ZIP 79742 · Ward County, TX

Three governments run on your community's money

This page shows every government that serves ZIP 79742: the state, county, city or town and school district, and where each one's money comes from and goes.

Each government is shown for its own newest fiscal year on file, so the years differ. Figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau's Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, the government's own report or, for Texas governments, the Texas Education Agency, as named under Sources and more.

Where do my taxes go in 79742?
79742 is served by the State of Texas, Ward County and Grandfalls Royalty Independent School District 904. In each one's latest recorded fiscal year, State of Texas spent $211.3 billion (fiscal year ended August 31, 2023), Ward County spent $53.8 million (fiscal year ended December 31, 2023) and Grandfalls Royalty Independent School District 904 spent $4.4 million (fiscal year ended August 31, 2025). Each government's money is separate.

Which governments collect property tax in 79742?
Of the governments serving 79742, Ward County collected $46.5 million (fiscal year ended December 31, 2023) and Grandfalls Royalty Independent School District 904 collected $2.3 million (fiscal year ended August 31, 2025) in property tax. These are each government's total collections, not a bill for 79742.

See another ZIP code

From the state down to your schools: where each one's money comes from and goes.

See the full budget for: Ward County and Grandfalls Royalty Independent School District 904

Why not this year? Texas governments with newer filings show school district figures from the Texas Education Agency (for 2025). Each other figure is the newest year the U.S. Census Bureau has published for that government, so the years differ and are not the current year. Most governments post their current budget on their own website.

Where property tax goes in 79742

Ward County$46.5 million

61% of its $76.0 million in revenue · fiscal year ended December 31, 2023

Grandfalls Royalty Independent School District 904$2.3 million

50% of its $4.7 million in revenue · fiscal year ended August 31, 2025

These are each government's total property tax collections, not your bill. Your own bill is split by each government's tax rate, shown on your property tax bill.

Your county

This ZIP is outside any city or town, so Ward County provides local services like police and parks.

Ward County

$53.8 million budget in the latest fiscal year on record, which ended December 31, 2023.

Where the money comes from

County taxes63%Fees for services (hospital bills, parks and recreation)27%Fines and other8.0%State tax money2.5%
Full Ward County breakdown

What stands out

61%

of Ward County's money comes from property tax.A typical U.S. county of under 50,000 people gets 28%.

County taxes63%

Property tax
61%$46.5 million
Other taxes
1.2%$930 thousand
What's in other taxesOther selective sales taxes; other licenses and 1 more
  • Other selective sales taxes$550 thousand
  • Other licenses$352 thousand
  • Alcoholic beverage licenses$28 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Sales tax
0.1%$98 thousand

Fees for services27%

Fees for services
27%$20.6 million
What's in fees for servicesHospital bills; other service charges and 1 more
  • Hospital bills$19.7 million
  • Other service charges$780 thousand
  • Parks and recreation$135 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

State tax money2.5%

Money the state passes on, paid for by the state taxes residents also pay.

From the state
2.5%$1.9 million

Fines and other8.0%

Interest, rents and other
7.0%$5.3 million
Fines
1.0%$761 thousand
Ward County page →

Where the money goes

Health and hospitals42%Police, fire, courts and jails19%Running the government and other costs19%Roads, transit and parking12%Parks, recreation and libraries8.4%All other spending0.9%

What stands out

42%

of Ward County's spending goes to health services and hospitals.A typical U.S. county of under 50,000 people spends 4.8%.

Full Ward County breakdown

Spending by category100%

Health and hospitals
42%$22.3 million
What's in health and hospitalsHospitals and public health
  • Hospitals$20.7 million
  • Public health$1.7 million
Police, fire, courts and jails
19%$10.1 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPrisons and jails; police and 3 more
  • Prisons and jails$4.6 million
  • Police$3.1 million
  • Courts and legal services$1.9 million
  • Probation, parole and other corrections$414 thousand
  • Fire protection$117 thousand
Running the government and other costs
19%$10.0 million
What's in running the government and other costsOther and not broken out; central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology) and 2 more
  • Other and not broken out$6.8 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$2.2 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$549 thousand
  • Government buildings$475 thousand
Roads, transit and parking
12%$6.3 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways
  • Roads and highways$6.3 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
8.4%$4.5 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation and libraries
  • Parks and recreation$4.1 million
  • Libraries$426 thousand
Social services
0.5%$248 thousand
What's in social servicesOther public welfare
  • Other public welfare$248 thousand
Environment and natural resources
0.3%$187 thousand
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$187 thousand
Sent to other local governments
<0.1%$50 thousand
What's in sent to other local governmentsSent to local governments: other and not broken out
  • Sent to local governments: other and not broken out$50 thousand
Ward County page →

Your schools

Grandfalls Royalty Independent School District 904

$4.4 million budget in fiscal year 2025 (ended August 31, 2025), from the Texas Education Agency.

