Stafford spent more per resident in 2022 than 75% of similar cities
Stafford’s city government spent $31.8 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2023, about $1,833 per resident.
What stands out about how Stafford is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,300 per resident in 2022: more than 75% of them
Stafford’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,300 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 $976, and the middle half spent $726–$1,282. Stafford spent more than 75% of 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; Stafford itself left out).
About $1,833 per resident a year, or $5.02 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 29%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 44% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Stafford reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $1,300 · 2023: $1,833.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $3,311 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.28% 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 Stafford’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 Stafford’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Stafford →
Who’s in charge in Stafford
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Stafford’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofstafford.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 120 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (17,364).
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.
Stafford Municipal School District
Stafford’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $12,683 per pupil, $7,163 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.
Stafford’s votes are counted by county
Texas reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Stafford 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%
98% of Stafford lies in Fort Bend County; the rest in Harris 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 Stafford.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofstafford.com ↗
- 2Texas HouseStafford 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 Stafford compares with the towns next door
Stafford spent $1,300 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $1,213. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Meadows Place | $1,213 | $4,647 |
| Sugar Land | estimate | $7,320 |
| Missouri City | estimate | $5,754 |
| Stafford | $1,300 | $3,311 |
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 Stafford’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Stafford’s government
How much does Stafford spend per resident?
About $1,833 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,300 was more than 75% of 68 Texas cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Stafford?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,311 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.28% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.49% across Texas. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofstafford.com.
Who runs Stafford’s government?
See cityofstafford.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Stafford yet.
How did Stafford vote in 2024?
Texas counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Stafford alone. Fort Bend County, where 98% of Stafford lies, voted Harris 49.3%, Trump 47.8% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Stafford?
145 full-time and 67 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $849,369 (about $10.2M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Stafford in the state legislature?
Stafford 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 Stafford’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 →