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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 76–100 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)
▼ -2.7 pts
27-Yr Liberty Shift (FY 00→27)
▼ -9.2 pts
Annual Budget Growth (YoY)
+4.6% YoY
5-Yr Budget Expansion
+25.7% (CAGR +4.2%/yr)
#1164
State Rank
City of Mercedes
CITY • Hidalgo County • Pop: 17,535
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.7795Fiscal: 53.2Regulatory: 20Debt: 61.7▼ -1.4 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.3% YoY (+26.3% 5Y)
Grade F(43.7/100)
#1165
State Rank
City of Blue Mound
CITY • Tarrant County • Pop: 2,317
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.8138Fiscal: 51.2Regulatory: 24.2Debt: 58.9▼ -1.9 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.7% YoY (+56.3% 5Y)
Grade F(43.7/100)
#1168
State Rank
City of DeSoto
CITY • Dallas County • Pop: 56,711
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.684934Fiscal: 58.9Regulatory: 20Debt: 52▼ -2.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.8% YoY (+30.8% 5Y)
Grade F(43.6/100)
#1169
State Rank
City of Terrell
CITY • Kaufman County • Pop: 22,977
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.7642Fiscal: 54.1Regulatory: 29.8Debt: 46.2▼ -2.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.7% YoY (+23.1% 5Y)
Grade F(43.6/100)
#1167
State Rank
City of Bastrop
CITY • Bastrop County • Pop: 12,720
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.5063Fiscal: 69.6Regulatory: 26.5Debt: 26▼ -3.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.8% YoY (+17.9% 5Y)
Grade F(43.6/100)
#1166
State Rank
City of Willow Park
CITY • Parker County • Pop: 6,851
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.4185Fiscal: 74.9Regulatory: 22.2Debt: 23.5▼ -3.8 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.5% YoY (+20.5% 5Y)
Grade F(43.6/100)
#1170
State Rank
City of Jarrell
CITY • Williamson County • Pop: 2,111
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.394004Fiscal: 76.4Regulatory: 28.4Debt: 11.8▼ -4.7 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.4% YoY (+16.8% 5Y)
Grade F(43.5/100)
#1172
State Rank
City of Sansom Park
CITY • Tarrant County • Pop: 5,402
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.8395Fiscal: 49.6Regulatory: 24.5Debt: 60.1▼ -1.6 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.6% YoY (+26.2% 5Y)
Grade F(43.4/100)
#1171
State Rank
City of Bandera
CITY • Bandera County • Pop: 891
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.569939Fiscal: 65.8Regulatory: 31.3Debt: 24.4▼ -2.8 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.5% YoY (+15.9% 5Y)
Grade F(43.4/100)
#1173
State Rank
City of Midlothian
CITY • Ellis County • Pop: 44,104
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.6500Fiscal: 61Regulatory: 20Debt: 47.4▼ -2.6 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.8% YoY (+45.9% 5Y)
Grade F(43.3/100)
#1174
State Rank
City of Corpus Christi
CITY • Nueces County • Pop: 316,595
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.599774Fiscal: 64Regulatory: 20Debt: 41▼ -2.4 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.9% YoY (+21.1% 5Y)
Grade F(42.9/100)
#1175
State Rank
City of Waxahachie
CITY • Ellis County • Pop: 48,617
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.6100Fiscal: 63.4Regulatory: 20Debt: 41.7▼ -2.7 pts (5Y)Budget: +6.6% YoY (+26.4% 5Y)
Grade F(42.8/100)
#1176
State Rank
City of Bertram
CITY • Burnet County • Pop: 2,020
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.4423Fiscal: 73.5Regulatory: 20Debt: 25▼ -3.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.7% YoY (+17.3% 5Y)
Grade F(42.7/100)
#1177
State Rank
City of Seagoville
CITY • Dallas County • Pop: 20,124
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.76991Fiscal: 53.8Regulatory: 23.5Debt: 51.3▼ -1.8 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.9% YoY (+36.9% 5Y)
Grade F(42.6/100)
#1178
State Rank
City of Van Alstyne
CITY • Grayson County • Pop: 7,220
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.553713Fiscal: 66.8Regulatory: 29.7Debt: 21.7▼ -3.4 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.3% YoY (+19.1% 5Y)
Grade F(42.5/100)
#1179
State Rank
City of Taylor
CITY • Williamson County • Pop: 17,872
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.576895Fiscal: 65.4Regulatory: 26.7Debt: 27.1▼ -2.4 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.8% YoY (-4.7% 5Y)
Grade F(42.3/100)
#1180
State Rank
City of Venus
CITY • Johnson County • Pop: 8,209
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.866732Fiscal: 48Regulatory: 30.9Debt: 48.8▼ -2.0 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.6% YoY (+35.9% 5Y)
Grade F(42.2/100)
#1181
State Rank
City of Granbury
CITY • Hood County • Pop: 12,934
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.3850Fiscal: 76.9Regulatory: 20Debt: 16.8▼ -4.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.0% YoY (+24.8% 5Y)
Grade F(42/100)
#1182
State Rank
City of Denison
CITY • Grayson County • Pop: 26,446
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.652034Fiscal: 60.9Regulatory: 31.2Debt: 26.8▼ -3.4 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.7% YoY (+26.2% 5Y)
Grade F(42/100)
#1183
State Rank
City of Liberty Hill
CITY • Williamson County • Pop: 11,984
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.494268Fiscal: 70.3Regulatory: 20Debt: 26.4▼ -3.4 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.6% YoY (+20.4% 5Y)
Grade F(41.7/100)
#1184
State Rank
City of Bridgeport
CITY • Wise County • Pop: 6,514
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.69995Fiscal: 58Regulatory: 20Debt: 45.5▼ -2.5 pts (5Y)Budget: +6.6% YoY (+32.5% 5Y)
Grade F(41.6/100)
#1185
State Rank
City of Bryan
CITY • Brazos County • Pop: 91,541
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.6240Fiscal: 62.6Regulatory: 21.3Debt: 36.2▼ -3.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.9% YoY (+27.3% 5Y)
Grade F(41.5/100)
#1186
State Rank
City of Alvin
CITY • Brazoria County • Pop: 29,869
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.6950Fiscal: 58.3Regulatory: 20Debt: 44.4▼ -2.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.4% YoY (+22.4% 5Y)
Grade F(41.4/100)
#1187
State Rank
City of Rockdale
CITY • Milam County • Pop: 5,398
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.782141Fiscal: 53.1Regulatory: 26.8Debt: 43.3▼ -2.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.2% YoY (+30.5% 5Y)
Grade F(41.4/100)
#1188
State Rank
City of Austin
CITY • Travis County • Pop: 979,800
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.579948Fiscal: 65.2Regulatory: 20Debt: 32.1▼ -3.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.6% YoY (+27.3% 5Y)
Grade F(41.1/100)