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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 118 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)
▼ -0.4 pts
27-Yr Liberty Shift (FY 00→27)
▼ -3.9 pts
Annual Budget Growth (YoY)
+3.8% YoY
5-Yr Budget Expansion
+22.3% (CAGR +3.6%/yr)
#336
State Rank
City of Hidalgo
CITY • Hidalgo County • Pop: 15,164
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.3514Fiscal: 78.9Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 79.9▲ +0.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.4% YoY (+13.7% 5Y)
Grade A(81.8/100)
#470
State Rank
City of Stafford
CITY • Fort Bend County • Pop: 17,555
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.0000Fiscal: 100Regulatory: 43.4Debt: 82.1▼ -0.7 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.7% YoY (+21.2% 5Y)
Grade B(75.7/100)
#481
State Rank
City of Sulphur Springs
CITY • Hopkins County • Pop: 16,891
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.4380Fiscal: 73.7Regulatory: 84.1Debt: 65.7▼ -0.8 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.7% YoY (+18.9% 5Y)
Grade B(75.3/100)
#513
State Rank
City of Palmview
CITY • Hidalgo County • Pop: 16,030
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.5825Fiscal: 65.1Regulatory: 79.9Debt: 79.9▼ -0.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.4% YoY (+29.4% 5Y)
Grade B(74/100)
#529
State Rank
City of Humble
CITY • Harris County • Pop: 16,237
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.2565Fiscal: 84.6Regulatory: 44.5Debt: 96▼ -0.7 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.6% YoY (+27.7% 5Y)
Grade B(73.4/100)
#598
State Rank
City of Alamo
CITY • Hidalgo County • Pop: 20,694
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.6295Fiscal: 62.2Regulatory: 72.9Debt: 78.1▼ -0.6 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.0% YoY (+30.0% 5Y)
Grade C(69.9/100)
#601
State Rank
City of Alton
CITY • Hidalgo County • Pop: 22,907
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.4398Fiscal: 73.6Regulatory: 56.5Debt: 81.8▼ -0.8 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.2% YoY (+30.1% 5Y)
Grade C(69.7/100)
#608
State Rank
Village of Iowa Colony
CITY • Brazoria County • Pop: 17,240
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.5200Fiscal: 68.8Regulatory: 60.1Debt: 82.1▼ -0.4 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.5% YoY (+31.8% 5Y)
Grade C(69.1/100)
#610
State Rank
City of Mount Pleasant
CITY • Titus County • Pop: 16,238
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.423648Fiscal: 74.6Regulatory: 79.9Debt: 44.8▼ -2.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.1% YoY (+18.5% 5Y)
Grade C(69/100)
#609
State Rank
City of Dickinson
CITY • Galveston County • Pop: 21,941
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.3682Fiscal: 77.9Regulatory: 43.9Debt: 89.8▲ +0.4 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.9% YoY (+3.8% 5Y)
Grade C(69/100)
#645
State Rank
City of Huntsville
CITY • Walker County • Pop: 49,088
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.2852Fiscal: 82.9Regulatory: 31.4Debt: 92▼ -0.5 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.0% YoY (+19.8% 5Y)
Grade C(67.2/100)
#671
State Rank
City of Groves
CITY • Jefferson County • Pop: 16,866
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.643678Fiscal: 61.4Regulatory: 57.4Debt: 84▼ -0.4 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.4% YoY (+27.8% 5Y)
Grade C(65.7/100)
#685
State Rank
City of Nederland
CITY • Jefferson County • Pop: 18,168
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.4660Fiscal: 72Regulatory: 50.3Debt: 74.3▼ -0.7 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.2% YoY (+27.5% 5Y)
Grade C(65/100)
#699
State Rank
Town of Addison
CITY • Dallas County • Pop: 17,195
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.5981Fiscal: 64.1Regulatory: 39.7Debt: 100▲ +0.6 pts (5Y)Budget: +6.3% YoY (+26.1% 5Y)
Grade C(64.5/100)
#701
State Rank
City of University Park
CITY • Dallas County • Pop: 25,268
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.220055Fiscal: 86.8Regulatory: 26.4Debt: 81.9▼ -0.7 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.7% YoY (+15.0% 5Y)
Grade C(64.4/100)
#705
State Rank
City of The Colony
CITY • Denton County • Pop: 46,196
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.6175Fiscal: 63Regulatory: 40.4Debt: 100▲ +0.8 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.4% YoY (+22.6% 5Y)
Grade C(64.3/100)
#706
State Rank
Town of Prosper
CITY • Collin County • Pop: 45,605
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.5050Fiscal: 69.7Regulatory: 32.2Debt: 100▲ +0.7 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.8% YoY (+28.2% 5Y)
Grade C(64.2/100)
#720
State Rank
City of Harker Heights
CITY • Bell County • Pop: 35,263
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.5300Fiscal: 68.2Regulatory: 47.5Debt: 78.6▼ -0.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.1% YoY (+19.0% 5Y)
Grade C(63.6/100)
#724
State Rank
City of Gatesville
CITY • Coryell County • Pop: 16,388
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.5400Fiscal: 67.6Regulatory: 48.7Debt: 77.6▼ -0.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.4% YoY (+18.2% 5Y)
Grade C(63.5/100)
#732
State Rank
City of Colleyville
CITY • Tarrant County • Pop: 25,850
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.321034Fiscal: 80.7Regulatory: 26.5Debt: 86.1▼ -0.6 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.4% YoY (+20.8% 5Y)
Grade C(63.1/100)
#734
State Rank
City of Benbrook
CITY • Tarrant County • Pop: 24,336
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.5450Fiscal: 67.3Regulatory: 45.2Debt: 81▲ +0.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.7% YoY (+17.3% 5Y)
Grade C(63/100)
#738
State Rank
City of La Porte
CITY • Harris County • Pop: 38,046
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.7100Fiscal: 57.4Regulatory: 59.3Debt: 76.4▼ -0.6 pts (5Y)Budget: +6.4% YoY (+32.2% 5Y)
Grade C(62.8/100)
#745
State Rank
City of West University Place
CITY • Harris County • Pop: 15,149
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.2285Fiscal: 86.3Regulatory: 40.5Debt: 55.2▼ -1.8 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.3% YoY (+11.5% 5Y)
Grade C(62.5/100)
#752
State Rank
City of La Marque
CITY • Galveston County • Pop: 20,194
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.3682Fiscal: 77.9Regulatory: 36.4Debt: 73.3▼ -1.0 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.6% YoY (+26.6% 5Y)
Grade C(62.2/100)
#762
State Rank
City of South Houston
CITY • Harris County • Pop: 16,146
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.5650Fiscal: 66.1Regulatory: 35.7Debt: 91.8▲ +0.6 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.4% YoY (+19.4% 5Y)
Grade C(61.9/100)