Why Are North Richland Hills Property Taxes Rising?

by Joy Rhodes

Quick Answer: North Richland Hills has proposed a FY2027 property tax rate of $0.555144 per $100 of value, up from $0.497841 this year. That's above the No New Revenue Rate for the first time in three years. The city holds its final public hearing September 14, 2026 before adopting the rate.

Here's the truth most people won't say: NRH's tax rate has held flat or dropped every year since 2020, and a lot of homeowners stopped paying attention to budget season because of it. That streak just ended.

The city's proposed FY2027 rate isn't just higher than last year's. It's higher than the No New Revenue Rate, which is the threshold Texas uses to measure whether a city is collecting more property tax revenue than it did the year before. NRH stayed at or below that line for three years running. Not this time.

If you own a home in North Richland Hills, this is worth five minutes of your attention before the city adopts the final number next month.

What's Actually Changing

The numbers, straight from the city's own notice:

Last year's adopted rate (FY2026): $0.497841 per $100 of property value
This year's proposed rate (FY2027): $0.555144 per $100 of property value
No New Revenue Rate: $0.533968
Voter Approval Rate: $0.560313

The proposed rate sits above the No New Revenue Rate but below the Voter Approval Rate, which means the city isn't required to put it to a vote. It also means the proposed rate is roughly 11.5% higher than what you're currently being taxed at, calculated straight from those two published numbers.

Reality Check: A higher rate does not automatically mean your personal tax bill jumps by the same percentage. Your bill depends on your rate and your property's taxable value, and taxable values get reassessed every year by the Tarrant Appraisal District. Two homeowners on the same street can see two different outcomes depending on what their individual reassessment looked like.

Why This Year Is Different

Context matters here, because NRH has actually been unusually disciplined on this front. The city reduced its tax rate by 13.5% between 2020 and 2025, raised its homestead exemption to the maximum 20% allowed under state law, and stayed at or below the No New Revenue Rate for three straight years. Combined with state-level relief on the school tax side, the average total tax bill in NRH actually dropped about 8.1%, or $469, since 2020, even as home values in the city rose 44%.

That's the backdrop the proposed increase is landing on. The city cites rising costs for public safety, streets, and basic operations as the driver, along with general inflation pressure on things like electricity, gasoline, and maintenance that every household in North Texas has felt this year too.

Local Note: NRH is also asking voters to weigh in on a separate November 3, 2026 bond election covering four propositions tied to long-term street and facility infrastructure. That's a different vote from the tax rate hearings and won't affect this year's rate, but it's the same underlying story: the city is signaling it needs more revenue for infrastructure it's been deferring.

What This Means for Your Bill

This is where I want to be precise instead of giving you a number that sounds authoritative but isn't verified.

The city's official Truth-in-Taxation disclosure states the new rate will raise maintenance and operations taxes on a $100,000 home by approximately $7. That figure is a specific, narrow calculation required under Texas law. It is not the same thing as comparing last year's full rate to this year's full proposed rate on your actual home value, and I don't have a verified, published dollar figure for what the average NRH homeowner's total bill will look like under the new rate. Anyone telling you an exact average dollar increase for your situation right now is estimating, not reporting.

What Most Homeowners Miss: The most accurate number is the one specific to your property, not a citywide average. Tarrant County's own tool at tarranttaxinfo.com lets you look up your estimated bill from the city and every other taxing entity that shows up on your statement, using your actual taxable value.

Pro Tip: If you have a homestead exemption, you're already capped at the maximum 20% the state allows. If you're 65 or older, or disabled, ask the Tarrant Appraisal District whether your senior or disabled tax ceiling is in place. That freeze means your city tax bill cannot exceed what you paid the year you qualified, regardless of rate increases, unless you've added on to the home or purchased a different one.

What You Can Do About It

The city already held its first public hearing on August 24. The second and final hearing is scheduled for September 14, 2026, at 7:00 PM in the City Council Chamber at City Hall, 4301 City Point Drive. Council is expected to adopt the final budget and tax rate at that meeting.

If you want your voice in the record, that's your window. You can attend the hearing, submit a comment through the city's online form, or contact your council member directly. After September 14, this year's rate is set.

If you're weighing a sale in the next year or two, none of this changes your equity position. It's simply one more piece of the carrying-cost picture worth factoring into your timing conversation.

Why Are North Richland Hills Property Taxes Rising?

The city's proposed FY2027 rate of $0.555144 per $100 of value is above the No New Revenue Rate for the first time in three years, driven primarily by rising costs for public safety, infrastructure, and general city operations. It follows five years in which the city kept the rate flat or falling.

How Can I Calculate My New NRH Property Tax Bill?

Visit tarranttaxinfo.com and enter your property information to see an estimate based on your actual taxable value, not a citywide average. Your bill also depends on any homestead, senior, or disability exemptions you have on file with the Tarrant Appraisal District.

When Will NRH Adopt the Final 2026 Tax Rate?

The city holds its second and final public hearing on September 14, 2026, at 7:00 PM at City Hall. The City Council is expected to vote to adopt the budget and tax rate at that meeting.

Are There Exemptions That Can Lower My NRH Tax Bill?

Yes. North Richland Hills offers a 20% homestead exemption, the maximum allowed under Texas law, plus an additional $36,000 exemption for homeowners who are 65 or older or disabled. Those who qualify for the senior or disabled tax ceiling have their city tax bill frozen at the amount owed the year they qualified.

Does a Higher Tax Rate Mean My Bill Will Definitely Go Up?

Not necessarily. Your actual bill depends on your property's individual taxable value this year, which is set separately by the Tarrant Appraisal District, along with any exemptions or tax ceilings already in place on your account. The rate increase sets the ceiling for what's possible, not a guaranteed outcome for every homeowner.

Ready to talk through your next move? Schedule a conversation at WisemoveTX.com.

Joy Rhodes | REALTOR® WisemoveTX.com joy@wisemovetx.com TX License #0622809