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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 66 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)
▲ +0.9 pts
27-Yr Liberty Shift (FY 00→27)
▲ +0.4 pts
Annual Budget Growth (YoY)
+3.6% YoY
5-Yr Budget Expansion
+24.4% (CAGR +3.6%/yr)
#5
State Rank
Llano County
COUNTY • Llano County • Pop: 24,677
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.258232Fiscal: 84.5Regulatory: 83.5Debt: 100▲ +0.7 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.5% YoY (+25.1% 5Y)
Grade A(88/100)
#6
State Rank
Palo Pinto County
COUNTY • Palo Pinto County • Pop: 27,810
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.284133Fiscal: 83Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 98▲ +1.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.7% YoY (+1.8% 5Y)
Grade A(88/100)
#9
State Rank
Freestone County
COUNTY • Freestone County • Pop: 18,239
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.331499Fiscal: 80.1Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 100▲ +0.9 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.2% YoY (+28.0% 5Y)
Grade A(87.4/100)
#11
State Rank
Eastland County
COUNTY • Eastland County • Pop: 16,941
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.34272Fiscal: 79.4Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 100▲ +1.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.1% YoY (+32.2% 5Y)
Grade A(87.1/100)
#12
State Rank
Wharton County
COUNTY • Wharton County • Pop: 35,887
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.346206Fiscal: 79.2Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 100▲ +1.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.4% YoY (+26.6% 5Y)
Grade A(87/100)
#15
State Rank
Cooke County
COUNTY • Cooke County • Pop: 41,410
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.334493Fiscal: 79.9Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 97.2▲ +0.6 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.1% YoY (+25.5% 5Y)
Grade A(86.6/100)
#24
State Rank
DeWitt County
COUNTY • DeWitt County • Pop: 15,641
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.383831Fiscal: 77Regulatory: 85.4Debt: 97.3▲ +0.8 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.6% YoY (+19.8% 5Y)
Grade A(85/100)
#27
State Rank
Hopkins County
COUNTY • Hopkins County • Pop: 34,440
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.332596Fiscal: 80Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 88.9▲ +0.5 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.4% YoY (+23.1% 5Y)
Grade A(84.5/100)
#30
State Rank
Lamar County
COUNTY • Lamar County • Pop: 44,645
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.2998Fiscal: 82Regulatory: 81.1Debt: 92▲ +0.5 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.3% YoY (+22.4% 5Y)
Grade A(84.2/100)
#32
State Rank
Washington County
COUNTY • Washington County • Pop: 34,852
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.4367Fiscal: 73.8Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 96.9▲ +1.0 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.7% YoY (+47.6% 5Y)
Grade A(84.1/100)
#35
State Rank
Leon County
COUNTY • Leon County • Pop: 17,068
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.415942Fiscal: 75Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 94.4▲ +0.6 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.0% YoY (+26.1% 5Y)
Grade A(83.9/100)
#37
State Rank
Gillespie County
COUNTY • Gillespie County • Pop: 29,720
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.2770Fiscal: 83.4Regulatory: 79.1Debt: 90.1▲ +0.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.2% YoY (+20.8% 5Y)
Grade A(83.6/100)
#38
State Rank
Bosque County
COUNTY • Bosque County • Pop: 18,301
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.3227Fiscal: 80.6Regulatory: 84.1Debt: 87.8▲ +0.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.7% YoY (+23.9% 5Y)
Grade A(83.6/100)
#41
State Rank
Cherokee County
COUNTY • Cherokee County • Pop: 43,681
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.4950Fiscal: 70.3Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 100▲ +1.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.5% YoY (+22.6% 5Y)
Grade A(83.4/100)
#44
State Rank
Cass County
COUNTY • Cass County • Pop: 29,255
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.443809Fiscal: 73.4Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 94.5▲ +0.8 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.1% YoY (+24.9% 5Y)
Grade A(83.3/100)
#43
State Rank
Navarro County
COUNTY • Navarro County • Pop: 45,735
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.417182Fiscal: 75Regulatory: 85.4Debt: 93.6▲ +1.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.7% YoY (+19.2% 5Y)
Grade A(83.3/100)
#46
State Rank
Wood County
COUNTY • Wood County • Pop: 48,344
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.4695Fiscal: 71.8Regulatory: 84.1Debt: 100▲ +1.7 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.2% YoY (+18.9% 5Y)
Grade A(83.2/100)
#50
State Rank
Upshur County
COUNTY • Upshur County • Pop: 41,546
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.518626Fiscal: 68.9Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 100▲ +1.7 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.6% YoY (+23.0% 5Y)
Grade A(82.9/100)
#52
State Rank
Burleson County
COUNTY • Burleson County • Pop: 18,954
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.4520Fiscal: 72.9Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 93.2▲ +1.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.5% YoY (+17.0% 5Y)
Grade A(82.8/100)
#56
State Rank
Maverick County
COUNTY • Maverick County • Pop: 49,725
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.380583Fiscal: 77.2Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 85.2▲ +0.7 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.8% YoY (+17.3% 5Y)
Grade A(82.5/100)
#57
State Rank
Erath County
COUNTY • Erath County • Pop: 35,637
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.385673Fiscal: 76.9Regulatory: 78.1Debt: 97.7▲ +0.7 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.8% YoY (+20.9% 5Y)
Grade A(82.5/100)
#59
State Rank
Blanco County
COUNTY • Blanco County • Pop: 15,031
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.3725Fiscal: 77.7Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 83.9▼ -0.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.1% YoY (+22.6% 5Y)
Grade A(82.4/100)
#60
State Rank
Lampasas County
COUNTY • Lampasas County • Pop: 23,342
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.5200Fiscal: 68.8Regulatory: 85.4Debt: 100▲ +1.6 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.7% YoY (+58.6% 5Y)
Grade A(82.4/100)
#61
State Rank
Trinity County
COUNTY • Trinity County • Pop: 16,583
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.5390Fiscal: 67.7Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 100▲ +1.8 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.3% YoY (+18.5% 5Y)
Grade A(82.4/100)
#64
State Rank
Aransas County
COUNTY • Aransas County • Pop: 26,334
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.381634Fiscal: 77.1Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 83.7▲ +0.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.9% YoY (+22.8% 5Y)
Grade A(82.1/100)