Photo: Wkstormwater · CC BY-SA 4.0Universal City spent less per resident in 2022 than 74% of similar cities
Universal City’s city government spent $15.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, about $731 per resident. Water and other utilities ($3.3 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Universal City is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$731 per resident in 2022: less than 74% of them
Universal City’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($731 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 $726–$1,301. Universal City spent less than 74% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($884,000), 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 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Universal City itself left out).
About $731 per resident a year, or $2.00 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 24%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Universal City reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $5,147 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.91% 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 Universal City’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 Universal City’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Universal City →
Who’s in charge in Universal City
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Universal City’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on universalcitytexas.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 163 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 (21,007).
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.
Judson Independent School District
Universal City’s K–12 school district, shared with Kirby, Converse, Live Oak, Selma. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,460 per pupil, $8,214 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.
Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City Independent School District · $11,053 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Universal City’s votes are counted by county
Texas reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Universal City alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Bexar County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat54.1%411,389 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican44.4%337,545 votesOthers: 1.5% (11,089 votes).
Most votes in Bexar County: Kamala D Harris
Texas: Trump 56.1%, Harris 42.5%
100% of Universal City lies in Bexar County. Every 2024 race in Bexar County is on the county’s page.
Bexar 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 Universal City.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: universalcitytexas.com ↗
- 2Texas HouseUniversal City 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 Universal City compares with the towns next door
Universal City spent $731 per resident in 2022; the 4 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $526 to $1,226. 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 Universal City’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Universal City’s government
How much does Universal City spend per resident?
About $731 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 $731 was less than 74% of 68 Texas cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Universal City?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $5,147 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.91% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.49% across Texas. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see universalcitytexas.com.
Who runs Universal City’s government?
See universalcitytexas.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Universal City yet.
How did Universal City vote in 2024?
Texas counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Universal City alone. Bexar County, where 100% of Universal City lies, voted Harris 54.1%, Trump 44.4% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Universal City?
129 full-time and 41 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $762,585 (about $9.2M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Universal City in the state legislature?
Universal City is split among 2 State House districts, so your address decides. The Texas Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 19 (Roland Gutierrez). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Universal City’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 →