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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 26–50 of 130 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)
▼ -1.8 pts
27-Yr Liberty Shift (FY 00→27)
▼ -8.1 pts
Annual Budget Growth (YoY)
+4.4% YoY
5-Yr Budget Expansion
+26.3% (CAGR +4.2%/yr)
#1114
State Rank
City of Castroville
CITY • Medina County • Pop: 3,141
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.5100Fiscal: 69.4Regulatory: 31.7Debt: 38.7▼ -2.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.2% YoY (+14.9% 5Y)
Grade F(48.5/100)
#1115
State Rank
City of Grand Saline
CITY • Van Zandt County • Pop: 3,256
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.76522Fiscal: 54.1Regulatory: 28.8Debt: 67▼ -0.7 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.8% YoY (+24.8% 5Y)
Grade F(48.5/100)
#1116
State Rank
City of Houston
CITY • Harris County • Pop: 2,390,125
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.51919Fiscal: 68.8Regulatory: 25.5Debt: 47.9▼ -2.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.0% YoY (+18.2% 5Y)
Grade F(48.4/100)
#1117
State Rank
City of College Station
CITY • Brazos County • Pop: 128,023
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.513086Fiscal: 69.2Regulatory: 22.6Debt: 51▼ -2.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.1% YoY (+20.4% 5Y)
Grade F(48.3/100)
#1118
State Rank
City of Robstown
CITY • Nueces County • Pop: 10,383
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.696056Fiscal: 58.2Regulatory: 25Debt: 65.1▼ -0.9 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.3% YoY (+26.2% 5Y)
Grade F(48.3/100)
#1120
State Rank
City of San Benito
CITY • Cameron County • Pop: 24,712
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.708125Fiscal: 57.5Regulatory: 20Debt: 72.8▼ -0.9 pts (5Y)Budget: +6.0% YoY (+30.3% 5Y)
Grade F(48.2/100)
#1119
State Rank
City of Joshua
CITY • Johnson County • Pop: 9,146
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.6845Fiscal: 58.9Regulatory: 20Debt: 70.7▼ -1.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.6% YoY (+35.7% 5Y)
Grade F(48.2/100)
#1121
State Rank
City of Ralls
CITY • Crosby County • Pop: 1,613
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.812471Fiscal: 51.3Regulatory: 27.7Debt: 71.9▼ -0.4 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.8% YoY (+45.4% 5Y)
Grade F(48.2/100)
#1122
State Rank
City of Decatur
CITY • Wise County • Pop: 8,266
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.620275Fiscal: 62.8Regulatory: 37Debt: 40.1▼ -2.9 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.5% YoY (+24.4% 5Y)
Grade F(48.1/100)
#1124
State Rank
City of Grand Prairie
CITY • Dallas County • Pop: 207,331
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.6600Fiscal: 60.4Regulatory: 22.1Debt: 64.1▼ -1.7 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.6% YoY (+26.6% 5Y)
Grade F(47.9/100)
#1123
State Rank
City of Edinburg
CITY • Hidalgo County • Pop: 108,733
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.6100Fiscal: 63.4Regulatory: 20Debt: 62.1▼ -1.8 pts (5Y)Budget: +6.7% YoY (+35.3% 5Y)
Grade F(47.9/100)
#1125
State Rank
City of Haslet
CITY • Tarrant County • Pop: 1,952
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.31545Fiscal: 81.1Regulatory: 20Debt: 33.4▼ -3.8 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.1% YoY (+33.8% 5Y)
Grade F(47.8/100)
#1126
State Rank
City of Richardson
CITY • Dallas County • Pop: 118,221
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.54218Fiscal: 67.5Regulatory: 25.2Debt: 47.3▼ -1.8 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.9% YoY (+15.9% 5Y)
Grade F(47.6/100)
#1127
State Rank
City of Sundown
CITY • Hockley County • Pop: 1,306
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.829138Fiscal: 50.3Regulatory: 31.3Debt: 65.7▼ -0.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.8% YoY (+16.6% 5Y)
Grade F(47.5/100)
#1128
State Rank
City of Cameron
CITY • Milam County • Pop: 5,527
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.820316Fiscal: 50.8Regulatory: 36.5Debt: 57.1▼ -1.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.0% YoY (+24.3% 5Y)
Grade F(47.4/100)
#1130
State Rank
Town of Ransom Canyon
CITY • Lubbock County • Pop: 1,167
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.713113Fiscal: 57.2Regulatory: 30.4Debt: 55.3▼ -2.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.8% YoY (+51.6% 5Y)
Grade F(47.3/100)
#1129
State Rank
City of Horseshoe Bay
CITY • Llano County • Pop: 5,063
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.26775Fiscal: 83.9Regulatory: 20Debt: 27.1▼ -4.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.1% YoY (+21.3% 5Y)
Grade F(47.3/100)
#1133
State Rank
Town of Alba
CITY • Wood County • Pop: 508
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.8374Fiscal: 49.8Regulatory: 36.6Debt: 57.9▼ -1.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.9% YoY (+25.3% 5Y)
Grade F(47.2/100)
#1132
State Rank
City of Laredo
CITY • Webb County • Pop: 256,187
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.505089Fiscal: 69.7Regulatory: 20Debt: 49.4▼ -2.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.8% YoY (+21.3% 5Y)
Grade F(47.2/100)
#1131
State Rank
Town of Providence Village
CITY • Denton County • Pop: 10,350
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.4715Fiscal: 71.7Regulatory: 23.5Debt: 41▼ -2.5 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.0% YoY (+24.9% 5Y)
Grade F(47.2/100)
#1134
State Rank
City of Pearland
CITY • Brazoria County • Pop: 129,620
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.6350Fiscal: 61.9Regulatory: 33.7Debt: 41.8▼ -2.9 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.6% YoY (+29.5% 5Y)
Grade F(47/100)
#1135
State Rank
City of Lancaster
CITY • Dallas County • Pop: 40,780
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.590925Fiscal: 64.5Regulatory: 20.2Debt: 56.3▼ -1.8 pts (5Y)Budget: +6.6% YoY (+31.8% 5Y)
Grade F(46.9/100)
#1136
State Rank
City of San Angelo
CITY • Tom Green County • Pop: 100,159
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.6989Fiscal: 58.1Regulatory: 20Debt: 66.5▼ -1.0 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.2% YoY (+27.7% 5Y)
Grade F(46.9/100)
#1138
State Rank
Town of New Deal
CITY • Lubbock County • Pop: 735
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.744069Fiscal: 55.4Regulatory: 27.9Debt: 58.9▼ -0.9 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.2% YoY (+18.3% 5Y)
Grade F(46.7/100)
#1137
State Rank
City of Marble Falls
CITY • Burnet County • Pop: 9,413
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.5325Fiscal: 68.1Regulatory: 44.9Debt: 15▼ -3.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.4% YoY (+12.8% 5Y)
Grade F(46.7/100)