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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 46 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)
▲ +0.6 pts
27-Yr Liberty Shift (FY 00→27)
▲ 0.0 pts
Annual Budget Growth (YoY)
+3.2% YoY
5-Yr Budget Expansion
+20.5% (CAGR +3.4%/yr)
#13
State Rank
Hood County
COUNTY • Hood County • Pop: 71,605
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.278022Fiscal: 83.3Regulatory: 86Debt: 94▲ +0.7 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.5% YoY (+21.9% 5Y)
Grade A(86.9/100)
#16
State Rank
Harrison County
COUNTY • Harrison County • Pop: 63,833
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.341086Fiscal: 79.5Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 98▲ +0.8 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.6% YoY (+20.2% 5Y)
Grade A(86.6/100)
#18
State Rank
Jefferson County
COUNTY • Jefferson County • Pop: 197,996
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.3570Fiscal: 78.6Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 94.9▲ +0.7 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.8% YoY (+18.3% 5Y)
Grade A(85.5/100)
#20
State Rank
Grayson County
COUNTY • Grayson County • Pop: 136,617
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.3051Fiscal: 81.7Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 89.8▲ +0.5 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.8% YoY (+16.6% 5Y)
Grade A(85.4/100)
#21
State Rank
Hunt County
COUNTY • Hunt County • Pop: 101,218
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.332241Fiscal: 80.1Regulatory: 85.4Debt: 93.8▲ +0.5 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.0% YoY (+27.7% 5Y)
Grade A(85.4/100)
#25
State Rank
Gregg County
COUNTY • Gregg County • Pop: 99,687
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.330292Fiscal: 80.2Regulatory: 85.4Debt: 91.4▲ +0.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.5% YoY (+21.7% 5Y)
Grade A(84.8/100)
#34
State Rank
Rockwall County
COUNTY • Rockwall County • Pop: 123,513
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.2595Fiscal: 84.4Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 79.4▼ -0.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +1.3% YoY (+20.3% 5Y)
Grade A(83.9/100)
#39
State Rank
Wilson County
COUNTY • Wilson County • Pop: 53,954
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.424932Fiscal: 74.5Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 93.6▲ +0.5 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.9% YoY (+21.6% 5Y)
Grade A(83.5/100)
#48
State Rank
Hardin County
COUNTY • Hardin County • Pop: 58,932
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.481223Fiscal: 71.1Regulatory: 86Debt: 98▲ +2.0 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.1% YoY (-2.4% 5Y)
Grade A(83/100)
#49
State Rank
Nacogdoches County
COUNTY • Nacogdoches County • Pop: 53,118
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.42656Fiscal: 74.4Regulatory: 81.9Debt: 98▲ +1.6 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.7% YoY (+15.3% 5Y)
Grade A(82.9/100)
#58
State Rank
Angelina County
COUNTY • Angelina County • Pop: 75,218
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.459041Fiscal: 72.5Regulatory: 86Debt: 93.6▲ +0.8 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.2% YoY (+18.8% 5Y)
Grade A(82.5/100)
#66
State Rank
Orange County
COUNTY • Orange County • Pop: 76,152
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.492847Fiscal: 70.4Regulatory: 85.4Debt: 95.9▲ +1.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.6% YoY (+20.7% 5Y)
Grade A(82/100)
#68
State Rank
Johnson County
COUNTY • Johnson County • Pop: 179,955
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.4140Fiscal: 75.2Regulatory: 84.1Debt: 89.7▲ +0.4 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.0% YoY (+26.8% 5Y)
Grade A(81.9/100)
#71
State Rank
Coryell County
COUNTY • Coryell County • Pop: 62,428
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.4974Fiscal: 70.2Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 93.4▲ +0.9 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.7% YoY (+32.9% 5Y)
Grade A(81.7/100)
#74
State Rank
Smith County
COUNTY • Smith County • Pop: 212,961
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.361317Fiscal: 78.3Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 79.5▼ -0.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.1% YoY (+22.8% 5Y)
Grade A(81.5/100)
#76
State Rank
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)
#82
State Rank
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)
#89
State Rank
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
State Rank
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)
#99
State Rank
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)
#104
State Rank
Bastrop County
COUNTY • Bastrop County • Pop: 85,416
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.4554Fiscal: 72.7Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 80.1▲ +0.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.0% YoY (+24.6% 5Y)
Grade B(79.4/100)
#106
State Rank
Bowie County
COUNTY • Bowie County • Pop: 82,065
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.426915Fiscal: 74.4Regulatory: 75.6Debt: 92.4▲ +0.4 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.6% YoY (+26.2% 5Y)
Grade B(79.3/100)
#109
State Rank
Wichita County
COUNTY • Wichita County • Pop: 105,278
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.51859Fiscal: 68.9Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 84.7▲ +1.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.8% YoY (+13.0% 5Y)
Grade B(79/100)
#112
State Rank
Walker County
COUNTY • Walker County • Pop: 52,796
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.4690Fiscal: 71.9Regulatory: 77.6Debt: 91.3▲ +0.4 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.4% YoY (+24.9% 5Y)
Grade B(78.7/100)
#123
State Rank
Kaufman County
COUNTY • Kaufman County • Pop: 155,311
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.411792Fiscal: 75.3Regulatory: 81Debt: 78.5▼ -0.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.0% YoY (+26.4% 5Y)
Grade B(78.1/100)