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Hamilton-TX-CourtHousePhoto: Loadmaster (David R. Tribble) This image was made by Loadmaster (David R. Tribble). Email the author: David R. Tribble Also see my personal gallery at Google Photos · CC BY-SA 4.0
Town Hall · Hamilton

Hamilton spent more per resident in 2022 than 91% of similar cities

Hamilton’s city government spent $5.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, about $1,810 per resident. Water and other utilities ($118,000) and the airport ($151,000) are counted separately.

Town website
Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Texas.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$5.5M
year to September 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$1,810
In 2022: $1,810, more than 91% of 175 similar cities
Long-term debt
$3.4M
end of FY2022, reported
City staff, 2022
39
full-time · 38 part-time · March payroll $124,719
Typical tax bill
$1,333
1.31% of home value · TX 1.49%

What stands out about how Hamilton is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$1,810 per resident in 2022: more than 91% of them

Hamilton’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,810 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. Hamilton spent more than 91% of them.

Middle half of the group, $630–$1,278Median $880Hamilton

Includes sewer and trash ($541,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
175

Texas cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Hamilton itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $1,810 per resident a year, or $4.96 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 10%.

Where the money comes from
Utility sales 29%Fees & charges 22%Property taxes 14%From the federal government 13%Sales taxes 11%Interest, fines & other 11%From the state <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $231,000; interest on debt $149,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $6.1 million.
About “Other”.78% of Hamilton’s day-to-day spending ($4.3 million) is filed by the Census Bureau outside the named functions above, so the receipt can’t say what it buys.
Over the years

No trend yet

Hamilton reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,333 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.31% of the home’s value, vs 1.49% across Texas.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Texas$4,232
Hamilton$1,333
$1,333
typical bill a year
1.31%
effective rate
$102,100
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Hamilton’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 Hamilton’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Hamilton →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Hamilton

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

See hamiltontexas.com for Hamilton’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Hamilton yet.hamiltontexas.com ↗
Agendas

Hamilton’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on hamiltontexas.com ↗.

Who works for Hamilton

One full-time city employee for every 78 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 (3,025).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Fire5 + 35 pt
Administration & buildings9
Police9
Courts, inspections & corrections4
Water & other utilities4
Sewer & trash3 + 1 pt
Health & welfare2
Roads & transportation2
Parks & libraries1 + 2 pt
39
full-time
38
part-time
$124,719
payroll for March 2022
$1.5M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$33,500
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
9
sworn police officers
5
full-time firefighters
Compared, 2022.Hamilton had 12.9 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 146 of the 175 Texas cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 8.2: Hamilton had more than 80% of them. Same group and year as the budget comparison.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Hamilton Independent School District

Hamilton’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Hamilton →
$14,626
per pupil · TX $12,815
855
students
None
long-term debt

Of the $14,626 per pupil, $8,841 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.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 37%State 53%Federal 10%

Texas districts overall: 51% local, 36% state, 13% federal.

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

Hamilton’s votes are counted by county

Texas reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Hamilton alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Hamilton County’s results.

President · Hamilton County’s results4,480 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican85.0%3,809 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat14.0%625 votes

Others: 1.0% (46 votes).

Most votes in Hamilton County: Donald J Trump

Texas: Trump 56.1%, Harris 42.5%

The county’s page

100% of Hamilton lies in Hamilton County. Every 2024 race in Hamilton County is on the county’s page.

Hamilton County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

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.

Who represents Hamilton

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Hamilton.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
  2. 2
    Texas HouseState representatives
  3. 3
    Texas SenateState senator
    District 22
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Texas

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Reach Hamilton’s government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Hamilton’s government

How much does Hamilton spend per resident?

About $1,810 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 $1,810 was more than 91% of 175 Texas cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Hamilton?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,333 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.31% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.49% across Texas. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see hamiltontexas.com.

Who runs Hamilton’s government?

See hamiltontexas.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Hamilton yet.

How did Hamilton vote in 2024?

Texas counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Hamilton alone. Hamilton County, where 100% of Hamilton lies, voted Trump 85.0%, Harris 14.0% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Hamilton?

39 full-time and 38 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $124,719 (about $1.5M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Hamilton in the state legislature?

State Senate District 22 and State House District 59 (Shelby Slawson). The House district also covers 15 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Hamilton’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

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 →