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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Galveston, TX

Population: 53,265 (2022) · Small Cities (50K–100K)

C
63/100

Average fiscal health — some areas of concern

Total Spending
$1.8B
Per Capita
$33,344
Total Revenue
$2.1B
Total Debt
$0

Spending Breakdown

Other
43.2%$766.5M
Police
18.6%$329.5M
Housing & Community Development
17.0%$301.5M
Fire Protection
5.1%$91.4M
Utilities
4.5%$79.3M
Highways & Roads
4.3%$75.9M
Public Welfare
3.8%$67.7M
Parks & Recreation
2.0%$35.4M
Hospitals
1.6%$28.9M

Spending data sourced from the Census Bureau's Annual Survey of State & Local Government Finances. Per-capita comparisons use the Lincoln Institute's Fiscally Standardized Cities methodology for fair cross-city benchmarking.

Revenue Sources

Property Tax
0.3%$5.8M
Sales Tax
0.5%$10.2M
Intergovernmental
100.0%$2.1B
Other
5.1%$106.2M

Per Capita Spending by Department

Police$6,186/person
Fire Protection$1,715/person
Highways & Roads$1,425/person
Parks & Recreation$665/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)93/100
Debt Burden (20%)100/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)0/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)0/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Compare Cities

See how Galveston stacks up against another city.

vs Houston, TXvs San Antonio, TXvs Dallas, TX
Data source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023). Population from American Community Survey.

Other Cities in Texas

Houston, TX

Pop. 2.3M

A
Total Spending
$33.1B
Per Capita
$14,400

San Antonio, TX

Pop. 1.4M

B
Total Spending
$24.5B
Per Capita
$16,943

Dallas, TX

Pop. 1.3M

C
Total Spending
$45.3B
Per Capita
$34,849

Austin, TX

Pop. 958K

B
Total Spending
$20.9B
Per Capita
$21,772

Compare Galveston With

Houston, TX

Spending: $14,400/person · Grade: A

San Antonio, TX

Spending: $16,943/person · Grade: B

Dallas, TX

Spending: $34,849/person · Grade: C

Austin, TX

Spending: $21,772/person · Grade: B

Frequently Asked Questions

Galveston, TX spends $33,344 per resident, based on total expenditures of $1.8B for a population of 53,265. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of C (63/100).

Galveston, TX has total expenditures of $1.8B and total revenue of $2.1B. The city carries $0 in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

Galveston, TX employs 0 government workers, of which 0 are full-time. The average government salary is $0, with 0.0 employees per 10,000 residents.

Galveston, TX has a Fiscal Health Score of C (63/100). This score evaluates budget balance, debt burden, pension funding, spending efficiency, revenue diversity, and 3-year fiscal trajectory compared to peer cities of similar population.

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