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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 1–25 of 1,218 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)
▼ -1.9 pts
27-Yr Liberty Shift (FY 00→27)
▼ -8.0 pts
Annual Budget Growth (YoY)
+3.8% YoY
5-Yr Budget Expansion
+21.2% (CAGR +4.0%/yr)
#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)
#1101
State Rank
City of San Antonio
CITY • Bexar County • Pop: 1,526,656
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.56288Fiscal: 66.2Regulatory: 38.6Debt: 36.8▼ -2.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.0% YoY (+15.7% 5Y)
Grade F(49.2/100)
#902
State Rank
City of Dallas
CITY • Dallas County • Pop: 1,326,087
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.6978Fiscal: 58.1Regulatory: 54.1Debt: 57.3▼ -1.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +1.3% YoY (+22.1% 5Y)
Grade D(56.5/100)
#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)
#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)
#1190
State Rank
City of El Paso
CITY • El Paso County • Pop: 681,723
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.767558Fiscal: 53.9Regulatory: 21.2Debt: 47.7▼ -1.7 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.3% YoY (+23.9% 5Y)
Grade F(40.9/100)
#1079
State Rank
City of Arlington
CITY • Tarrant County • Pop: 398,431
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.5998Fiscal: 64Regulatory: 35.1Debt: 50.6▼ -2.4 pts (5Y)Budget: +6.6% YoY (+27.5% 5Y)
Grade D(50.5/100)
#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)
#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)
#1148
State Rank
City of Lubbock
CITY • Lubbock County • Pop: 266,878
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.477198Fiscal: 71.4Regulatory: 20Debt: 42▼ -2.4 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.4% YoY (+18.1% 5Y)
Grade F(46.1/100)
#868
State Rank
City of Irving
CITY • Dallas County • Pop: 258,060
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.5891Fiscal: 64.7Regulatory: 50Debt: 56.5▼ -2.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.6% YoY (+29.9% 5Y)
Grade D(57.5/100)
#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)
#1202
State Rank
City of Garland
CITY • Dallas County • Pop: 250,431
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.689746Fiscal: 58.6Regulatory: 20Debt: 36▼ -2.9 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.5% YoY (+31.7% 5Y)
Grade F(39.4/100)
#765
State Rank
City of Frisco
CITY • Collin County • Pop: 235,208
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.425517Fiscal: 74.5Regulatory: 53.3Debt: 52.8▼ -2.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.0% YoY (+19.0% 5Y)
Grade C(61.7/100)
#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)
#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)
#1000
State Rank
City of Amarillo
CITY • Potter County • Pop: 203,729
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.43695Fiscal: 73.8Regulatory: 28.2Debt: 54.6▼ -2.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.4% YoY (+20.5% 5Y)
Grade D(53/100)
#1051
State Rank
City of Brownsville
CITY • Cameron County • Pop: 191,967
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.603505Fiscal: 63.8Regulatory: 26.2Debt: 67.2▼ -1.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.0% YoY (+25.2% 5Y)
Grade D(51.5/100)
#1111
State Rank
City of Denton
CITY • Denton County • Pop: 165,998
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.58542Fiscal: 64.9Regulatory: 42.9Debt: 31.1▼ -2.9 pts (5Y)Budget: +1.8% YoY (+19.6% 5Y)
Grade F(48.8/100)
#1108
State Rank
City of Killeen
CITY • Bell County • Pop: 156,200
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.7301Fiscal: 56.2Regulatory: 23.1Debt: 73.2▼ -0.8 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.5% YoY (+26.6% 5Y)
Grade F(48.9/100)
#1080
State Rank
City of Mesquite
CITY • Dallas County • Pop: 150,140
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.654018Fiscal: 60.8Regulatory: 37Debt: 53▼ -2.0 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.9% YoY (+27.6% 5Y)
Grade D(50.5/100)
#737
State Rank
City of Pasadena
CITY • Harris County • Pop: 149,617
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.465594Fiscal: 72.1Regulatory: 40.4Debt: 79.3▼ -0.4 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.0% YoY (+17.5% 5Y)
Grade C(62.8/100)
#948
State Rank
City of McAllen
CITY • Hidalgo County • Pop: 148,782
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.4199Fiscal: 74.8Regulatory: 20Debt: 72.3▼ -0.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +1.9% YoY (-21.5% 5Y)
Grade D(55/100)
#1193
State Rank
City of Waco
CITY • McLennan County • Pop: 139,594
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.7450Fiscal: 55.3Regulatory: 20Debt: 45.4▼ -2.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +6.5% YoY (+25.6% 5Y)
Grade F(40.5/100)
#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)