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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 62 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)
▼ -1.1 pts
27-Yr Liberty Shift (FY 00→27)
▼ -5.2 pts
Annual Budget Growth (YoY)
+3.4% YoY
5-Yr Budget Expansion
+18.8% (CAGR +3.4%/yr)
#410
State Rank
City of Fulshear
CITY • Fort Bend County • Pop: 54,629
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.164512Fiscal: 90.1Regulatory: 66.9Debt: 75.3▼ -1.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.2% YoY (+21.7% 5Y)
Grade B(78.3/100)
#546
State Rank
City of Texas City
CITY • Galveston County • Pop: 57,875
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.4700Fiscal: 71.8Regulatory: 79.9Debt: 63.8▼ -0.7 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.9% YoY (+14.7% 5Y)
Grade B(72.6/100)
#624
State Rank
City of Grapevine
CITY • Tarrant County • Pop: 50,631
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.232565Fiscal: 86Regulatory: 49.1Debt: 66.3▼ -1.5 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.4% YoY (+15.5% 5Y)
Grade C(68.2/100)
#702
State Rank
City of Longview
CITY • Gregg County • Pop: 83,668
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.5619Fiscal: 66.3Regulatory: 58.4Debt: 69.6▼ -0.7 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.8% YoY (+21.0% 5Y)
Grade C(64.4/100)
#716
State Rank
City of Tyler
CITY • Smith County • Pop: 112,219
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.24192Fiscal: 85.5Regulatory: 34Debt: 70.3▼ -1.5 pts (5Y)Budget: +6.3% YoY (+19.2% 5Y)
Grade C(63.7/100)
#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)
#759
State Rank
City of Conroe
CITY • Montgomery County • Pop: 108,248
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.4272Fiscal: 74.4Regulatory: 53.8Debt: 54▼ -2.0 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.1% YoY (+17.6% 5Y)
Grade C(62.1/100)
#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)
#770
State Rank
City of Victoria
CITY • Victoria County • Pop: 66,020
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.4538Fiscal: 72.8Regulatory: 40.4Debt: 73.2▼ -0.8 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.5% YoY (+19.8% 5Y)
Grade C(61.6/100)
#781
State Rank
Town of Flower Mound
CITY • Denton County • Pop: 79,540
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.3823Fiscal: 77.1Regulatory: 23Debt: 88▲ +0.4 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.9% YoY (+11.8% 5Y)
Grade C(60.9/100)
#801
State Rank
City of Rockwall
CITY • Rockwall County • Pop: 52,918
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.260325Fiscal: 84.4Regulatory: 28.6Debt: 65.5▼ -1.8 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.7% YoY (+23.2% 5Y)
Grade C(60.1/100)
#818
State Rank
City of Missouri City
CITY • Fort Bend County • Pop: 78,582
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.560825Fiscal: 66.4Regulatory: 45.3Debt: 67▼ -1.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.1% YoY (+20.6% 5Y)
Grade D(59.2/100)
#853
State Rank
City of Wylie
CITY • Collin County • Pop: 62,954
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.538882Fiscal: 67.7Regulatory: 31.4Debt: 79.7▼ -0.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.9% YoY (+20.6% 5Y)
Grade D(58/100)
#880
State Rank
City of North Richland Hills
CITY • Tarrant County • Pop: 70,658
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.489389Fiscal: 70.6Regulatory: 40.3Debt: 59.3▼ -1.5 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.1% YoY (+18.2% 5Y)
Grade D(57.2/100)
#903
State Rank
City of Kyle
CITY • Hays County • Pop: 65,833
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.5600Fiscal: 66.4Regulatory: 49.3Debt: 50.4▼ -2.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.2% YoY (+27.4% 5Y)
Grade D(56.4/100)
#909
State Rank
City of Harlingen
CITY • Cameron County • Pop: 72,234
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.5198Fiscal: 68.8Regulatory: 21.8Debt: 84.2▲ +0.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.4% YoY (+20.1% 5Y)
Grade D(56.2/100)
#932
State Rank
City of Burleson
CITY • Johnson County • Pop: 56,253
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.6325Fiscal: 62.1Regulatory: 46Debt: 58.6▼ -1.5 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.6% YoY (+27.4% 5Y)
Grade D(55.6/100)
#943
State Rank
City of Allen
CITY • Collin County • Pop: 113,746
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.4147Fiscal: 75.1Regulatory: 20Debt: 72.8▼ -1.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.8% YoY (+22.2% 5Y)
Grade D(55.2/100)
#946
State Rank
City of Port Arthur
CITY • Jefferson County • Pop: 55,799
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.613482Fiscal: 63.2Regulatory: 38.3Debt: 65.5▼ -1.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.1% YoY (+25.5% 5Y)
Grade D(55.1/100)
#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)
#979
State Rank
City of Mansfield
CITY • Tarrant County • Pop: 84,444
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.6290Fiscal: 62.3Regulatory: 20.1Debt: 88▼ -0.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.1% YoY (+26.6% 5Y)
Grade D(54/100)
#989
State Rank
City of Sugar Land
CITY • Fort Bend County • Pop: 109,851
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.35165Fiscal: 78.9Regulatory: 33.9Debt: 40.6▼ -3.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.3% YoY (+21.0% 5Y)
Grade D(53.6/100)
#994
State Rank
City of Carrollton
CITY • Denton County • Pop: 135,456
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.5370Fiscal: 67.8Regulatory: 22.9Debt: 73.5▼ -0.7 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.1% YoY (+19.7% 5Y)
Grade D(53.5/100)
#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)
#1007
State Rank
City of Mission
CITY • Hidalgo County • Pop: 88,574
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.5389Fiscal: 67.7Regulatory: 20.7Debt: 73.9▼ -0.9 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.2% YoY (+21.9% 5Y)
Grade D(52.8/100)