West Lake Hills spent more per resident in 2022 than 90% of similar cities
West Lake Hills’ city government spent $5.6 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, about $1,707 per resident.
What stands out about how West Lake Hills is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,707 per resident in 2022: more than 90% of them
West Lake Hills’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,707 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 $880, and the middle half spent $630–$1,278. West Lake Hills spent more than 90% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.2 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 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; West Lake Hills itself left out).
About $1,707 per resident a year, or $4.68 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 38%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
West Lake Hills reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
Typical bills top $10,000 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at West Lake Hills’ 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 West Lake Hills’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in West Lake Hills →
Who’s in charge in West Lake Hills
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 125 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 (3,254).
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.
Eanes Independent School District
West Lake Hills’ K–12 school district, shared with Rollingwood. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,292 per pupil, $7,916 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.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
West Lake Hills’ votes are counted by county
Texas reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for West Lake Hills alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Travis County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat68.3%398,968 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican29.2%170,781 votesOthers: 2.4% (14,207 votes).
Most votes in Travis County: Kamala D Harris
Texas: Trump 56.1%, Harris 42.5%
100% of West Lake Hills lies in Travis County. Every 2024 race in Travis County is on the county’s page.
Travis 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 West Lake Hills.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 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.
How West Lake Hills compares with the towns next door
West Lake Hills spent $1,707 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $1,773. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Rollingwood | $1,773 | $10,000+ |
| Austin | estimate | $8,024 |
| West Lake Hills | $1,707 | $10,000+ |
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 West Lake Hills’ government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about West Lake Hills’ government
How much does West Lake Hills spend per resident?
About $1,707 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 $1,707 was more than 90% of 175 Texas cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
Who runs West Lake Hills’ government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for West Lake Hills yet.
How did West Lake Hills vote in 2024?
Texas counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for West Lake Hills alone. Travis County, where 100% of West Lake Hills lies, voted Harris 68.3%, Trump 29.2% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for West Lake Hills?
26 full-time and 2 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $170,613 (about $2.0M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents West Lake Hills in the state legislature?
State Senate District 14 (Sarah Eckhardt) and State House District 48 (Donna Howard). The House district also covers three neighboring towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about West Lake Hills’ 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 →