Texas vs Georgia
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 | Georgia |
|---|---|---|
| Sale type | Redeemable deed | Redeemable deed |
| Rate / penalty | 25% penalty | 20% premium in year one, +10% each later year |
| Redemption | 180 days or 2 years | 12 months, then until barment notice |
Both states run the same kind of sale — redeemable deed — so the real difference between them comes down to rate and redemption, not the underlying mechanism.
Redemption windows differ: Texas gives owners 180 days or 2 years, Georgia gives 12 months, then until barment notice — 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 →Georgia sells the property itself at a sheriff's or tax commissioner's sale (O.C.G.A. § 48-4-1), and the buyer receives a tax deed that stays defeasible while the right of redemption lasts. The owner or anyone with an interest can redeem within 12 months, and afterwards until the buyer forecloses the right with a barment notice under § 48-4-45, by paying the full bid plus taxes the buyer paid and a premium of 20% for the first year or fraction of a year and 10% for each year after (§ 48-4-42). Overbids become excess funds payable to the owner and lienholders (§ 48-4-5).
Full Georgia page →Property & tax market
| | Texas | Georgia |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $283,800 | $303,300 |
| Median property tax / year | $4,232 | $2,341 |
| Tax / home value | 1.5% | 0.8% |
| Tax / household income | 5.4% | 3.0% |
| Homes owned outright | 44.0% | 36.6% |
| “Other vacant” homes | 3.5% | 4.6% |
| Median year built | 1992 | 1992 |
A typical home in Texas pays 1.8× the property tax of one in Georgia ($4,232 against $2,341 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 36.6% in Georgia. The Census “other vacant” share (foreclosures, homes in legal limbo or needing repairs, abandoned homes) is 3.5% against 4.6%: Georgia 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 Georgia a tax lien state?+
Texas is a redeemable deed state. Georgia is a redeemable deed state.
Which has the higher rate, Texas or Georgia?+
Texas: 25% penalty. Georgia: 20% premium in year one, +10% each later year. Compare the actual statutory ceiling, not just the headline number — most "up to" rates get bid down at auction.
Which redeems faster, Texas or Georgia?+
Redemption windows differ: Texas gives owners 180 days or 2 years, Georgia gives 12 months, then until barment notice — 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 Georgia?+
The median homeowner pays $4,232 a year in Texas and $2,341 in Georgia (U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates). A typical home in Texas pays 1.8× the property tax of one in Georgia ($4,232 against $2,341 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.