Photo: TourismPTX · CC BY-SA 4.0Palestine spent less per resident in 2022 than 79% of similar cities
Palestine’s city government spent $12.1 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, about $679 per resident. That is its newest year reported to the Census Bureau.
What stands out about how Palestine is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$679 per resident in 2022: less than 79% of them
Palestine’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($679 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 68 Texas cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $986, and the middle half spent $731–$1,301. Palestine spent less than 79% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($3.3 million), 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 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Palestine itself left out).
About $679 per resident a year, or $1.86 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 27%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Palestine reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau (2023 is an estimate), so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,977 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 Palestine’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 Palestine’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Palestine →
Who’s in charge in Palestine
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Palestine’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofpalestinetx.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 104 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 (17,819).
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.
Palestine Independent School District
Palestine’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,544 per pupil, $8,086 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.
Westwood Independent School District · $13,726 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Palestine’s votes are counted by county
Texas reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Palestine alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Anderson County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican80.5%15,597 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat18.8%3,635 votesOthers: 0.8% (149 votes).
Most votes in Anderson County: Donald J Trump
Texas: Trump 56.1%, Harris 42.5%
100% of Palestine lies in Anderson County. Every 2024 race in Anderson County is on the county’s page.
Anderson 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 Palestine.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofpalestinetx.com ↗
- 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 Palestine’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Palestine’s government
How much does Palestine spend per resident?
About $679 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 $679 was less than 79% of 68 Texas cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Palestine?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,977 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 cityofpalestinetx.com.
Who runs Palestine’s government?
See cityofpalestinetx.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Palestine yet.
How did Palestine vote in 2024?
Texas counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Palestine alone. Anderson County, where 100% of Palestine lies, voted Trump 80.5%, Harris 18.8% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Palestine?
171 full-time and 10 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $655,605 (about $7.9M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Palestine in the state legislature?
State Senate District 3 (Robert Nichols) and State House District 8 (Cody Harris). The House district also covers 38 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Palestine’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 →