Photo: Roman Eugeniusz · CC BY-SA 3.0Socorro spent less per resident in 2022 than 100% of similar cities
Socorro’s city government spent $9.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, about $257 per resident.
What stands out about how Socorro is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$257 per resident in 2022: less than 100% of them
Socorro’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($257 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 30 Texas cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,078, and the middle half spent $896–$1,268. Socorro spent less than 100% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Texas cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Socorro itself left out).
About $257 per resident a year, or $0.70 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 44%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Revenue is well above spending. That usually means Socorro collects property taxes for the school district and county and passes them on, so only its own spending is counted.
No trend yet
Socorro reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $3,157 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 2.18% 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 Socorro’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 Socorro’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Socorro →
Who’s in charge in Socorro
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Socorro’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on ci.socorro.tx.us ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 329 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (35,883).
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.
Socorro Independent School District
Socorro’s K–12 school district, shared with Horizon City. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $11,771 per pupil, $6,916 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.
Clint Independent School District · $14,018 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Socorro’s votes are counted by county
Texas reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Socorro alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are El Paso County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat56.8%143,156 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican41.7%105,124 votesOthers: 1.5% (3,725 votes).
Most votes in El Paso County: Kamala D Harris
Texas: Trump 56.1%, Harris 42.5%
100% of Socorro lies in El Paso County. Every 2024 race in El Paso County is on the county’s page.
El Paso 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 Socorro.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: ci.socorro.tx.us ↗
- 2Texas HouseState representatives
- 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 Socorro compares with the towns next door
Socorro spent $257 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $923. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| El Paso | $923 | $3,760 |
| San Elizario | estimate | $1,769 |
| Socorro | $257 | $3,157 |
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 Socorro’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Socorro’s government
How much does Socorro spend per resident?
About $257 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 $257 was less than 100% of 30 Texas cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Socorro?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,157 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 2.18% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.49% across Texas. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see ci.socorro.tx.us.
Who runs Socorro’s government?
See ci.socorro.tx.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Socorro yet.
How did Socorro vote in 2024?
Texas counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Socorro alone. El Paso County, where 100% of Socorro lies, voted Harris 56.8%, Trump 41.7% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Socorro?
109 full-time and 6 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $446,762 (about $5.4M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Socorro in the state legislature?
State Senate District 29 (César Blanco) and State House District 75 (Mary González). The House district also covers four other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Socorro’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 →