Photo: Larry D. Moore · CC BY 4.0Dripping Springs spent more per resident in 2022 than 96% of similar cities
Dripping Springs’ city government spent $14.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, about $2,256 per resident.
What stands out about how Dripping Springs is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$2,256 per resident in 2022: more than 96% of them
Dripping Springs’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,256 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 175 Texas cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $880, and the middle half spent $630–$1,278. Dripping Springs spent more than 96% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($2.5 million), 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 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Dripping Springs itself left out).
About $2,256 per resident a year, or $6.18 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 17%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Dripping Springs reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $8,571 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.35% 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 Dripping Springs’ 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.
Tax bills are one input to Dripping Springs’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Dripping Springs →
Who’s in charge in Dripping Springs
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Dripping Springs’ meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofdrippingsprings.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 169 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (6,587).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Dripping Springs Independent School District
Dripping Springs’ K–12 school district, shared with Bear Creek. 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.
Dripping Springs’ votes are counted by county
Texas reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Dripping Springs 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 Dripping Springs 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 Dripping Springs.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofdrippingsprings.com ↗
- 2Texas HouseDripping Springs is split between 2 districts
- 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 Dripping Springs compares with the towns next door
Dripping Springs spent $2,256 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Dripping Springs | $2,256 | $8,571 |
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 Dripping Springs’ government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Dripping Springs’ government
How much does Dripping Springs spend per resident?
About $2,256 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 $2,256 was more than 96% of 175 Texas cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Dripping Springs?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $8,571 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.35% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.49% across Texas. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofdrippingsprings.com.
Who runs Dripping Springs’ government?
See cityofdrippingsprings.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Dripping Springs yet.
How did Dripping Springs vote in 2024?
Texas counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Dripping Springs alone. Hays County, where 100% of Dripping Springs lies, voted Harris 52.1%, Trump 46.4% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Dripping Springs?
39 full-time and 5 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $215,119 (about $2.6M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Dripping Springs in the state legislature?
Dripping Springs is split among 2 State House districts, so your address decides. The Texas Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 25 (Donna Campbell). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Dripping Springs’ 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 →