The Lone Star State, explained
Plain answers for life in Texas
Straight answers for Texans: the best of Texas, and the money and legal questions that come with living here.
- Sources cited on every page
- Updated October 25, 2026
- No paid rankings
Texas by the numbers
Figures checked October 25, 2026 against state sources. Tap one for the full guide and citations.
Tools and charts
Free, no sign-up. Answers in a few seconds.
Texas debt clock
Enter two dates and see if an old debt is past the deadline to sue, and when it leaves your credit report.
Open →Property tax calculator
Estimate your yearly bill and what the homestead exemption saves you.
Open →Eviction date calculator
Enter the notice date and see the earliest filing, the trial window, the appeal deadline and the writ dates.
Open →Tax rates by county and city
Official 2025 rates for the 25 biggest counties and 30 biggest cities.
Open →Latest guides
Written for people who live here, with the law and the numbers cited.
Texas Eviction Process 2026: Step-by-Step Timeline
How long an eviction takes in Texas, step by step, under the rules for cases filed since January 1, 2026: notice to vacate, trial in 10 to 21 days, 5 days to appeal, and the writ of possession.
MoneyTexas Minimum Wage 2026: $7.25 an Hour, and Why Cities Can't Raise It
The Texas minimum wage is $7.25 an hour in 2026, $2.13 cash for tipped workers. What it means by the week and year, who's covered, and what to do if you're underpaid.
MoneyTexas Property Tax Rates 2025 by County and City, Plus a Savings Calculator
Official 2025 property tax rates for Texas's 25 biggest counties and 30 biggest cities, how the homestead exemption cuts your bill, and a calculator to estimate yours.
Best of Texas
Coming soon. We publish only after we've checked it ourselves.
Money
How we work
Every number on BestTexas links to the law, the agency or the official report it came from. Best-of lists come from our own visits, and no business can pay to be on one.
- Checked sources. Statutes, state agencies and court rules, linked on the page.
- Dated. Each guide shows when we last checked it, and we update it when the law or the numbers change.
- Upfront about money. If a page mentions a company we work with, it says so. See how we make money.