Oak Leaf spent less per resident in 2022 than 74% of similar cities
Oak Leaf’s city government spent $460,000 on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2023, about $285 per resident.
What stands out about how Oak Leaf is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$188 per resident in 2022: less than 74% of them
Oak Leaf’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($188 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 $184–$752. Oak Leaf spent less than 74% 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; Oak Leaf itself left out).
About $285 per resident a year, or $0.78 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 25%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 64% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Oak Leaf 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: $188 · 2023: $285. Per resident it went from $188 to $285 (up 52%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 1,498 to 1,616.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $4,906 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.19% 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 Oak Leaf’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 Oak Leaf’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Oak Leaf →
Who’s in charge in Oak Leaf
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 1,616 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 (1,616).
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.
Red Oak Independent School District
Oak Leaf’s K–12 school district, shared with Pecan Hill, Red Oak, Ovilla, Glenn Heights. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $11,943 per pupil, $6,527 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.
Oak Leaf’s votes are counted by county
Texas reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Oak Leaf 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 Oak Leaf lies in Ellis 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 Oak Leaf.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 2Texas HouseState representatives
- 3Texas SenateState senatorDistrict 22
- 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 Oak Leaf compares with the towns next door
Oak Leaf spent $188 per resident in 2022; the 3 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $830 to $1,169. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Glenn Heights | $830 | $4,680 |
| Red Oak | $930 | $6,091 |
| Ovilla | $1,169 | $6,742 |
| Oak Leaf | $188 | $4,906 |
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 Oak Leaf’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Oak Leaf’s government
How much does Oak Leaf spend per resident?
About $285 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 $188 was less than 74% of 346 Texas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Oak Leaf?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,906 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.19% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.49% across Texas. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the city’s assessor.
Who runs Oak Leaf’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Oak Leaf yet.
How did Oak Leaf vote in 2024?
Texas counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Oak Leaf alone. Ellis County, where 100% of Oak Leaf lies, voted Trump 64.9%, Harris 33.9% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Oak Leaf?
1 full-time and 1 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $4,794 (about $57,528 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Oak Leaf in the state legislature?
State Senate District 22 and State House District 10 (Brian Harrison). The House district also covers 19 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Oak Leaf’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 →