default numbers as the total above.
| Per year | San Marcos | Median | Where it falls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property tax rate | 1.95% | 2.03% | lower than 6 of the other 10 Texas cities we cover |
| Water | $915 | $553 | higher than 9 of the other 10 Texas cities we cover |
| Sewer and utility-bill fees | $1,180 | $696 | higher than 9 of the other 10 Texas cities we cover |
| Trash | $379 | $280 | higher than 8 of the other 10 Texas cities we cover |
| Electricity and gas | $2,399 | $2,791 | lower than 9 of the other 10 Texas cities we cover |
| Home insurance | $2,397 | $2,397 | in the middle of 10 other Texas cities we cover |
| Total | $12,323 | $12,323 | in the middle of 10 other Texas cities we cover |
Cities bill differently (some put trash on the tax bill, some cover more services), so a higher number isn't necessarily worse. The property tax rate is compared instead of dollars because house values differ.
Questions to ask your candidates
Each one starts from a number above. Any candidate can answer them.
1. Water
The fact: Water here costs about $915 a year at typical use, higher than 9 of the other 10 Texas cities we cover.
Ask: "Water here costs about $915 a year at typical use, higher than 9 of the other 10 Texas cities we cover. What drives that cost, and would you change anything?"
2. Sewer and utility-bill fees
The fact: Sewer and flat utility-bill charges here come to about $1,180 a year, higher than 9 of the other 10 Texas cities we cover. Some cities bill sewer on the property tax bill instead, which is not counted here.
Ask: "Sewer and flat utility-bill charges here cost about $1,180 a year, higher than 9 of the other 10 Texas cities we cover. What drives that cost, and would you change anything?"
3. Trash
The fact: Trash pickup here costs about $379 a year for the standard cart, higher than 8 of the other 10 Texas cities we cover. Where trash is billed through the tax bill or a separate hauler, it is not counted here.
Ask: "Trash pickup here costs about $379 a year for the standard cart, higher than 8 of the other 10 Texas cities we cover. What drives that cost, and would you change anything about the service or the price?"
4. Electricity and gas
The fact: Electricity and gas for a typical house here cost about $2,399 a year, lower than 9 of the other 10 Texas cities we cover. Rates are set mostly by the utility and the state.
Ask: "Electricity and gas here cost about $2,399 a year for a typical house, lower than 9 of the other 10 Texas cities we cover. Which parts of that can the city influence, and what would you do about them?"
Common questions about San Marcos house costs
What is the property tax rate in San Marcos?
About 1.95% of the value before exemptions a year (2026 tax year, Hays County), plus flat charges on the same bill.
How much is property tax on a $500,000 house in San Marcos?
About $8,393 a year on $500,000 of the value before exemptions with the school district homestead exemption.
How much is the water bill in San Marcos?
About $175 a month for water and sewer at typical use (7,000 gallons a month) on City of San Marcos (SMTX Utilities).
How much does trash pickup cost in San Marcos?
$32 to $37 a month, depending on the trash cart size (65-gallon, 96-gallon).
When is property tax due in San Marcos?
Jan 31: Property taxes are generally due; penalty and interest start on Feb. 1.
Can seniors lower their property tax or bills in San Marcos?
Yes. Seniors 65+: file the over-65 exemption: At 65, San Marcos CISD takes another $60,000 off your home's taxable value, the City of San Marcos $35,000 and Hays County $45,000.
Where can I get help paying utility bills in San Marcos?
Income at or below 250% of poverty: utility bill assistance: Households at or below 250% of the federal poverty level can get help with their City of San Marcos utility bill, up to four times a year (October-September). You need an active SMTX Utilities account; email the Utility Billing Assistance team for help applying.
How much does a house in San Marcos cost to run each year?
A typical San Marcos house pays about $12,300 a year: $5,050 property tax and charges, $2,100 water and sewer, $380 trash, $2,400 electricity and gas, $2,400 home insurance. Estimated from public rates, not anyone's actual bill.