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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 201–225 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)
▼ -1.7 pts
27-Yr Liberty Shift (FY 00→27)
▼ -7.5 pts
Annual Budget Growth (YoY)
+3.8% YoY
5-Yr Budget Expansion
+25.0% (CAGR +4.0%/yr)
#1002
State Rank
City of Watauga
CITY • Tarrant County • Pop: 23,120
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.6058Fiscal: 63.7Regulatory: 32.6Debt: 64▼ -1.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.7% YoY (+20.5% 5Y)
Grade D(52.9/100)
#1005
State Rank
City of Littlefield
CITY • Lamb County • Pop: 5,740
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.6616Fiscal: 60.3Regulatory: 33.6Debt: 68.1▼ -0.6 pts (5Y)Budget: +6.0% YoY (+21.5% 5Y)
Grade D(52.9/100)
#1003
State Rank
City of Royse City
CITY • Rockwall County • Pop: 15,978
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.656869Fiscal: 60.6Regulatory: 43.1Debt: 54.1▼ -2.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.4% YoY (+31.7% 5Y)
Grade D(52.9/100)
#1006
State Rank
City of Stratford
CITY • Sherman County • Pop: 1,886
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.820486Fiscal: 50.8Regulatory: 38.5Debt: 76.4▼ -0.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +6.0% YoY (+28.0% 5Y)
Grade D(52.9/100)
#1007
State Rank
City of Mission
CITY • Hidalgo County • Pop: 88,574
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.5389Fiscal: 67.7Regulatory: 20.7Debt: 73.9▼ -0.9 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.2% YoY (+21.9% 5Y)
Grade D(52.8/100)
#1008
State Rank
City of League City
CITY • Galveston County • Pop: 118,456
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.3690Fiscal: 77.9Regulatory: 20Debt: 58.3▼ -1.5 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.7% YoY (+11.6% 5Y)
Grade D(52.7/100)
#1009
State Rank
City of Cedar Hill
CITY • Dallas County • Pop: 49,618
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.638999Fiscal: 61.7Regulatory: 40.3Debt: 55.5▼ -2.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +6.0% YoY (+28.7% 5Y)
Grade D(52.7/100)
#1012
State Rank
City of Del Rio
CITY • Val Verde County • Pop: 34,678
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.7045Fiscal: 57.7Regulatory: 37.1Debt: 66.2▼ -1.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.4% YoY (+28.3% 5Y)
Grade D(52.6/100)
#1011
State Rank
City of Dalworthington Gardens
CITY • Tarrant County • Pop: 2,275
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.625342Fiscal: 62.5Regulatory: 31.3Debt: 66.6▼ -1.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.1% YoY (+24.8% 5Y)
Grade D(52.6/100)
#1010
State Rank
City of Lufkin
CITY • Angelina County • Pop: 34,399
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.5136Fiscal: 69.2Regulatory: 20Debt: 71.6▼ -0.6 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.5% YoY (+16.9% 5Y)
Grade D(52.6/100)
#1014
State Rank
City of McKinney
CITY • Collin County • Pop: 227,526
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.415513Fiscal: 75.1Regulatory: 20Debt: 62▼ -1.8 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.6% YoY (+21.7% 5Y)
Grade D(52.5/100)
#1016
State Rank
City of Richmond
CITY • Fort Bend County • Pop: 13,305
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.6250Fiscal: 62.5Regulatory: 39.8Debt: 54.1▼ -2.0 pts (5Y)Budget: +6.2% YoY (+26.6% 5Y)
Grade D(52.5/100)
#1017
State Rank
City of Wichita Falls
CITY • Wichita County • Pop: 102,691
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.6999Fiscal: 58Regulatory: 34.6Debt: 68.6▼ -1.0 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.8% YoY (+27.1% 5Y)
Grade D(52.5/100)
#1013
State Rank
City of Grey Forest
CITY • Bexar County • Pop: 517
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.054882Fiscal: 96.7Regulatory: 31.6Debt: 11▼ -5.5 pts (5Y)Budget: +1.7% YoY (+12.7% 5Y)
Grade D(52.5/100)
#1018
State Rank
City of Moody
CITY • Bell County • Pop: 1,618
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.947115Fiscal: 43.2Regulatory: 52.1Debt: 68.1▼ -0.4 pts (5Y)Budget: +6.7% YoY (+78.7% 5Y)
Grade D(52.5/100)
#1015
State Rank
City of Muenster
CITY • Cooke County • Pop: 1,725
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.4291Fiscal: 74.3Regulatory: 31.7Debt: 46.8▼ -2.8 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.0% YoY (+30.1% 5Y)
Grade D(52.5/100)
#1022
State Rank
City of Florence
CITY • Williamson County • Pop: 1,201
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.63385Fiscal: 62Regulatory: 36.1Debt: 59.7▼ -1.7 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.7% YoY (+29.4% 5Y)
Grade D(52.4/100)
#1020
State Rank
City of Murphy
CITY • Collin County • Pop: 21,109
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.361832Fiscal: 78.3Regulatory: 20Debt: 56.4▼ -2.0 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.9% YoY (+18.6% 5Y)
Grade D(52.4/100)
#1019
State Rank
City of Midland
CITY • Midland County • Pop: 138,397
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.350223Fiscal: 79Regulatory: 20Debt: 55.1▼ -1.8 pts (5Y)Budget: +1.6% YoY (+14.2% 5Y)
Grade D(52.4/100)
#1021
State Rank
City of Leander
CITY • Williamson County • Pop: 87,511
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.417284Fiscal: 75Regulatory: 20Debt: 61.6▼ -1.9 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.8% YoY (+24.1% 5Y)
Grade D(52.4/100)
#1024
State Rank
City of Princeton
CITY • Collin County • Pop: 37,019
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.472959Fiscal: 71.6Regulatory: 38.1Debt: 41.1▼ -2.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.5% YoY (+24.4% 5Y)
Grade D(52.3/100)
#1023
State Rank
City of Lewisville
CITY • Denton County • Pop: 135,983
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.436281Fiscal: 73.8Regulatory: 20Debt: 63.1▼ -1.4 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.7% YoY (+16.3% 5Y)
Grade D(52.3/100)
#1030
State Rank
City of Jacksonville
CITY • Cherokee County • Pop: 14,639
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.6900Fiscal: 58.6Regulatory: 38.9Debt: 60.5▼ -1.6 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.0% YoY (+24.3% 5Y)
Grade D(52.2/100)
#1026
State Rank
City of Friendswood
CITY • Galveston County • Pop: 41,291
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.461851Fiscal: 72.3Regulatory: 24.8Debt: 58.5▼ -1.9 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.9% YoY (+20.1% 5Y)
Grade D(52.2/100)
#1027
State Rank
City of Leonard
CITY • Fannin County • Pop: 2,203
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.53805Fiscal: 67.7Regulatory: 37.1Debt: 48.7▼ -2.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.7% YoY (+22.5% 5Y)
Grade D(52.2/100)