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El Paso County preliminary property values jump about 10%; appraisal district braces for up to 40,000 protests
Summary
The El Paso Central Appraisal District reported a roughly 9.9% preliminary increase in taxable value for 2025 and warned it has logged about 32,000 protests so far and may receive up to 40,000 before certification. Officials outlined where value growth came from and urged property owners to use the protest process.
The El Paso Central Appraisal District told the County Commissioners Court on May 19 that preliminary taxable values for the county rose from about $68.7 billion in 2024 to roughly $75.5 billion for 2025, an increase the district characterized as about 9.9 percent.
The district's executive director, Dinah Kilgore, and deputy chief, David Stone, presented the numbers and explained the drivers behind the growth, saying residential property remains the dominant category. “Residential property increased from $42,700,000,000 to $47,300,000,000,” Stone said, and he added that nearly $853 million of that change is attributable to new construction included on the roll.
County budget staff and appraisers emphasized that the totals are preliminary and will fall as the protest season proceeds. Kilgore told the court the appraisal office had recorded about 32,000 protests as of the presentation and expected that number could reach roughly 40,000 by the time the appraisal roll is certified for taxing entities in late July.
Why it matters: Property taxes fund local services and school funding formulas. The appraisal district framed the increase as a market-driven revaluation after several years of elevated home-price growth. Stone noted the county’s average market value for a single-family home rose substantially since 2020, from about $135,000 to roughly $247,000, and cautioned that homestead limits only delay, not eliminate, the effect of market increases on taxable value.
Most important details: - Preliminary county-wide taxable value: about $75.5 billion (up about 9.9% from $68.7 billion). - Residential value: from ~$42.7B to ~$47.3B (new construction ~ $853M). - Commercial value: from ~$12.0B to ~$13.6B (new construction ~ $551M). - Multifamily and business personal property increases were also reported; appraisers said some business personal property totals were still being finalized. - Appraisal staff said they had recorded roughly 32,000 protests so far and expected the count to continue through May–July and possibly reach about 40,000.
What officials told property owners: The county’s budget office and El Paso CAD urged property owners who disagree with a notice to use the informal review and, if necessary, the formal protest process. David Stone described mass appraisal limitations — including Texas’s status as a non‑disclosure state for many sales and the fact that appraisal staff cannot inspect every property each year — and encouraged homeowners to bring photos, recent appraisals, repair estimates or other evidence to hearings. “Pictures, pictures, pictures,” Stone said when listing helpful evidence.
What comes next: The appraisal district said it will continue to process protests and provide updated totals to county budget staff. The appraisal review board handles formal protests and, where needed, arbitration or district court remedies are available. County officials said they will use the updated roll as they develop the FY2026 budget but cautioned that the preliminary totals will change with protest outcomes.
