How many public pension plans does Texas have?

Texas has 12 public pension plans tracked by the Public Plans Database, covering 2,711,636.797 total members (#2 of 51 by membership book). Types on this roster include teachers, police and fire, municipal, and general state systems where present.

Is Texas's pension system in crisis?

Texas's public pension plans have an average funded ratio of 73.1% and a total unfunded liability of $142.79B. An average funded ratio in the 60-80% range indicates moderate underfunding that requires attention but is not yet at crisis levels. Data is sourced from the Boston College Center for Retirement Research.

What is the average funded ratio in Texas?

The average funded ratio across all 12 public pension plans in Texas is 73.1% (#30 of 51 among states), based on the most recent Public Plans Database data. A funded ratio of 100% means a plan has sufficient assets to meet all projected obligations. The national average for public pensions is approximately 75.5%. Individual plan ratios in Texas vary; browse the table above to compare specific plans.

Public Plans Database

Texas Public Pension Plans

Name: Texas Public Pension Plans
Creator: Boston College Center for Retirement Research
License: https://www.usa.gov/government-copyright

12 plans · top-third membership book (#2 of 51)

Larger membership book. Texas ranks #2 of 51 by tracked members (2,711,636.797), top-third membership book among states.

Avg funded ratio: 73.1%
Total unfunded: $142.79B
Total members: 2,711,636.797
Plans tracked: 12

According to the Public Plans Database, compiled by the Boston College Center for Retirement Research, Texas’s 12 tracked plans carry a combined unfunded liability of $142.79B at an average funded ratio of 73.1%. Plan cards report FY2023 valuations; this site’s database copy was last loaded in July 2026. See our methodology for the full source and update cadence.

PPD actuarial excerpt

State roster TX Texas

Texas: avg 73.1% funded (2.4 points below the national average) · 0 D/F grades · unfunded $142.79B

AVG 73.1%
UNF $142.79B
MEM 2,711,636.797
N 12
DF 0
VS -2.4pt
BEST 89.4%
LOW 62.1%

Funded-ratio peers

Nearest funded-ratio peer: New Mexico (73.6%)

Average funded ratio neighbourhood vs Texas (FY2023 plan cards)

0 of 12 published-ratio plans sit under 60% actuarial assets; 0 of 12 carry a D or F health grade. How this roster is sourced →

Texas grade mix on a larger membership book

Health grades across 12 plans (2,711,636.797 members, #2 of 51) use the same FY2023 plan-card snapshot as the hero KPIs and the table below.

Health-grade counts from the same state plan rows as the roster table

Source: Public Plans Database (Boston College CRR / NASRA) As of FY2023 plan cards; history through FY2024

Average actuarial funded ratio across 12 Texas plans (FY2023 plan cards)

Plan types in Texas

Aggregates from the same FY2023 plan-card rows as the roster below. Averages include only plans that report a funded ratio.

Type	Plans	Avg funded	Members	Assets	Unfunded
Police & Fire	5	74.0%	33,545	$14.50B	$5.96B
Municipal	3	76.1%	550,133.797	$89.73B	$38.31B
General State	3	69.9%	550,642	$42.60B	$16.58B
Teachers	1	69.5%	1,577,316	$187.17B	$81.95B

Every tracked plan in Texas

FY2023 plan-card snapshot from the Public Plans Database. ARC is the actuarially required contribution as a share of payroll where reported.

Plan	Type	Funded	Grade	Assets	Unfunded	Members	ARC	1yr return
Houston Municipal	Municipal	89.4%	B	$4.07B	$482M	27,557	101.4%	16.6%
Dallas Police and Fire	Police & Fire	84.3%	B	n/a	n/a	10,547	68.3%	7.6%
Austin Police	Police & Fire	80.5%	C	$1.01B	$245M	2,994	100.0%	9.3%
Texas County & District Retirement System	Municipal	75.1%	C	$46.17B	$15.32B	270,182	n/a	8.0%
Dallas ERS	General State	75.0%	C	$3.65B	$1.22B	16,903	66.1%	9.2%
Texas Employees Retirement System	General State	72.8%	C	$35.68B	$13.36B	513,155	162.4%	3.2%
Houston Firefighters Relief and Retirement Fund	Police & Fire	72.0%	C	$5.11B	$1.99B	7,369	100.2%	11.3%
Houston Police	Police & Fire	70.4%	C	$7.21B	$3.03B	10,358	118.6%	11.4%
Teacher Retirement System of Texas	Teachers	69.5%	C	$187.17B	$81.95B	1,577,316	96.6%	6.9%
Texas Municipal Retirement System	Municipal	63.7%	C	$39.49B	$22.50B	252,394.797	n/a	3.5%
Austin Fire	Police & Fire	62.7%	C	$1.16B	$693M	2,277	n/a	12.7%
Austin Employees' Retirement System	General State	62.1%	C	$3.28B	$2.00B	20,584	82.9%	12.3%

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Compare inside Texas’s larger membership roster

Data sourced from official Public Plans Database and actuarial valuations from federal and state pension systems. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainPension · Texas roster FY2023

Compiled by PlainPension, Pension Fund Health Editorial Process · July 23, 2026