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

Houston, TX

Population: 2,296,253 (2022) · Large Cities (250K+)

A
83/100

Excellent fiscal health — strong reserves, low debt, well-funded pensions

Total Spending
$33.1B
Per Capita
$14,400
Total Revenue
$127.7B
Total Debt
$2.0B

Spending Breakdown

Other
43.8%$14.5B
Housing & Community Development
29.8%$9.8B
Utilities
9.3%$3.1B
Public Welfare
3.7%$1.2B
Hospitals
3.5%$1.2B
Sewerage
2.7%$886.7M
Parks & Recreation
2.5%$829.4M
Fire Protection
2.0%$677.3M
Health
1.5%$482.1M
Highways & Roads
1.2%$401.5M

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

Sales Tax
0.3%$416.6M
Income Tax
0.1%$89.9M
Intergovernmental
0.1%$76.6M
Charges & Fees
6.3%$8.0B
Other
7.1%$9.1B

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection$295/person
Highways & Roads$175/person
Parks & Recreation$361/person
Health$210/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)94/100
Debt Burden (20%)72/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)100/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)100/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Debt Overview

Total Debt$2.0B
Long-Term Debt$1.8B
Debt Per Capita$863
Cash & Securities$943.4M

Compare Cities

See how Houston stacks up against another city.

vs San Antonio, TXvs Dallas, TXvs Austin, 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

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

Fort Worth, TX

Pop. 925K

C
Total Spending
$14.7B
Per Capita
$15,939

Compare Houston With

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

Fort Worth, TX

Spending: $15,939/person · Grade: C

Frequently Asked Questions

Houston, TX spends $14,400 per resident, based on total expenditures of $33.1B for a population of 2,296,253. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of A (83/100).

Houston, TX has total expenditures of $33.1B and total revenue of $127.7B. The city carries $2.0B in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

Houston, 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.

Houston, TX has a Fiscal Health Score of A (83/100). 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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