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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 254 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)
▲ +1.0 pts
27-Yr Liberty Shift (FY 00→27)
▼ -0.3 pts
Annual Budget Growth (YoY)
+3.7% YoY
5-Yr Budget Expansion
+25.5% (CAGR +3.8%/yr)
#76
Ellis County
COUNTY • Ellis County • Pop: 207,688
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.273667Fiscal: 83.6Regulatory: 70.2Debt: 93.4▲ +0.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.8% YoY (+27.1% 5Y)
Grade A(81.4/100)
#77
Clay County
COUNTY • Clay County • Pop: 11,121
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.585382Fiscal: 64.9Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 100▲ +1.6 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.5% YoY (+26.6% 5Y)
Grade A(81.3/100)
#78
Hockley County
COUNTY • Hockley County • Pop: 19,111
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.565866Fiscal: 66Regulatory: 85.4Debt: 100▲ +2.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.2% YoY (-16.7% 5Y)
Grade A(81.3/100)
#79
Gaines County
COUNTY • Gaines County • Pop: 14,446
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.588121Fiscal: 64.7Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 100▲ +1.7 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.0% YoY (+18.8% 5Y)
Grade A(81.2/100)
#80
Gray County
COUNTY • Gray County • Pop: 16,436
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.516397Fiscal: 69Regulatory: 86Debt: 93.9▲ +1.5 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.0% YoY (+16.2% 5Y)
Grade A(81.2/100)
#81
Archer County
COUNTY • Archer County • Pop: 9,492
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.526736Fiscal: 68.4Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 94.2▲ +1.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.9% YoY (+22.7% 5Y)
Grade A(81.2/100)
#82
Knox County
COUNTY • Knox County • Pop: 3,046
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.595139Fiscal: 64.3Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 100▲ +0.9 pts (5Y)Budget: +6.1% YoY (+89.2% 5Y)
Grade A(81/100)
#83
Bandera County
COUNTY • Bandera County • Pop: 25,983
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.535704Fiscal: 67.9Regulatory: 86Debt: 94.8▲ +1.5 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.8% YoY (+17.4% 5Y)
Grade A(81/100)
#84
Randall County
COUNTY • Randall County • Pop: 136,746
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.41509Fiscal: 75.1Regulatory: 74.2Debt: 100▲ +0.9 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.4% YoY (+20.3% 5Y)
Grade A(81/100)
#85
Real County
COUNTY • Real County • Pop: 3,623
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.6000Fiscal: 64Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 100▲ +1.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.5% YoY (+22.2% 5Y)
Grade A(80.9/100)
#86
Rains County
COUNTY • Rains County • Pop: 13,003
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.553664Fiscal: 66.8Regulatory: 83.5Debt: 100▲ +1.4 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.2% YoY (+29.1% 5Y)
Grade A(80.9/100)
#87
Bexar County
COUNTY • Bexar County • Pop: 1,759,874
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.299999Fiscal: 82Regulatory: 83.5Debt: 75.6▼ -0.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.5% YoY (+15.4% 5Y)
Grade A(80.9/100)
#88
Carson County
COUNTY • Carson County • Pop: 5,708
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.515287Fiscal: 69.1Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 91.1▲ +0.8 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.4% YoY (+44.2% 5Y)
Grade A(80.7/100)
#89
Wise County
COUNTY • Wise County • Pop: 78,530
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.2175Fiscal: 87Regulatory: 68.7Debt: 86.9▲ +0.6 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.3% YoY (-1.6% 5Y)
Grade A(80.6/100)
#90
San Jacinto County
COUNTY • San Jacinto County • Pop: 28,226
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.46511Fiscal: 72.1Regulatory: 78.2Debt: 97▲ +1.0 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.1% YoY (+23.2% 5Y)
Grade A(80.5/100)
#91
Brazos County
COUNTY • Brazos County • Pop: 188,745
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.443474Fiscal: 73.4Regulatory: 84.9Debt: 85.8▲ +0.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.1% YoY (+25.3% 5Y)
Grade A(80.5/100)
#92
Motley County
COUNTY • Motley County • Pop: 1,116
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.613763Fiscal: 63.2Regulatory: 86Debt: 100▲ +1.4 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.9% YoY (+75.5% 5Y)
Grade A(80.4/100)
#93
Young County
COUNTY • Young County • Pop: 17,196
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.55739Fiscal: 66.6Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 93.9▲ +1.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.8% YoY (+24.5% 5Y)
Grade A(80.4/100)
#94
Montague County
COUNTY • Montague County • Pop: 20,897
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.4961Fiscal: 70.2Regulatory: 79.5Debt: 97.6▲ +1.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.0% YoY (+21.2% 5Y)
Grade A(80.3/100)
#95
Jasper County
COUNTY • Jasper County • Pop: 33,071
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.58992Fiscal: 64.6Regulatory: 84.1Debt: 100▲ +1.7 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.3% YoY (+20.8% 5Y)
Grade A(80.3/100)
#96
Val Verde County
COUNTY • Val Verde County • Pop: 41,430
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.494714Fiscal: 70.3Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 87.1▲ +0.8 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.8% YoY (+19.4% 5Y)
Grade A(80.2/100)
#97
El Paso County
COUNTY • El Paso County • Pop: 710,038
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.451133Fiscal: 72.9Regulatory: 83.5Debt: 87.3▲ +0.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.8% YoY (+32.9% 5Y)
Grade A(80.2/100)
#98
Shelby County
COUNTY • Shelby County • Pop: 22,095
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.6383Fiscal: 61.7Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 100▲ +1.4 pts (5Y)Budget: +6.1% YoY (+28.8% 5Y)
Grade A(80/100)
#99
Liberty County
COUNTY • Liberty County • Pop: 78,416
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.47856Fiscal: 71.3Regulatory: 82.9Debt: 89.1▲ +0.5 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.8% YoY (+22.9% 5Y)
Grade B(79.8/100)
#100
Mitchell County
COUNTY • Mitchell County • Pop: 6,059
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.3800Fiscal: 77.2Regulatory: 79.1Debt: 84.5▲ +0.9 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.0% YoY (+12.7% 5Y)
Grade B(79.7/100)