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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 151–175 of 286 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)
▼ -1.2 pts
27-Yr Liberty Shift (FY 00→27)
▼ -6.6 pts
Annual Budget Growth (YoY)
+4.0% YoY
5-Yr Budget Expansion
+30.8% (CAGR +4.2%/yr)
#953
State Rank
City of Argyle
CITY • Denton County • Pop: 6,294
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.3415Fiscal: 79.5Regulatory: 32.4Debt: 46.5▼ -2.8 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.1% YoY (+28.0% 5Y)
Grade D(54.8/100)
#954
State Rank
City of Ranger
CITY • Eastland County • Pop: 2,343
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.717119Fiscal: 57Regulatory: 39.7Debt: 72.4▼ -1.0 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.1% YoY (+32.4% 5Y)
Grade D(54.8/100)
#958
State Rank
Town of Wortham
CITY • Freestone County • Pop: 1,034
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.581698Fiscal: 65.1Regulatory: 31.1Debt: 71.1▼ -0.7 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.2% YoY (+38.8% 5Y)
Grade D(54.7/100)
#957
State Rank
City of Highland Village
CITY • Denton County • Pop: 16,137
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.4985Fiscal: 70.1Regulatory: 34.9Debt: 57.9▼ -1.7 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.0% YoY (+18.5% 5Y)
Grade D(54.7/100)
#956
State Rank
City of Quinlan
CITY • Hunt County • Pop: 1,561
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.4790Fiscal: 71.3Regulatory: 23Debt: 72.7▼ -1.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.1% YoY (+22.9% 5Y)
Grade D(54.7/100)
#960
State Rank
City of Port Neches
CITY • Jefferson County • Pop: 13,709
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.7300Fiscal: 56.2Regulatory: 41.1Debt: 71.3▼ -1.0 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.9% YoY (+27.6% 5Y)
Grade D(54.7/100)
#955
State Rank
City of Port Aransas
CITY • Nueces County • Pop: 3,446
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.222577Fiscal: 86.6Regulatory: 40.8Debt: 23.1▼ -3.8 pts (5Y)Budget: +1.4% YoY (+16.4% 5Y)
Grade D(54.7/100)
#959
State Rank
City of Copperas Cove
CITY • Coryell County • Pop: 39,627
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.683674Fiscal: 59Regulatory: 41.9Debt: 65.7▼ -1.0 pts (5Y)Budget: +6.2% YoY (+32.9% 5Y)
Grade D(54.7/100)
#961
State Rank
City of Colorado City
CITY • Mitchell County • Pop: 3,884
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.685131Fiscal: 58.9Regulatory: 25.7Debt: 88▲ +0.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.8% YoY (+33.4% 5Y)
Grade D(54.6/100)
#963
State Rank
City of Hamilton
CITY • Hamilton County • Pop: 3,005
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.9668Fiscal: 42Regulatory: 47.5Debt: 84.7▲ +0.7 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.2% YoY (+91.3% 5Y)
Grade D(54.6/100)
#962
State Rank
City of Pearsall
CITY • Frio County • Pop: 9,541
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.8590Fiscal: 48.5Regulatory: 49.1Debt: 71.9▲ +0.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.3% YoY (+19.1% 5Y)
Grade D(54.6/100)
#965
State Rank
City of Hitchcock
CITY • Galveston County • Pop: 7,752
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.5350Fiscal: 67.9Regulatory: 38.1Debt: 56▼ -1.6 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.4% YoY (+16.9% 5Y)
Grade D(54.5/100)
#964
State Rank
City of Atlanta
CITY • Cass County • Pop: 5,448
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.518342Fiscal: 68.9Regulatory: 26.8Debt: 70.3▼ -1.0 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.8% YoY (+21.3% 5Y)
Grade D(54.5/100)
#966
State Rank
City of Fort Worth
CITY • Tarrant County • Pop: 935,508
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.6725Fiscal: 59.7Regulatory: 39.2Debt: 67.5▼ -1.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.2% YoY (+25.2% 5Y)
Grade D(54.5/100)
#967
State Rank
City of Schertz
CITY • Guadalupe County • Pop: 44,428
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.5593Fiscal: 66.4Regulatory: 44.3Debt: 49.3▼ -2.0 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.6% YoY (+57.9% 5Y)
Grade D(54.4/100)
#971
State Rank
City of Farmersville
CITY • Collin County • Pop: 4,352
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.7250Fiscal: 56.5Regulatory: 48.6Debt: 58.8▼ -1.7 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.6% YoY (+25.2% 5Y)
Grade D(54.3/100)
#969
State Rank
City of Mont Belvieu
CITY • Chambers County • Pop: 10,229
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.52583Fiscal: 68.5Regulatory: 54.9Debt: 30.8▼ -3.6 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.1% YoY (+35.1% 5Y)
Grade D(54.3/100)
#970
State Rank
City of Pelican Bay
CITY • Tarrant County • Pop: 2,571
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.676293Fiscal: 59.4Regulatory: 32.5Debt: 76.6▼ -0.7 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.5% YoY (+31.9% 5Y)
Grade D(54.3/100)
#968
State Rank
City of Corsicana
CITY • Navarro County • Pop: 25,671
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.5012Fiscal: 69.9Regulatory: 27.6Debt: 66.9▼ -1.0 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.4% YoY (+23.8% 5Y)
Grade D(54.3/100)
#974
State Rank
City of Godley
CITY • Johnson County • Pop: 4,402
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.726911Fiscal: 56.4Regulatory: 73.2Debt: 24.1▼ -2.7 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.4% YoY (+21.8% 5Y)
Grade D(54.2/100)
#973
State Rank
City of Canyon
CITY • Randall County • Pop: 15,771
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.51181Fiscal: 69.3Regulatory: 26.4Debt: 68.8▼ -1.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.0% YoY (+32.6% 5Y)
Grade D(54.2/100)
#972
State Rank
City of Krugerville
CITY • Denton County • Pop: 2,001
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.422571Fiscal: 74.6Regulatory: 26.6Debt: 60▼ -1.7 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.0% YoY (+18.1% 5Y)
Grade D(54.2/100)
#975
State Rank
City of Somerset
CITY • Bexar County • Pop: 1,843
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.808776Fiscal: 51.5Regulatory: 40.1Debt: 78.4▼ -0.6 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.4% YoY (+32.8% 5Y)
Grade D(54.2/100)
#976
State Rank
City of Earth
CITY • Lamb County • Pop: 893
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.9904Fiscal: 40.6Regulatory: 39.8Debt: 96▲ +1.5 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.9% YoY (+39.7% 5Y)
Grade D(54.2/100)
#977
State Rank
City of Plano
CITY • Collin County • Pop: 289,500
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.4376Fiscal: 73.7Regulatory: 24.5Debt: 64.2▼ -1.7 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.7% YoY (+25.7% 5Y)
Grade D(54.1/100)