El Lago spent less per resident in 2022 than 68% of similar cities
El Lago’s city government spent $1.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, about $702 per resident.
What stands out about how El Lago is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$702 per resident in 2022: less than 68% of them
El Lago’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($702 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 $898, and the middle half spent $630–$1,292. El Lago spent less than 68% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($173,000), 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 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; El Lago itself left out).
About $702 per resident a year, or $1.92 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 41%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Revenue is well above spending. That usually means El Lago collects property taxes for the school district and county and passes them on, so only its own spending is counted.
No trend yet
El Lago reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $6,464 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 2.01% 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 El Lago’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.
Tax bills are one input to El Lago’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in El Lago →
Who’s in charge in El Lago
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
El Lago’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on ellago-tx.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 547 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 (2,736).
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.
Clear Creek Independent School District
El Lago’s K–12 school district, shared with Clear Lake Shores, Kemah, Nassau Bay, Seabrook, Taylor Lake Village and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $10,905 per pupil, $6,845 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.
El Lago’s votes are counted by county
Texas reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for El Lago alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Harris County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat51.9%808,771 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican46.4%722,695 votesOthers: 1.7% (26,018 votes).
Most votes in Harris County: Kamala D Harris
Texas: Trump 56.1%, Harris 42.5%
100% of El Lago lies in Harris County. Every 2024 race in Harris County is on the county’s page.
Harris 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 El Lago.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: ellago-tx.com ↗
- 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 El Lago compares with the towns next door
El Lago spent $702 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $966. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Pasadena | $966 | $2,899 |
| Seabrook | estimate | $5,730 |
| Taylor Lake Village | estimate | $5,597 |
| El Lago | $702 | $6,464 |
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 El Lago’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about El Lago’s government
How much does El Lago spend per resident?
About $702 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 $702 was less than 68% of 175 Texas cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in El Lago?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $6,464 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 2.01% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.49% across Texas. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see ellago-tx.com.
Who runs El Lago’s government?
See ellago-tx.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for El Lago yet.
How did El Lago vote in 2024?
Texas counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for El Lago alone. Harris County, where 100% of El Lago lies, voted Harris 51.9%, Trump 46.4% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for El Lago?
5 full-time and 2 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $19,110 (about $229,320 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents El Lago in the state legislature?
State Senate District 11 (Mayes Middleton) and State House District 129 (Dennis Paul). The House district also covers 11 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about El Lago’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 →