Photo: Renelibrary · CC BY-SA 4.0Ferris spent more per resident in 2022 than 89% of similar cities
Ferris’ town government spent $5.1 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2023, about $1,785 per resident. Water and other utilities ($2.3 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Ferris is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$1,703 per resident in 2022: more than 89% of them
Ferris’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,703 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. Ferris spent more than 89% of 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; Ferris itself left out).
About $1,785 per resident a year, or $4.89 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 33%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is down 2% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Ferris reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $1,703 · 2023: $1,785. Per resident it went from $1,703 to $1,785 (up 5%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 3,069 to 2,857.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $3,511 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.34% 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 Ferris’ 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 Ferris’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Ferris →
Who’s in charge in Ferris
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Ferris’ meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on ferristexas.gov ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 60 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (2,857).
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.
Ferris Independent School District
Ferris’ K–12 school district, shared with Red Oak. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,344 per pupil, $8,448 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.
Ferris’ votes are counted by county
Texas reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Ferris 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 Ferris lies in Ellis County; the rest in Dallas 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 Ferris.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: ferristexas.gov ↗
- 2Texas HouseFerris is split between 2 districts
- 3Texas SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseSplit between districts
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Texas
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Ferris compares with the towns next door
Ferris spent $1,703 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $930. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
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 Ferris’ government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Ferris’ government
How much does Ferris spend per resident?
About $1,785 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,703 was more than 89% of 175 Texas cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Ferris?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,511 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.34% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.49% across Texas. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see ferristexas.gov.
Who runs Ferris’ government?
See ferristexas.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Ferris yet.
How did Ferris vote in 2024?
Texas counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Ferris alone. Ellis County, where 100% of Ferris lies, voted Trump 64.9%, Harris 33.9% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Ferris?
48 full-time and 9 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $259,054 (about $3.1M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Ferris in the state legislature?
Ferris is split among 2 State House districts and 2 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Texas Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Ferris’ 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 →