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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 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)
▲ +1.8 pts
27-Yr Liberty Shift (FY 00→27)
▼ -1.8 pts
Annual Budget Growth (YoY)
+5.2% YoY
5-Yr Budget Expansion
+44.3% (CAGR +5.0%/yr)
#242
State Rank
Jeff Davis County
COUNTY • Jeff Davis County • Pop: 2,106
FY 27 Tax Rate: $1.370753Fiscal: 17.8Regulatory: 85.4Debt: 100▲ +3.5 pts (5Y)Budget: +6.4% YoY (+165.8% 5Y)
Grade C(62/100)
#240
State Rank
Willacy County
COUNTY • Willacy County • Pop: 15,593
FY 27 Tax Rate: $1.26012Fiscal: 24.4Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 89.6▲ +2.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.0% YoY (+92.5% 5Y)
Grade C(62.5/100)
#247
State Rank
Jim Hogg County
COUNTY • Jim Hogg County • Pop: 4,610
FY 27 Tax Rate: $1.181439Fiscal: 29.1Regulatory: 75.6Debt: 90.9▲ +1.8 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.7% YoY (+30.3% 5Y)
Grade C(60.8/100)
#209
State Rank
Lipscomb County
COUNTY • Lipscomb County • Pop: 2,542
FY 27 Tax Rate: $1.033742Fiscal: 38Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 100▲ +2.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.8% YoY (+25.0% 5Y)
Grade B(70.5/100)
#206
State Rank
Throckmorton County
COUNTY • Throckmorton County • Pop: 1,608
FY 27 Tax Rate: $1.014086Fiscal: 39.2Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 100▲ +2.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.7% YoY (+27.5% 5Y)
Grade B(71/100)
#207
State Rank
Dawson County
COUNTY • Dawson County • Pop: 8,701
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.999773Fiscal: 40Regulatory: 85.4Debt: 100▲ +2.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +6.7% YoY (+122.0% 5Y)
Grade B(70.9/100)
#204
State Rank
Baylor County
COUNTY • Baylor County • Pop: 3,243
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.961306Fiscal: 42.3Regulatory: 83.5Debt: 100▲ +2.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.0% YoY (+191.0% 5Y)
Grade B(71.1/100)
#233
State Rank
King County
COUNTY • King County • Pop: 242
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.953394Fiscal: 42.8Regulatory: 63.6Debt: 100▲ +2.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +6.6% YoY (+9.3% 5Y)
Grade C(64.4/100)
#230
State Rank
Zapata County
COUNTY • Zapata County • Pop: 11,097
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.919149Fiscal: 44.9Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 67▲ +0.7 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.1% YoY (+17.9% 5Y)
Grade C(65/100)
#201
State Rank
Brooks County
COUNTY • Brooks County • Pop: 6,403
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.918864Fiscal: 44.9Regulatory: 86Debt: 93.7▲ +2.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +6.7% YoY (+22.8% 5Y)
Grade B(71.5/100)
#188
State Rank
Stonewall County
COUNTY • Stonewall County • Pop: 1,283
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.910942Fiscal: 45.3Regulatory: 86Debt: 100▲ +2.5 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.5% YoY (+20.6% 5Y)
Grade B(73.2/100)
#175
State Rank
Kent County
COUNTY • Kent County • Pop: 765
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.88635Fiscal: 46.8Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 100▲ +2.7 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.8% YoY (+15.8% 5Y)
Grade B(74/100)
#178
State Rank
Terry County
COUNTY • Terry County • Pop: 8,473
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.886226Fiscal: 46.8Regulatory: 86Debt: 100▲ +1.6 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.5% YoY (+34.1% 5Y)
Grade B(73.8/100)
#189
State Rank
Cottle County
COUNTY • Cottle County • Pop: 1,312
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.880008Fiscal: 47.2Regulatory: 83.5Debt: 100▲ +1.9 pts (5Y)Budget: +6.6% YoY (+26.8% 5Y)
Grade B(73.1/100)
#203
State Rank
Duval County
COUNTY • Duval County • Pop: 10,566
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.879076Fiscal: 47.3Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 87.9▲ +1.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.4% YoY (+23.8% 5Y)
Grade B(71.2/100)
#195
State Rank
Crockett County
COUNTY • Crockett County • Pop: 3,042
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.878243Fiscal: 47.3Regulatory: 86Debt: 92.9▲ +1.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +6.4% YoY (+27.1% 5Y)
Grade B(72.2/100)
#171
State Rank
Tyler County
COUNTY • Tyler County • Pop: 20,106
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.868077Fiscal: 47.9Regulatory: 86Debt: 100▲ +2.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.3% YoY (+22.2% 5Y)
Grade B(74.3/100)
#186
State Rank
Dickens County
COUNTY • Dickens County • Pop: 1,850
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.85595Fiscal: 48.6Regulatory: 82.4Debt: 100▲ +2.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.7% YoY (+1.4% 5Y)
Grade B(73.3/100)
#167
State Rank
Foard County
COUNTY • Foard County • Pop: 1,061
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.83996Fiscal: 49.6Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 100▲ +1.9 pts (5Y)Budget: +6.0% YoY (+26.0% 5Y)
Grade B(75.2/100)
#184
State Rank
Runnels County
COUNTY • Runnels County • Pop: 9,117
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.828104Fiscal: 50.3Regulatory: 81.1Debt: 100▲ +1.4 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.9% YoY (+75.2% 5Y)
Grade B(73.5/100)
#162
State Rank
Roberts County
COUNTY • Roberts County • Pop: 973
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.823708Fiscal: 50.6Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 100▲ +2.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +6.6% YoY (+19.3% 5Y)
Grade B(75.6/100)
#229
State Rank
Crane County
COUNTY • Crane County • Pop: 3,733
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.821058Fiscal: 50.7Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 58.9▼ -0.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.8% YoY (+20.2% 5Y)
Grade C(65.3/100)
#177
State Rank
Bailey County
COUNTY • Bailey County • Pop: 4,356
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.819029Fiscal: 50.9Regulatory: 85.4Debt: 94.6▲ +1.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +6.3% YoY (+36.8% 5Y)
Grade B(73.9/100)
#164
State Rank
Collingsworth County
COUNTY • Collingsworth County • Pop: 2,627
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.815023Fiscal: 51.1Regulatory: 86Debt: 100▲ +1.9 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.2% YoY (+26.1% 5Y)
Grade B(75.5/100)
#215
State Rank
Hall County
COUNTY • Hall County • Pop: 2,502
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.812791Fiscal: 51.2Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 74.6▼ -0.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.4% YoY (+27.2% 5Y)
Grade C(69.4/100)