Where the money comes from

School district taxes50%State tax money43%Federal tax money5.2%Fines and other2.4%Fees for services0.2%
Full Grandfalls Royalty Independent School District 904 breakdown

School district taxes50%

Property tax
50%$2.3 million

Fees for services0.2%

Fees for services
0.2%$7 thousand

Federal tax money5.2%

Grants from Washington, paid for by the federal taxes residents also pay.

From the federal government
5.2%$243 thousand

State tax money43%

Money the state passes on, paid for by the state taxes residents also pay.

From the state
43%$2.0 million

Fines and other2.4%

Interest, rents and other
2.4%$112 thousand
Grandfalls Royalty Independent School District 904 page →

Where the money goes

Schools and colleges81%Debt payments (principal and interest)16%Sent to other local governments2.8%
Full Grandfalls Royalty Independent School District 904 breakdown

Spending by category100%

Schools and colleges
81%$3.6 million
Debt payments (principal and interest)
16%$725 thousand
Sent to other local governments
2.8%$123 thousand
Grandfalls Royalty Independent School District 904 page →

Your state

State of Texas

$211.3 billion budget in the latest fiscal year on record, which ended August 31, 2023.

Where the money comes from

State taxes42%Federal tax money33%Fees for services (hospital bills, college tuition)12%Fines and other11%Local tax money2.2%
Full Texas breakdown

What stands out

26%

of Texas' money comes from sales tax.A typical state government gets 14%.

State taxes42%

Sales tax
26%$54.3 billion
Other taxes
16%$33.0 billion
What's in other taxesOther selective sales taxes; severance taxes and 15 more
  • Other selective sales taxes$8.63 billion
  • Severance taxes$8.60 billion
  • Insurance premium taxes$4.34 billion
  • Motor fuel taxes$3.85 billion
  • Motor vehicle licenses$2.37 billion
  • Alcoholic beverage taxes$1.79 billion
  • Tobacco taxes$1.10 billion
  • Public utility taxes$875 million
  • Occupation and business licenses$677 million
  • Driver's licenses$192 million
  • Other licenses$171 million
  • Corporation licenses$164 million
  • Hunting and fishing licenses$113 million
  • Alcoholic beverage licenses$101 million
  • Amusement taxes$26.6 million
  • Public utility licenses$21.0 million
  • Amusement licenses$3.6 million

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services12%

Fees for services
12%$24.1 billion
What's in fees for servicesHospital bills; college tuition and 12 more
  • Hospital bills$11.5 billion
  • College tuition$8.99 billion
  • University housing and dining$1.91 billion
  • Other service charges$1.07 billion
  • Tolls on roads and bridges$430 million
  • Parks, land and natural resources$81.9 million
  • Parks and recreation$74.6 million
  • Housing$26.4 million
  • Road charges$26.2 million
  • Other education charges$24.4 million
  • School lunches$287 thousand
  • Garbage collection$166 thousand
  • Sewer$79 thousand
  • Other school charges$38 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money33%

Grants from Washington, paid for by the federal taxes residents also pay.

From the federal government
33%$68.4 billion

Local tax money2.2%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From local governments
2.2%$4.68 billion

Fines and other11%

Interest, rents and other
11%$23.2 billion
Fines
0.1%$305 million
Texas page →

Where the money goes

Social services27%Sent to local governments23%Schools and colleges20%Health and hospitals8.9%Roads, transit and parking8.8%All other spending11%

What stands out

20%

of Texas' spending goes to schools and colleges.A typical state government spends 15%.

