Cameron Homes Add 5% to Overall Value

In 2025, homes across Cameron County saw their value increase by 3.1%. 2026 saw this number increase dramatically, with an overall jump of 5%, bringing the total to $24.71 billion. Despite the growing influence of big money in the area, most value was still generated by modest homes. Those worth under $250,000 accounted for $12.43 billion of the total, following a small increase of 2.9%. Totaling $8.75 billion, homes worth between $250,000 and $500,000 spiked 6.5%. Homes valued between $500,000 and $750,000 were in a distant third place with $1.68 billion, following a large increase of 8.6%. Homes valued between $1 million and $1.5 million soared 12.1% to $542.05 million, while the largest homes added 10.1% to reach $591.84 million.

The trend towards smaller homes was affirmed when they were examined by size. Those under 2,000 square feet accounted for $14.75 billion following an increase of 4%. These were followed by homes measuring between 2,000 and 3,999 square feet, which grew 6.3% to $8.11 billion. The other sizes of homes had a much smaller footprint, with those measuring 4,000 to 5,999 square feet accounting for $1.09 billion after an increase of 8.2%. The two largest categories of homes combined for less than $1 billion, though those measuring between 6,000 and 7,999 square feet spiked 12.5%.

Most counties in Texas saw the majority of their residential value built in the boom period of 2001 to 2020, and Cameron County is no exception. 38% of all value was constructed in this timeframe, which saw an increase of 2.8% in 2026. Those from 1981 to 2000 added 3.6% to total $6.59 billion, while those from 1961 to 1980 grew 4.5% to reach $3.76 billion. New construction boomed with a spike of 20.4%, accounting for a total of $2.82 billion.

45% of Homes Could Be Overvalued

Market value is what CCAD believes a home would sell for on the open market on January 1 of the tax year. Property sales were studied and revealed that roughly 45% of all homes in Cameron County were being overvalued by CCAD. This was a large increase over 2025, where it was estimated that roughly 25% of homes were overvalued. While the county is obviously seeing higher demand, it appears that the appraisal district may be overstating the market.

When the local realtors association studied home sales to start 2026, they discovered that the value of sold homes had actually retreated by 2% to start the year. In contrast, CCAD’s appraisals indicated that value had surged 5%. While the truth of the market may be somewhere in between, it does indicate that large increases in home values should be investigated with appeals to ensure that the homeowner is being taxed correctly.

Commercial Property Grows by 5.5%

In 2025, commercial real estate added 4.6% to its total, which was superseded in 2026 by a jump of 5.5%. When it comes to the value of businesses, Cameron County turns the Texas norm on its head. In most counties, the largest businesses completely dominate the value, while the smallest ones only account for a fraction. In Cameron, businesses worth under $500,000 grew by 2.9% to total $2.37 billion, giving them the largest piece of the pie. Larger businesses did take second with $2.12 billion, following an increase of 4.2%. Those worth between $1 million and $5 million soared 10.1% to $1.86 billion. The overall value of commercial property in the county totaled $7.39 billion.

Totaling $3.05 billion, raw land had the largest market value of any commercial property. This was followed by retail, which added 4.1% to total $1.41 billion. Apartments exploded with a spike of 16.6% to reach a final sum of $1.22 billion. Offices edged up 2.9%, while warehouses only saw an uptick of .9%. Hotels were the only property type to see a reduction, with 3.2% coming off the appraisal rolls.

Like homes, commercial real estate saw the most value created between 2001 and 2020, with a final tally of $1.83 billion following an uptick of 3.5%. Those built from 1981 to 2000 were in second place with $1.30 billion, following an increase of 2.1%. New construction soared by 47%, accounting for $331.56 million, roughly 5% of all value. Surprisingly, those built from 1961 to 1980 added 10.7%, for a total of $633.10 million.

National Commercial Real Estate Fell 7%

Thanks to broader economic challenges, the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis reported that nationwide commercial real estate have fallen 7% over the past few years. In comparison, CCAD has been handing out increases every year, including 5.5% in 2026. While Texas, and the Brownsville area in particular, have been seeing much stronger growth than most of the nation, this information should still give business owners pause, as it could indicate that they are being overassessed now and in the future.

