Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Zavalla

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
Aldridge SawmillAldridge Sawmill · Photo: Renelibrary · CC BY-SA 4.0
Town Hall · Zavalla

Zavalla spent more per resident in 2022 than 66% of similar cities

Zavalla’s town government spent $434,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $610 per resident. Water and other utilities ($205,000) are counted separately.

Day-to-day spending, 2022
$434,000
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$610
In 2022: $610, more than 66% of 346 similar cities
Long-term debt
$828,000
end of 2022, reported
Town staff, 2022
20
full-time · 0 part-time · March payroll $61,579
Typical tax bill
$982
1.33% of home value · TX 1.49%

What stands out about how Zavalla is run

Read from the town’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$610 per resident in 2022: more than 66% of them

Zavalla’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($610 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 346 Texas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $428, and the middle half spent $184–$752. Zavalla spent more than 66% of them.

Middle half of the group, $184–$752Median $428Zavalla

Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
346

Texas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Zavalla itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $610 per resident a year, or $1.67 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 56%.

Where the money comes from
Utility sales 47%Sales taxes 21%From the federal government 13%From the state 10%Property taxes 9%
Not in the receipt.Interest on debt $18,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $657,000.
Over the years

No trend yet

Zavalla reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $982 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.33% of the home’s value, vs 1.49% across Texas.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Texas$4,232
Zavalla$982
$982
typical bill a year
1.33%
effective rate
$74,000
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Zavalla’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. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.

Tax bills are one input to Zavalla’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Zavalla →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Zavalla

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

Check Zavalla’s own website for current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Zavalla yet.
Who works for Zavalla

One full-time town employee for every 36 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 (712).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Administration & buildings12
Roads & transportation4
Police3
Courts, inspections & corrections1
20
full-time
0
part-time
$61,579
payroll for March 2022
$738,948
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$36,900
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
3
sworn police officers
Compared, 2022.Zavalla had 28.1 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 295 of the 346 Texas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 6.1: Zavalla had more than 99% of them. Same group and year as the budget comparison.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Zavalla Independent School District

Zavalla’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Zavalla →
$15,350
per pupil · TX $12,815
320
students
None
long-term debt

Of the $15,350 per pupil, $9,278 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.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 28%State 52%Federal 21%

Texas districts overall: 51% local, 36% state, 13% federal.

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

Zavalla’s votes are counted by county

Texas reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Zavalla alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Angelina County’s results.

President · Angelina County’s results34,476 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican75.6%26,049 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat23.6%8,146 votes

Others: 0.8% (281 votes).

Most votes in Angelina County: Donald J Trump

Texas: Trump 56.1%, Harris 42.5%

The county’s page

100% of Zavalla lies in Angelina County. Every 2024 race in Angelina County is on the county’s page.

Angelina County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

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.

Who represents Zavalla

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Zavalla.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your townTown government
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Texas HouseState representatives
  3. 3
    Texas SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Texas

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Reach Zavalla’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Zavalla’s government

How much does Zavalla spend per resident?

About $610 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $610 was more than 66% of 346 Texas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Zavalla?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $982 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.33% 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 Zavalla’s government?

We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Zavalla yet.

How did Zavalla vote in 2024?

Texas counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Zavalla alone. Angelina County, where 100% of Zavalla lies, voted Trump 75.6%, Harris 23.6% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Zavalla?

20 full-time and 0 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $61,579 (about $738,948 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Zavalla in the state legislature?

State Senate District 3 (Robert Nichols) and State House District 9 (Trent Ashby). The House district also covers 23 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Zavalla’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

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 →