Back to Public Records Search
Bastiat & Liberty Watchdog Index
Texas Local Government Freedom Index
Objective, empirical rankings grading 6,167 Texas local governments and 31,351 elected officials on fiscal restraint, tax burden, private property rights, and regulatory overreach. Zero peer normalization.
Top Ranked Governments (Highest Liberty)
Showing 51–75 of 111 matching jurisdictions
28-Year Freedom & Budget Trend Benchmark (FY 2000 – FY 2027)
Cohort Average Across Visible Page (25 Ranked Entities)5-Yr Freedom Trend (FY 22→27)
▲ +1.0 pts
27-Yr Liberty Shift (FY 00→27)
▼ -2.1 pts
Annual Budget Growth (YoY)
+4.5% YoY
5-Yr Budget Expansion
+22.7% (CAGR +4.2%/yr)
#149
State Rank
Fisher County
COUNTY • Fisher County • Pop: 3,694
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.560457Fiscal: 66.4Regulatory: 86Debt: 79.6▲ +0.5 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.8% YoY (+18.7% 5Y)
Grade B(76.6/100)
#150
State Rank
Waller County
COUNTY • Waller County • Pop: 60,966
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.552294Fiscal: 66.9Regulatory: 86Debt: 78.4▲ +0.4 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.2% YoY (+39.8% 5Y)
Grade B(76.5/100)
#151
State Rank
Shackelford County
COUNTY • Shackelford County • Pop: 3,321
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.6180Fiscal: 62.9Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 83.4▲ +0.5 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.7% YoY (+23.6% 5Y)
Grade B(76.3/100)
#152
State Rank
Yoakum County
COUNTY • Yoakum County • Pop: 5,846
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.667852Fiscal: 59.9Regulatory: 82.7Debt: 93.6▲ +1.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.3% YoY (+22.2% 5Y)
Grade B(76.3/100)
#153
State Rank
Panola County
COUNTY • Panola County • Pop: 24,044
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.57375Fiscal: 65.6Regulatory: 71.2Debt: 100▲ +2.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.2% YoY (+10.5% 5Y)
Grade B(76.2/100)
#156
State Rank
Cochran County
COUNTY • Cochran County • Pop: 2,012
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.8080Fiscal: 51.5Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 100▲ +2.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.8% YoY (-20.0% 5Y)
Grade B(75.9/100)
#155
State Rank
Refugio County
COUNTY • Refugio County • Pop: 6,623
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.7976Fiscal: 52.1Regulatory: 86Debt: 100▲ +2.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +6.4% YoY (+17.7% 5Y)
Grade B(75.9/100)
#154
State Rank
Swisher County
COUNTY • Swisher County • Pop: 5,210
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.623866Fiscal: 62.6Regulatory: 86Debt: 83.1▲ +0.6 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.1% YoY (+19.1% 5Y)
Grade B(75.9/100)
#159
State Rank
Jim Wells County
COUNTY • Jim Wells County • Pop: 35,064
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.770873Fiscal: 53.7Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 96.2▲ +1.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.9% YoY (+30.0% 5Y)
Grade B(75.8/100)
#158
State Rank
Ochiltree County
COUNTY • Ochiltree County • Pop: 6,965
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.636938Fiscal: 61.8Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 83.2▲ 0.0 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.9% YoY (+35.1% 5Y)
Grade B(75.8/100)
#157
State Rank
Live Oak County
COUNTY • Live Oak County • Pop: 10,323
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.615969Fiscal: 63Regulatory: 81.9Debt: 87.8▲ +0.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.3% YoY (+44.1% 5Y)
Grade B(75.8/100)
#160
State Rank
Zavala County
COUNTY • Zavala County • Pop: 10,198
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.6650Fiscal: 60.1Regulatory: 80.2Debt: 94.4▲ +1.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.7% YoY (-39.0% 5Y)
Grade B(75.7/100)
#161
State Rank
Starr County
COUNTY • Starr County • Pop: 49,208
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.6846Fiscal: 58.9Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 87.4▲ +0.7 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.8% YoY (+25.9% 5Y)
Grade B(75.7/100)
#162
State Rank
Roberts County
COUNTY • Roberts County • Pop: 973
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.823708Fiscal: 50.6Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 100▲ +2.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +6.6% YoY (+19.3% 5Y)
Grade B(75.6/100)
#164
State Rank
Collingsworth County
COUNTY • Collingsworth County • Pop: 2,627
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.815023Fiscal: 51.1Regulatory: 86Debt: 100▲ +1.9 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.2% YoY (+26.1% 5Y)
Grade B(75.5/100)
#163
State Rank
Borden County
COUNTY • Borden County • Pop: 628
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.499968Fiscal: 70Regulatory: 83.5Debt: 73▲ 0.0 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.4% YoY (+48.1% 5Y)
Grade B(75.5/100)
#165
State Rank
Schleicher County
COUNTY • Schleicher County • Pop: 2,388
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.746569Fiscal: 55.2Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 92▲ +0.8 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.8% YoY (+42.5% 5Y)
Grade B(75.4/100)
#166
State Rank
Kenedy County
COUNTY • Kenedy County • Pop: 360
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.8000Fiscal: 52Regulatory: 84.4Debt: 100▲ +2.0 pts (5Y)Budget: +6.4% YoY (+23.4% 5Y)
Grade B(75.3/100)
#167
State Rank
Foard County
COUNTY • Foard County • Pop: 1,061
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.83996Fiscal: 49.6Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 100▲ +1.9 pts (5Y)Budget: +6.0% YoY (+26.0% 5Y)
Grade B(75.2/100)
#168
State Rank
Scurry County
COUNTY • Scurry County • Pop: 12,510
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.6600Fiscal: 60.4Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 82.3▼ -0.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.6% YoY (+26.1% 5Y)
Grade B(75/100)
#169
State Rank
McCulloch County
COUNTY • McCulloch County • Pop: 7,248
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.613241Fiscal: 63.2Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 76.4▲ +0.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.8% YoY (+22.6% 5Y)
Grade B(74.7/100)
#170
State Rank
Frio County
COUNTY • Frio County • Pop: 12,999
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.443886Fiscal: 73.4Regulatory: 72.5Debt: 79▲ +0.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.1% YoY (+13.3% 5Y)
Grade B(74.5/100)
#171
State Rank
Tyler County
COUNTY • Tyler County • Pop: 20,106
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.868077Fiscal: 47.9Regulatory: 86Debt: 100▲ +2.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.3% YoY (+22.2% 5Y)
Grade B(74.3/100)
#172
State Rank
Andrews County
COUNTY • Andrews County • Pop: 14,486
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.4007Fiscal: 76Regulatory: 67.6Debt: 80.6▼ -0.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +1.7% YoY (+19.6% 5Y)
Grade B(74.2/100)
#173
State Rank
Matagorda County
COUNTY • Matagorda County • Pop: 29,916
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.35241Fiscal: 78.9Regulatory: 58Debt: 88.6▼ -0.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.7% YoY (+51.1% 5Y)
Grade B(74/100)