State desk
Ranks 3rd of 50 on the Liberty Index, with no state income tax.
Where Texas stands on 12 policies, sourced from our 50-state trackers, with the latest headlines from 44 Texas outlets.
12 policies · each strip is all 50 states, grouped by rule · Texas in red. Free to cite with attribution.
No permit required to carry a handgun by eligible adults 21 and older since 2021; optional licenses available.
Texas is 1 of 29 states with this rule
15 · Shall-Issue Permit6 · Restrictive: Permit Required
Texas levies no individual income tax, so wage and salary income is untaxed at the state level. Eight states do the same.
Texas is 1 of 8 states with this rule
1 · Capital Gains Only15 · Single Flat Rate26 · Graduated Brackets
Texas charges 20.00 cents per gallon in state tax, ranking 45 of 50, which is among the lowest in the country. With the federal 18.40 cents added, a driver pays 38.40 cents per gallon in tax. Diesel is taxed at 20.00 cents.
Texas is 1 of 17 states with this rule
17 · Among the Highest16 · Near the Middle
Retains the death penalty.
Texas is 1 of 23 states with this rule
4 · Retains it, executions paused23 · Abolished
Right-to-work by statute since 1947 (recodified 1993).
Texas is 1 of 26 states with this rule
24 · No Right-to-Work Law
State minimum wage matches the federal rate at $7.25.
Texas is 1 of 12 states with this rule
30 · Above the Federal Floor3 · Below Federal, So Federal Applies5 · No State Minimum Wage Law
Voters are asked for photo ID; those without one may present alternative documents and sign a declaration.
Texas is 1 of 14 states with this rule
10 · Strict Photo ID4 · Strict Non-Photo ID8 · ID Requested (No Photo)14 · No Document Required
SB 2 (2025) created a roughly $1 billion universal-eligibility ESA launching for the 2026-27 school year.
Texas is 1 of 17 states with this rule
16 · Limited Program17 · No Private-Choice Program
NCSL lists Texas among states recognizing, by statute or court case, that there is no duty to retreat in any place where a person is lawfully present.
Texas is 1 of 31 states with this rule
7 · Recognized by Court Decision12 · Not Listed by NCSL
Only voters who are 65+, disabled, absent, or confined may vote absentee by mail.
Texas is 1 of 13 states with this rule
8 · All-Mail29 · No-Excuse Absentee
Texas's unemployment rate was 4.4% in September 2026, seasonally adjusted, unchanged from August. It ranks 37th lowest of 51 (the 50 states and D.C.). A year earlier, in September 2025, it was 4.3%. The U.S. rate was 4.2%.
Data retrieved from the BLS public API on October 30, 2026. BLS.gov cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from BLS.gov.
Elected statewide to a four-year term.
Texas is 1 of 43 states with this rule
5 · Appointed by the governor1 · Chosen by the legislature1 · Appointed by the state supreme court