Full Texas breakdown

Spending by category100%

Social services
27%$58.0 billion
What's in social servicesOther public welfare; veterans' services and 2 more
  • Other public welfare$57.2 billion
  • Veterans' services$514 million
  • Welfare institutions$157 million
  • Unemployment and social insurance offices$119 million
Sent to local governments
23%$49.0 billion
What's in sent to local governmentsSent to school districts; sent to local governments: other and not broken out and 18 more
  • Sent to school districts$41.9 billion
  • Sent to local governments: other and not broken out$1.99 billion
  • Sent to school districts (colleges)$1.65 billion
  • Sent to local governments: other public welfare$1.09 billion
  • Sent to local governments: public health$563 million
  • Sent to local governments: prisons and jails$523 million
  • Sent to local governments: general support$360 million
  • Sent to local governments: natural resources, farming and conservation$181 million
  • Sent to local governments: courts and legal services$153 million
  • Sent to local governments: roads and highways$127 million
  • Sent to local governments: police$126 million
  • Sent to local governments: other government administration$112 million
  • Sent to local governments: airports$106 million
  • Sent to local governments: parks and recreation$60.2 million
  • Sent to local governments: hospitals$23.2 million
  • Sent to local governments: housing and community development$17.4 million
  • Sent to local governments: garbage and solid waste$6.2 million
  • Sent to local governments: other education$5.6 million
  • Sent to local governments: inspections and regulation$2.1 million
  • Sent to local governments: libraries$1.7 million
Schools and colleges
20%$42.7 billion
What's in schools and collegesColleges and universities; college housing, dining and bookstores and 3 more
  • Colleges and universities$35.7 billion
  • College housing, dining and bookstores$2.81 billion
  • Scholarships and other education subsidies$2.73 billion
  • Other education$1.28 billion
  • Elementary and secondary schools$124 million
Health and hospitals
8.9%$18.8 billion
What's in health and hospitalsHospitals and public health
  • Hospitals$14.7 billion
  • Public health$4.09 billion
Roads, transit and parking
8.8%$18.7 billion
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways; toll roads and bridges and 3 more
  • Roads and highways$18.4 billion
  • Toll roads and bridges$179 million
  • Public transit$59.6 million
  • Airports$16.0 million
  • Ports and harbors$15.0 million
Running the government and other costs
5.4%$11.3 billion
What's in running the government and other costsOther and not broken out; finance, tax collection and budgeting and 3 more
  • Other and not broken out$6.05 billion
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$4.68 billion
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$277 million
  • Government buildings$238 million
  • Other government administration$90.9 million
Police, fire, courts and jails
4.1%$8.70 billion
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPrisons and jails; police and 3 more
  • Prisons and jails$4.75 billion
  • Police$1.87 billion
  • Courts and legal services$1.07 billion
  • Inspections and regulation$850 million
  • Probation, parole and other corrections$170 million
Interest on debt
0.9%$1.81 billion
Environment and natural resources
0.7%$1.42 billion
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$1.42 billion
Parks, recreation and libraries
0.3%$543 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation and libraries
  • Parks and recreation$499 million
  • Libraries$44.2 million
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
<0.1%$207 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesSewer systems and garbage and solid waste
  • Sewer systems$120 million
  • Garbage and solid waste$87.6 million
Housing and community development
<0.1%$107 million
Texas page →
Sources and moreEach government's source, fiscal year and how a ZIP is matched

State of Texas. U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, individual unit file, fiscal year ended August 31, 2023.

Ward County. U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, individual unit file, fiscal year ended December 31, 2023.

Grandfalls Royalty Independent School District 904. Texas Education Agency, PEIMS financial actual data, school year 2024-25, fiscal year ended August 31, 2025. The earlier Census figures are from U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, individual unit file, fiscal year ended August 31, 2023.

How these figures are counted. Texas school district figures are the audited annual financial data that districts report to the Texas Education Agency (PEIMS) for the 2024-25 school year, grouped into the same categories as the Census figures. They cover all governmental funds plus food service and other enterprise funds, and leave out bond proceeds, transfers between a district's own funds and internal service funds. The "Debt payments" line includes principal as well as interest, so spending can be higher than the Census figure for the same district.

How a ZIP is matched. A ZIP code is not a government boundary, so we match it to the cities, counties and school districts that overlap it, using Census Bureau geography. Where a ZIP crosses several, each one is shown with its share of the ZIP. Each government's money covers its own operations only; the others listed here are separate.

Latest recorded year. The year differs by government: each block shows the newest fiscal year on file. A Census survey year covers fiscal years ending July 1 of the year before through June 30 of that year.