Texas vs Alabama
Same underlying data as the individual state pages, side by side. Statutory rates and redemption windows only — always confirm against the county's own auction notice before bidding.
| | Texas | Alabama |
|---|---|---|
| Sale type | Redeemable deed | Tax lien certificate |
| Rate / penalty | 25% penalty | Up to 12%, bid down (lien auction counties) |
| Redemption | 180 days or 2 years | 3–4+ years |
These aren't the same kind of sale: Texas runs a redeemable deed, while Alabama runs a tax lien certificate. That changes what you actually hold after the sale — a claim against the debt in one case, the property itself (or a right to it) in the other.
Redemption windows differ: Texas gives owners 180 days or 2 years, Alabama gives 3–4+ years — the state with the shorter window resolves faster, for better or worse depending on what you're optimizing for.
Texas doesn't sell tax lien certificates — it sells redeemable deeds. The winning bidder takes the deed at the sale. On most property the prior owner has 180 days to redeem at a flat 25% penalty, but on a residence homestead, agricultural land or a mineral interest the window is two years, at 25% in the first year and 50% in the second (Tex. Tax Code § 34.21).
Full Texas page →Each Alabama county chooses every year between a tax lien auction and a sale of the property (Code of Ala. § 40-10-180). Lien auctions start at no more than 12% and are bid down (§ 40-10-184), and the holder may foreclose only after four years and before ten (§ 40-10-197). Property sales are bid up on price, redeem within three years at 8% interest (§ 40-10-120, § 40-10-122), and the excess bid only earns interest up to 15% of market value.
Full Alabama page →Property & tax market
| | Texas | Alabama |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $283,800 | $209,900 |
| Median property tax / year | $4,232 | $788 |
| Tax / home value | 1.5% | 0.4% |
| Tax / household income | 5.4% | 1.2% |
| Homes owned outright | 44.0% | 45.9% |
| “Other vacant” homes | 3.5% | 7.7% |
| Median year built | 1992 | 1986 |
A typical home in Texas pays 5.4× the property tax of one in Alabama ($4,232 against $788 a year). That is the scale of what a typical home owes per unpaid year in each state, and of the money a certificate or a deed sale's opening bid is built from.
Homes owned outright — where no lender has a reason to pay the delinquent bill for the owner — are 44.0% of owner-occupied homes in Texas and 45.9% in Alabama. The Census “other vacant” share (foreclosures, homes in legal limbo or needing repairs, abandoned homes) is 3.5% against 7.7%: Alabama has more of the empty properties that tend to go unredeemed — and to need work if the deed ends up yours.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (tables B25077, B25103, B25081, B25002, B25004, B25035, B19013). Medians of what owners report paying, not statutory rates. County-level figures are on each state page.
Quick answers
Is Texas or Alabama a tax lien state?+
Texas is a redeemable deed state. Alabama is a tax lien certificate state.
Which has the higher rate, Texas or Alabama?+
Texas: 25% penalty. Alabama: Up to 12%, bid down (lien auction counties). Compare the actual statutory ceiling, not just the headline number — most "up to" rates get bid down at auction.
Which redeems faster, Texas or Alabama?+
Redemption windows differ: Texas gives owners 180 days or 2 years, Alabama gives 3–4+ years — the state with the shorter window resolves faster, for better or worse depending on what you're optimizing for.
Are property taxes higher in Texas or Alabama?+
The median homeowner pays $4,232 a year in Texas and $788 in Alabama (U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates). A typical home in Texas pays 5.4× the property tax of one in Alabama ($4,232 against $788 a year). That is the scale of what a typical home owes per unpaid year in each state, and of the money a certificate or a deed sale's opening bid is built from.
Want to line up more than two states, or swap in different ones? Use the interactive comparison tool — up to four states at once.
See where these two rank against all 50 states: full rankings.
This page is general information, not financial or legal advice. Rates and redemption periods are set by state statute and can change by county or legislative session — always confirm against the county's own auction notice before bidding.