Census-designated place Zapata is a census-designated place in Texas, in Zapata County. A census-designated place is an unincorporated community that the Census Bureau defines for statistics; it has no city government of its own.
The median owner-occupied home in Zapata had a real-estate tax bill of $1,217 (± $281) a year, compared with $4,111 in Texas and $2,969 nationwide. The median home value was $104,300 (± $14,494), compared with $260,400 in Texas and $303,400 nationwide.
| Measure | Zapata | Texas | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 4,879 ± 779 | 29,640,343 | 332,387,540 |
| Median annual property tax bill (homeowners) | $1,217 ± $281 | $4,111 ± $16 | $2,969 ± $3 |
| Median home value | $104,300 ± $14,494 | $260,400 ± $738 | $303,400 ± $362 |
| Median household income | $37,653 ± $7,176 | $76,292 ± $265 | $78,538 ± $176 |
| Property tax as a share of home value (calculated) | 1.17% ± 0.31 pointsrough guide only: the margin of error is 27% of the estimate | 1.58% ± 0.01 points | 0.98% ± under 0.01 points |
| Homes lived in by their owners | 65.8% ± 6.7 points | 62.6% ± 0.3 points | 65.0% ± 0.3 points |
| Owner households headed by someone 65 or older | 23.6% ± 8.4 pointsrough guide only: the margin of error is 36% of the estimate | 27.7% ± 0.2 points | 32.6% ± 0.2 points |
| Owners spending 30% or more of income on housing costs | 18.5% ± 8.8 pointsrough guide only: the margin of error is 48% of the estimate | 21.9% ± 0.1 points | 22.2% ± 0.1 points |
How to read these numbers
- These are estimates from a survey, not a count. The American Community Survey asks a sample of households. The ± figure is the Census Bureau’s margin of error: the true value is very likely within that range of the estimate. Small places have large margins.
- “Too imprecise to report” means the margin of error is at least half of the estimate, so printing the number would suggest accuracy that does not exist. A “rough guide only” note means the margin is a quarter to a half of the estimate.
- Property tax bill and home value are medians for owner-occupied homes. Half of the homes are above the figure and half below. A median bill is not the rate set by a city or town; the bill combines taxes levied by every local government that serves the home, such as the school district and county.
- “Calculated” rows are worked out by Untax the Roof from the Census figures above them. They compare two medians, so they describe the place, not a particular household.
- Missing is not zero. Where the Census Bureau publishes no figure, this page says so.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2019–2023: tables B25103 (real estate taxes), B25077 (home value), B19013 (household income), B01003 (population), B25003 (owners and renters), B25007 (age of householder), B25091 (housing costs as a share of income); see the Census ACS data page.
If property taxes go unpaid in Texas
How it works. Judicial tax-lien foreclosure or tax-warrant seizure followed by sheriff/constable tax sale and deed; property remains subject to statutory post-deed redemption
Excess sale money. 34.02 sends excess after sale participants to court clerk. 34.03 requires clerk to retain excess for 2 years and notify former owner when amount exceeds $25; 34.04 provides claim procedure. 2025 S.B.2878 changed notice delivery wording but retained two-year holding/claim structure
These rules are set by Texas, not by Zapata, so this section is the same for every place in the state. Last verified 2026-09-25. See the full Texas entry with statute links.