Arlington, TX vs Chicago, IL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Chicago, IL outspends Arlington, TX by a wide margin per resident — $34,551 versus $11,769, a 194% 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 61/100 (grade C) for Chicago, IL — a 22-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Arlington, TX carries the lighter load at $594 per resident versus $977 for Chicago, IL. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Arlington, TX leads with parks and recreation at $1,352 per resident, while Chicago, IL leads with fire protection at $10,754.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 41% of total revenue in Arlington, TX and 100% in Chicago, IL.
Summary
Chicago spends 65.9% more per capita than Arlington ($22,782/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)
| Property Tax | $0 | $26 |
| Sales Tax | $507 | $74 |
| Income Tax | $73 | $229 |
| Intergovernmental | $25,062 | $85,083 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,949 | $2,847 |
| Other | $3,897 | $3,463 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $160 | $10,754 |
| Highways & Roads | $149 | $930 |
| Public Welfare | $826 | $1,858 |
| Health | $219 | $426 |
| Hospitals | $152 | $1,444 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,352 | $122 |
| Housing | $2,981 | $6,520 |
| Sewerage | $141 | $129 |
| Utilities | $1,385 | $2,983 |
| Other | $4,404 | $9,385 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.