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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 1–25 of 39 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)
▼ -0.1 pts
27-Yr Liberty Shift (FY 00→27)
▼ -4.1 pts
Annual Budget Growth (YoY)
+3.9% YoY
5-Yr Budget Expansion
+23.5% (CAGR +3.9%/yr)
#211
State Rank
Sutton County
COUNTY • Sutton County • Pop: 3,100
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.753388Fiscal: 54.8Regulatory: 65.4Debt: 100▲ +0.8 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.5% YoY (+29.0% 5Y)
Grade C(69.8/100)
#212
State Rank
Garza County
COUNTY • Garza County • Pop: 3,403
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.787747Fiscal: 52.7Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 73.5▲ +0.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.2% YoY (+27.3% 5Y)
Grade C(69.8/100)
#210
State Rank
Atascosa County
COUNTY • Atascosa County • Pop: 43,686
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.479025Fiscal: 71.3Regulatory: 55.4Debt: 87.5▲ +0.6 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.8% YoY (+14.7% 5Y)
Grade C(69.8/100)
#213
State Rank
Kendall County
COUNTY • Kendall County • Pop: 54,128
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.3730Fiscal: 77.6Regulatory: 52Debt: 81.7▼ -0.8 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.6% YoY (+22.2% 5Y)
Grade C(69.7/100)
#214
State Rank
Grimes County
COUNTY • Grimes County • Pop: 29,291
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.419269Fiscal: 74.8Regulatory: 41.8Debt: 100▲ +0.5 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.5% YoY (+22.0% 5Y)
Grade C(69.6/100)
#215
State Rank
Hall County
COUNTY • Hall County • Pop: 2,502
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.812791Fiscal: 51.2Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 74.6▼ -0.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.4% YoY (+27.2% 5Y)
Grade C(69.4/100)
#216
State Rank
Uvalde County
COUNTY • Uvalde County • Pop: 23,802
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.62066Fiscal: 62.8Regulatory: 66.8Debt: 79.2▼ -0.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +6.2% YoY (+20.8% 5Y)
Grade C(68.3/100)
#217
State Rank
Guadalupe County
COUNTY • Guadalupe County • Pop: 175,241
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.3493Fiscal: 79Regulatory: 38.7Debt: 92.4▼ -0.4 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.5% YoY (+22.2% 5Y)
Grade C(68.2/100)
#218
State Rank
Newton County
COUNTY • Newton County • Pop: 12,770
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.66932Fiscal: 59.8Regulatory: 54Debt: 100▲ +0.8 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.0% YoY (+29.4% 5Y)
Grade C(67.8/100)
#219
State Rank
Denton County
COUNTY • Denton County • Pop: 893,923
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.189485Fiscal: 88.6Regulatory: 35.8Debt: 78.7▼ -1.4 pts (5Y)Budget: +6.0% YoY (+21.7% 5Y)
Grade C(67.6/100)
#220
State Rank
Tarrant County
COUNTY • Tarrant County • Pop: 1,767,609
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.1875Fiscal: 88.8Regulatory: 20Debt: 100▲ +0.7 pts (5Y)Budget: +1.4% YoY (+11.8% 5Y)
Grade C(67.5/100)
#221
State Rank
Fort Bend County
COUNTY • Fort Bend County • Pop: 769,130
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.4120Fiscal: 75.3Regulatory: 60.7Debt: 63.7▼ -1.6 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.5% YoY (+21.1% 5Y)
Grade C(67.3/100)
#222
State Rank
Tom Green County
COUNTY • Tom Green County • Pop: 98,273
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.46825Fiscal: 71.9Regulatory: 48.7Debt: 85.5▼ -0.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.7% YoY (+20.7% 5Y)
Grade C(67.2/100)
#223
State Rank
Webb County
COUNTY • Webb County • Pop: 199,517
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.3900Fiscal: 76.6Regulatory: 32.3Debt: 100▲ +0.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.9% YoY (+25.3% 5Y)
Grade C(66.9/100)
#224
State Rank
La Salle County
COUNTY • La Salle County • Pop: 5,515
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.45426Fiscal: 72.7Regulatory: 74.6Debt: 46.3▼ -2.0 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.0% YoY (+21.9% 5Y)
Grade C(66.8/100)
#225
State Rank
Montgomery County
COUNTY • Montgomery County • Pop: 639,133
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.3790Fiscal: 77.3Regulatory: 44Debt: 81.2▼ -0.9 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.2% YoY (+22.5% 5Y)
Grade C(66.6/100)
#226
State Rank
Burnet County
COUNTY • Burnet County • Pop: 54,109
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.3541Fiscal: 78.8Regulatory: 37.1Debt: 86.9▼ -0.6 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.2% YoY (+30.7% 5Y)
Grade C(66.2/100)
#227
State Rank
Limestone County
COUNTY • Limestone County • Pop: 19,420
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.55608Fiscal: 66.6Regulatory: 49.4Debt: 88.6▲ +0.8 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.4% YoY (+16.4% 5Y)
Grade C(66.1/100)
#228
State Rank
Polk County
COUNTY • Polk County • Pop: 59,102
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.6300Fiscal: 62.2Regulatory: 45Debt: 100▲ +0.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.7% YoY (+72.0% 5Y)
Grade C(65.6/100)
#229
State Rank
Crane County
COUNTY • Crane County • Pop: 3,733
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.821058Fiscal: 50.7Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 58.9▼ -0.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.8% YoY (+20.2% 5Y)
Grade C(65.3/100)
#230
State Rank
Zapata County
COUNTY • Zapata County • Pop: 11,097
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.919149Fiscal: 44.9Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 67▲ +0.7 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.1% YoY (+17.9% 5Y)
Grade C(65/100)
#231
State Rank
Winkler County
COUNTY • Winkler County • Pop: 5,578
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.463597Fiscal: 72.2Regulatory: 44.2Debt: 81.6▲ +0.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.2% YoY (+10.4% 5Y)
Grade C(64.8/100)
#232
State Rank
Madison County
COUNTY • Madison County • Pop: 11,428
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.547725Fiscal: 67.1Regulatory: 39Debt: 96.1▲ +0.7 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.5% YoY (+21.6% 5Y)
Grade C(64.5/100)
#233
State Rank
King County
COUNTY • King County • Pop: 242
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.953394Fiscal: 42.8Regulatory: 63.6Debt: 100▲ +2.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +6.6% YoY (+9.3% 5Y)
Grade C(64.4/100)
#234
State Rank
Sterling County
COUNTY • Sterling County • Pop: 1,170
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.74305Fiscal: 55.4Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 46.1▼ -1.7 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.0% YoY (+30.3% 5Y)
Grade C(64/100)