Apartments Spike by 16.6% in Market Value

In most urban counties, including Harris, Travis, and Dallas, apartments are the largest commercial property by far. While this is not the case in Cameron yet, as the top spot is taken by retail, apartments are quickly closing the gap. In 2026, the value of apartments soared by 16.6%. 47% of all apartment value was built from 2001 to 2020, a total of $565.14 million after a 10.2% jump. Older apartments saw even larger increases, including 18.7% for those built from 1981 to 2000 and 25.9% for those built from 1961 to 1980. These totaled $256.59 million and $250.15 million, respectively. New construction added 30.4% for a final tally of $112.21 million.

CCAD classified apartments into two groups. Multifamily housing jumped 16.4% to $1.21 billion. Garden apartments climbed by 29%, for a final result of $16.36 million.

Offices Climb by 2.9% in Value

Across Texas, offices have struggled to come back in value following the pandemic, though Cameron County has seen growth over the past few years. In 2026, offices added 2.9% to their overall market value, reaching a total of $754.66 million. Offices skewed slightly older than other commercial real estate, with those built from 1981 to 2000 being the top dogs with $286.44 million, followed by $281.51 million for those built in the 2001 to 2020 boom period. These grew by 2.1% and 1.5% respectively. While they accounted for only 7% of the total, the oldest offices in the county saw a jump of 5.1% in value. New construction skyrocketed 27.1% to $29.05 million.

There were three main types of offices according to the appraisal district. Low-rise offices jumped 4.5% to $462.35 million, while high-rises fell 2.8% to $73.38 million. Medical offices were in the middle with a growth rate of 1.7% and a final sum of $218.93 million.

Retail Remains King

While apartments are closing fast, retail is currently the most valuable commercial property type in Cameron County, outside of raw land. In 2026, all stores combined for a final tally of $1.41 billion following an increase of 4%. 41% of all value, around $582.57 million, was built between 2001 and 2020. 30% was from 1981 to 2000, which added 2.8% in 2026. $212.71 million came from those built between 1961 and 1980, which added 3.3%. New construction jumped 24.8%, but only accounted for $80.25 million.

CCAD used several different categories for retail spaces. Retail stores were No. 1 with $712.34 million following an uptick of 2.4%. Strip centers took second with $487.48 million after increasing by 4.8%. Community shopping centers jumped 7.8% to $156.17 million, while the fastest riser was neighborhood shopping centers at 17.2%, even though they only totaled $10.95 million. Regional shopping centers added 2.4% to reach $43.68 million.

Warehouses See Little Growth

Out of all major commercial types, warehouses were the only ones to grow lower than inflation, with an increase of only 0.9%. The largest source of value, those built from 1981 to 2000, saw a decline of 6.3%. Those from 2001 to 2020 were in second place with $135.53 million, following an uptick of 1.8%. New construction took third place with $56.63 million, following a spike of 25.8%.

Office warehouses were the largest category with $326.22 million, despite falling 0.5% in value. Mini warehouses added 5.2% to reach $113.08 million, while generic warehouses stayed flat at $1.12 million.

O’Connor Can Represent You Even After You Filing Your Appeal

While the deadline for property tax appeals expired on May 15 for most property owners in Cameron County, some taxpayers may have time to appeal. You have 30 days after your notice of appraised value was sent out to appeal, so late filers could still have a shot at protesting their taxes. However, if you have already filed, you can still get professional representation from O’Connor.

The first stop on the appeal ladder is the informal protest, which often sees a settlement given. We at O’Connor can still represent you at this hearing and can help put together the evidence required to impress the appraisal district. This includes gathering property sales or appraisals that show you are being over or unfairly appraised. We use data-driven techniques to find the best evidence and will consult our patented databases to find the best comparable properties.

We have been helping Texans secure property tax reductions through appeals for over 50 years and know how every appraisal district operates. In addition, we can also represent you in formal appeals with the appraisal review board (ARB) if your informal settlement is insufficient. When you sign up with us, we will give you a client success consultant who will guide you through the entire process, and serve as your advocate with hearing specialists, tax experts, and more. There is no upfront cost to join, and you will only pay if we can lower your property taxes.