Ovilla spent more per resident in 2022 than 68% of similar cities
Ovilla’s city government spent $5 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, about $1,169 per resident. Water and other utilities ($853,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Ovilla is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,169 per resident in 2022: more than 68% of them
Ovilla’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,169 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–$1,292. Ovilla spent more than 68% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($746,000), 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; Ovilla itself left out).
About $1,169 per resident a year, or $3.20 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: fire, at 25%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Ovilla reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $6,742 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.51% 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 Ovilla’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 Ovilla’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Ovilla →
Who’s in charge in Ovilla
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Ovilla’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofovilla.org/index.aspx?nid=56 ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 130 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 (4,288).
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
Ovilla’s K–12 school district, shared with Oak Leaf, Pecan Hill, Red Oak, 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.
Midlothian Independent School District · $11,748 per pupil
DeSoto Independent School District · $13,331 per pupil
Cedar Hill Independent School District · $12,628 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Ovilla’s votes are counted by county
Texas reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Ovilla 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%
93% of Ovilla 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 Ovilla.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofovilla.org/index.aspx?nid=56 ↗
- 2Texas HouseOvilla 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 Ovilla compares with the towns next door
Ovilla spent $1,169 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $188 to $830. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Oak Leaf | $188 | $4,906 |
| Glenn Heights | $830 | $4,680 |
| Cedar Hill | estimate | $5,347 |
| Ovilla | $1,169 | $6,742 |
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 Ovilla’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Ovilla’s government
How much does Ovilla spend per resident?
About $1,169 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 $1,169 was more 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 Ovilla?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $6,742 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.51% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.49% across Texas. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofovilla.org/index.aspx?nid=56.
Who runs Ovilla’s government?
See cityofovilla.org/index.aspx?nid=56 for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Ovilla yet.
How did Ovilla vote in 2024?
Texas counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Ovilla alone. Ellis County, where 93% of Ovilla lies, voted Trump 64.9%, Harris 33.9% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Ovilla?
33 full-time and 40 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $218,820 (about $2.6M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Ovilla in the state legislature?
Ovilla 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 Ovilla’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 →