Denton Appraisal District Budget Total of $20.35 MM / Year
The Denton Central Appraisal District (DCAD) acts as the point organization for all taxing entities in Denton County. MUDS, school districts, and local governments all rely on DCAD to identify, classify, and collect taxes on properties across the county. Despite having a budget of $20.35 million in 2024, DCAD only had 45 full-time appraisers. While it is vital that property taxes get collected for the county to thrive, they must be both accurate and fair, which is where property tax protests come in. Join O’Connor’s Property Tax Protection Program™ today and ensure that you are paying what you should owe, not a penny more. There will never be any upfront costs, hidden fees, and you only pay when you lower your taxes.
Total 2018 CAD Budget Including ARBSource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Millions of $ | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||
| Total Budget | 10.000 | 10.381 | 11.010 | 11.620 | 13.042 | 13.042 | 14.220 | 14.232 | 15.324 | 17.81 | 20.348 | |
| ARB Operations Budget | 0.1285 | 0.1305 | 0.1287 | 0.1294 | 0.1332 | 0.1292 | 0.1812 | 0.3326 | 0.4180 | 0.460 | 0.451 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since YOU can spend YOUR money better than the government.
Denton County CAD Operations and Budgets
The Denton Central Appraisal District (DCAD) is one of the most important and powerful government bodies in the county. Not only does DCAD assess, categorize, tax and collect for all property in the county, but they also provide the majority of tax revenue to the entire local government. Property taxes are used to keep Texas afloat, and Denton County certainly fits this profile. While they perform a necessary function, DCAD also have little oversight and there are no real checks to their power.
Property tax protests are the only option the people of Texas have to protect themselves from the overreach of appraisal districts. From informal appeals, to formal hearings, to judicial appeals, let O’Connor be your shield against aggressive taxation. Based in Houston and one of the largest property tax dispute specialists in America, O’Connor has the native expertise, and the vast array of talent needed to face down DCAD and other appraisal districts.
Denton CAD Total Budget Including ARB
The DCAD budget was $20.35 million in 2024, up 103.48% from 2014. While the budget has grown in the past decade, it may not be enough. A common theme across all major counties in Texas is that the appraisal districts are too underfunded to properly manage and appraise properties around their jurisdiction. Denton may not be Harris or Tarrant counties, but it is one of the fastest growing and wealthiest areas in Texas. Even if DCAD is keeping up with population and other aspects of growth, the appraisal review board (ARB) is underfunded at $451,300 per year.
Total Property Taxes Levied Denton CountySource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Billions of $ | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||
| Property Taxes Levied | 1.3062 | 1.5728 | 1.7273 | 1.9283 | 2.1159 | 2.2459 | 2.3759 | 2.5345 | 2.9373 | 2.5345 | 2.4573 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since Appealing annually helps the appraisal district avoid over-taxing a property for both market value and unequal appraisal.
Denton County Total Amount of Property Taxes Levied
2023 was the first time in over a decade that property taxes in Denton County dropped. Before that, taxes had increased 124.87% since 2014. $2.53 billion in taxes were levied in 2023, down from the record high of $2.94 billion in 2022. 2024 saw a smaller fall, reaching $2.46 billion. One reason for the drop in revenue was that 27.06% of all properties in the county were protested that year. $464.59 million in taxes was reduced thanks to combined protests in 2024. This is one of the rare instances where the effects of tax protests can be seen dramatically on the levied total.
FTE Positions In Budget Total - Denton CADSource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| FTEs | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||
| Total Number of FTEs | 68 | 69 | 72 | 74 | 75 | 78 | 83 | 77 | 87 | 104 | 115 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since Valuation is a subjective matter where reasonable people can differ.
FTE Positions in Total Budget
Texas appraisal districts are generally staffed with skeleton crews, and DCAD is no exception. As of 2024, DCAD had only 1115 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees. This was the highest in the organization’s history, and numbers are at least going up, if slowly. Having a short staff means that DCAD must cut as many corners as possible, while also taking care of the funds and people of the county. Going through each property individually and learning their complex history or situation is a luxury that the district cannot afford.
FTEs Assigned to the Appraisal - Denton CADSource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| FTEs | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||
| FTEs Appraisal Total | 27 | 32 | 33 | 33 | 35 | 37 | 37 | 36 | 39 | 44 | 45 | |
| Residential | 16 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 22 | 18 | 20 | 21 | 26 | 28 | |
| Commercial | 5 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 11 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | |
| All Other | 6 | 11 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 11 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since It is a great way to slow the growth of government spending (of your money).
Denton CAD FTEs Assigned to Property Appraisal
To further complicate things, around half of all FTEs are appraisers. In 2024, 45 of the 115 FTEs were appraisers, with the remainder taking care of administrative and clerical work. 28 oversaw residential properties, six for commercial, and 11 took care of the remaining miscellaneous properties. With 454,700 parcels in Denton County, that means each appraiser must survey 10,104.44 parcels.