Primera spent less per resident in 2022 than 87% of similar cities
Primera’s town government spent $2.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, about $449 per resident.
What stands out about how Primera is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$449 per resident in 2022: less than 87% of them
Primera’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($449 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 $898, and the middle half spent $634–$1,292. Primera spent less than 87% of 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; Primera itself left out).
About $449 per resident a year, or $1.23 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 74%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Primera reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $2,131 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.32% 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 Primera’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 Primera’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Primera →
Who’s in charge in Primera
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 251 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 (5,271).
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.
Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District
Primera’s K–12 school district, shared with Combes, Palm Valley, Harlingen. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,843 per pupil, $7,613 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.
Primera’s votes are counted by county
Texas reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Primera alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Cameron County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican52.4%60,991 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat46.6%54,258 votesOthers: 0.9% (1,060 votes).
Most votes in Cameron County: Donald J Trump
Texas: Trump 56.1%, Harris 42.5%
100% of Primera lies in Cameron County. Every 2024 race in Cameron County is on the county’s page.
Cameron 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 Primera.
- 1Your townTown governmentLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 2Texas HousePrimera is split between 2 districts
- 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.
How Primera compares with the towns next door
Primera spent $449 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $1,230. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
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 Primera’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Primera’s government
How much does Primera spend per resident?
About $449 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 $449 was less than 87% of 175 Texas cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Primera?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,131 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.32% 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 Primera’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Primera yet.
How did Primera vote in 2024?
Texas counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Primera alone. Cameron County, where 100% of Primera lies, voted Trump 52.4%, Harris 46.6% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Primera?
21 full-time and 0 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $70,726 (about $848,712 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Primera in the state legislature?
Primera is split among 2 State House districts, so your address decides. The Texas Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 27 (Adam Hinojosa). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Primera’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 →