Bear Creek spent less per resident in 2022 than 94% of similar cities
Bear Creek’s village government spent $10,000 on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, about $20 per resident.
What stands out about how Bear Creek is run
Read from the village’s budget and official records.
$20 per resident in 2022: less than 94% of them
Bear Creek’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($20 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 $185–$752. Bear Creek spent less than 94% of 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; Bear Creek itself left out).
About $20 per resident a year, or $0.05 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 80%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Revenue is well above spending. That usually means Bear Creek collects property taxes for the school district and county and passes them on, so only its own spending is counted.
No trend yet
Bear Creek reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $9,900 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.17% 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 Bear Creek’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 Bear Creek’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Bear Creek →
Who’s in charge in Bear Creek
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Dripping Springs Independent School District
Bear Creek’s K–12 school district, shared with Dripping Springs. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $11,156 per pupil, $6,636 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.
Bear Creek’s votes are counted by county
Texas reports official results by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Bear Creek alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Hays County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat52.1%65,528 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican46.4%58,438 votesOthers: 1.5% (1,861 votes).
Most votes in Hays County: Kamala D Harris
Texas: Trump 56.1%, Harris 42.5%
100% of Bear Creek lies in Hays County. Every 2024 race in Hays County is on the county’s page.
Hays 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 Bear Creek.
- 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.
How Bear Creek compares with the towns next door
Bear Creek spent $20 per resident in 2022. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Austin | estimate | $8,024 |
| Bear Creek | $20 | $9,900 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Bear Creek’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Bear Creek’s government
How much does Bear Creek spend per resident?
About $20 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 $20 was less than 94% of 346 Texas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Bear Creek?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $9,900 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.17% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.49% across Texas. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the village’s assessor.
Who runs Bear Creek’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Bear Creek yet.
How did Bear Creek vote in 2024?
Texas counts votes by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Bear Creek alone. Hays County, where 100% of Bear Creek lies, voted Harris 52.1%, Trump 46.4% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Bear Creek?
0 full-time and 2 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $2,801 (about $33,612 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Bear Creek in the state legislature?
State Senate District 25 (Donna Campbell) and State House District 45 (Erin Zwiener). The House district also covers nine other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Bear Creek’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 →