Photo: Djmaschek · CC BY-SA 3.0How is Orchard run?
Orchard’s town government spent $0 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $0 per resident.
What stands out about how Orchard is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
Brazos Independent School District
Orchard’s K–12 school district, shared with Wallis. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,702 per pupil, $7,861 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.
No comparison or trend for Orchard yet
The fair comparison uses 2022, the last year the Census Bureau counted every government (later years are a sample), and Orchard’s 2022 operating figures are mostly a Census estimate, so they aren’t compared. It reported 2022 only, so there is no trend yet either. The next full count is 2027.
How Town Hall compares budgets →The typical homeowner pays $1,988 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.86% 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 Orchard’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 Orchard’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Orchard →
Who’s in charge in Orchard
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Orchard’s votes are counted by county
Texas reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Orchard alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Fort Bend County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat49.3%179,310 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican47.8%173,592 votesOthers: 2.9% (10,613 votes).
Most votes in Fort Bend County: Kamala D Harris
Texas: Trump 56.1%, Harris 42.5%
100% of Orchard lies in Fort Bend County. Every 2024 race in Fort Bend County is on the county’s page.
Fort Bend 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 Orchard.
- 1Your townTown governmentLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 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.
Reach Orchard’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Orchard’s government
How much does Orchard spend per resident?
About $0 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau.
What is the property tax rate in Orchard?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,988 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.86% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.49% across Texas. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the town’s assessor.
Who runs Orchard’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Orchard yet.
How did Orchard vote in 2024?
Texas counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Orchard alone. Fort Bend County, where 100% of Orchard lies, voted Harris 49.3%, Trump 47.8% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Orchard?
0 full-time and 3 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $4,000 (about $48,000 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Orchard in the state legislature?
State Senate District 18 (Lois Kolkhorst) and State House District 28 (Gary Gates). The House district also covers 10 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Orchard’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 →