Arlington, TX vs Atlanta, GA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Atlanta, GA outspends Arlington, TX by a wide margin per resident — $25,457 versus $11,769, a 116% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Atlanta, GA edges Arlington, TX on the Fiscal Health Score by 2 points — 85/100 (grade A) to 83/100 (grade A). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Atlanta, GA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Arlington, TX carries $594 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Arlington, TX at $1,352 per resident and in Atlanta, GA at $1,274.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 41% of total revenue in Arlington, TX and 6% in Atlanta, GA.
Summary
Atlanta spends 53.8% more per capita than Arlington ($13,688/person difference). Atlanta, GA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 85/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $419 |
| Sales Tax | $507 | $0 |
| Income Tax | $73 | $1,292 |
| Intergovernmental | $25,062 | $9,121 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,949 | $5,645 |
| Other | $3,897 | $5,461 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $315 |
| Fire Protection | $160 | $464 |
| Highways & Roads | $149 | $513 |
| Education | $0 | $25 |
| Public Welfare | $826 | $1,587 |
| Health | $219 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $152 | $55 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,352 | $1,274 |
| Housing | $2,981 | $4,594 |
| Sewerage | $141 | $343 |
| Utilities | $1,385 | $8,026 |
| Other | $4,404 | $8,262 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.