By TONY GUERRERO
Hays Post
The total appraised property value in Ellis County, excluding utilities, increased to about $3.9 billion in 2026.
Ellis County Appraiser Eugene Rupp updated commissioners on 2026 property valuation trends and outlined the upcoming reinspection process during Tuesday’s Ellis County Commission meeting.
Rupp said 189 new parcels were added in 2026 due to new subdivisions. The total appraised property value increased about 3% from 2025, rising from roughly $3.8 billion.
Rupp highlighted that residential property accounted for 62.18% of the total valuation in 2025, slightly decreasing to 61.8% in 2026.
“Overall, no drastic changes in the allocation between the values,” Rupp said. “What you would normally see in most years would be an increase in residential, and some of that is attributable to Hays High being completed last year. Millions of dollars of value added to the values of the county.”
The total assessed value for 2026 was about $454.9 million, up from about $440 million in 2025, which is an increase of about $15 million.
Rupp also outlined median value changes by property class. He said vacant land increased about 10% in 2026, while not-for-profit and exempt property increased about 4%. Residential property was up 2.1%, commercial property increased 1.8%, and farm home sites rose just less than 1%.
The median single-family home sale price increased by about $25,000 in 2025, a rise Rupp attributed to new homes coming on the market at higher prices.
The median appraised value of a single-family home in Ellis County was about $198,700 in 2026, an increase of about $2,800 from 2025.
Rupp said agricultural land values in Ellis County declined about 4% overall from 2025 to 2026. This represents the weighted-average change across all land types in the county, including dryland, irrigated land, native grass and tame grass.
Real estate valuation notices were mailed on March 23 after several extensions. Rupp said the deadline to file an appeal is April 21, and oil and personal property notices will be sent on May 1.
The appraiser’s office is available to answer questions.
Reinspection process for the 2027 tax year
The county inspects 17% of residential and commercial properties each year as part of a six-year cycle. Rupp said inspectors will knock on doors and conduct exterior-only inspections, entering homes only if invited. Residents are notified in advance by mail.
Areas shown in pink and orange indicate parts of Hays scheduled for inspection this summer, with additional pink areas outside the city also set for inspection in the county.
Rupp said inspectors do not set property values but verify property information.
