Photo: Lothar1976 · Public domainHow is Bardwell run?
Bardwell’s city government spent $217,000 on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, about $306 per resident. Water and other utilities ($185,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Bardwell is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
About $306 per resident a year, or $0.84 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 52%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$306 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Bardwell’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($306 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 346 Texas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $433, and the middle half spent $184–$752. Bardwell spent less than 61% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($112,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Texas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Bardwell itself left out).
No trend yet
Bardwell reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,408 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.06% of the home’s value, vs 1.49% across Texas.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Bardwell’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.
Tax bills are one input to Bardwell’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Bardwell →
Who’s in charge in Bardwell
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Ennis Independent School District
Bardwell’s K–12 school district, shared with Alma, Garrett, Ennis. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $11,308 per pupil, $6,687 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Texas districts overall: 51% local, 36% state, 13% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Bardwell’s votes are counted by county
Texas reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Bardwell alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Ellis County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican64.9%64,763 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat33.9%33,850 votesOthers: 1.2% (1,205 votes).
Most votes in Ellis County: Donald J Trump
Texas: Trump 56.1%, Harris 42.5%
100% of Bardwell lies in Ellis County. Every 2024 race in Ellis County is on the county’s page.
Ellis County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Bardwell.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 2Texas HouseState representatives
- 3Texas SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Texas
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
Reach Bardwell’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Bardwell’s government
How much does Bardwell spend per resident?
About $306 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $306 was less than 61% of 346 Texas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Bardwell?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,408 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.06% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.49% across Texas. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the city’s assessor.
Who runs Bardwell’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Bardwell yet.
How did Bardwell vote in 2024?
Texas counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Bardwell alone. Ellis County, where 100% of Bardwell lies, voted Trump 64.9%, Harris 33.9% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Bardwell?
0 full-time and 4 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $4,138 (about $49,656 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Bardwell in the state legislature?
State Senate District 2 (Bob Hall) and State House District 10 (Brian Harrison). The House district also covers 19 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Bardwell’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →