Arlington, TX vs Austin, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Austin, TX outspends Arlington, TX by a wide margin per resident — $21,772 versus $11,769, a 85% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Arlington, TX holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 83/100 (grade A) against 75/100 (grade B) for Austin, TX — a 8-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Arlington, TX carries the lighter load at $594 per resident versus $1,229 for Austin, TX. 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 Austin, TX at $1,801.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 41% of total revenue in Arlington, TX and 18% in Austin, TX.
Summary
Austin spends 45.9% more per capita than Arlington ($10,003/person difference). Arlington, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 83/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $507 | $526 |
| Income Tax | $73 | $1,465 |
| Intergovernmental | $25,062 | $14,031 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,949 | $3,247 |
| Other | $3,897 | $5,645 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $160 | $634 |
| Highways & Roads | $149 | $0 |
| Education | $0 | $51 |
| Public Welfare | $826 | $1,837 |
| Health | $219 | $517 |
| Hospitals | $152 | $664 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,352 | $1,801 |
| Housing | $2,981 | $3,741 |
| Sewerage | $141 | $865 |
| Utilities | $1,385 | $3,264 |
| Other | $4,404 | $8,399 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.