Texas vs Indiana
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 | Indiana |
|---|---|---|
| Sale type | Redeemable deed | Tax lien certificate |
| Rate / penalty | 25% penalty | Up to 15% of the minimum bid; 5%/yr on overbid |
| Redemption | 180 days or 2 years | 1 year (120 days on county-held certificates) |
These aren't the same kind of sale: Texas runs a redeemable deed, while Indiana 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, Indiana gives 1 year (120 days on county-held certificates) — 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 →Indiana sells tax sale certificates to the highest bidder above a minimum bid made up of the taxes, penalties and costs (IC 6-1.1-24-5). The owner has one year to redeem and pays 110% of the minimum bid within six months or 115% after that, plus 5% a year on any amount bid above the minimum (IC 6-1.1-25-2). Certificates on parcels nobody bought can be resold by the county at a later certificate sale, with a 120-day redemption period and a 10% return on the certificate price (IC 6-1.1-24-6.1, IC 6-1.1-25-4). Vacant or abandoned parcels certified for sale carry no redemption at all.
Full Indiana page →Property & tax market
| | Texas | Indiana |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $283,800 | $218,200 |
| Median property tax / year | $4,232 | $1,614 |
| Tax / home value | 1.5% | 0.7% |
| Tax / household income | 5.4% | 2.2% |
| Homes owned outright | 44.0% | 36.4% |
| “Other vacant” homes | 3.5% | 4.3% |
| Median year built | 1992 | 1976 |
A typical home in Texas pays 2.6× the property tax of one in Indiana ($4,232 against $1,614 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 36.4% in Indiana. The Census “other vacant” share (foreclosures, homes in legal limbo or needing repairs, abandoned homes) is 3.5% against 4.3%: Indiana 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 Indiana a tax lien state?+
Texas is a redeemable deed state. Indiana is a tax lien certificate state.
Which has the higher rate, Texas or Indiana?+
Texas: 25% penalty. Indiana: Up to 15% of the minimum bid; 5%/yr on overbid. Compare the actual statutory ceiling, not just the headline number — most "up to" rates get bid down at auction.
Which redeems faster, Texas or Indiana?+
Redemption windows differ: Texas gives owners 180 days or 2 years, Indiana gives 1 year (120 days on county-held certificates) — 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 Indiana?+
The median homeowner pays $4,232 a year in Texas and $1,614 in Indiana (U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates). A typical home in Texas pays 2.6× the property tax of one in Indiana ($4,232 against $1,614 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.