Arlington, TX vs Minneapolis, MN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Minneapolis, MN outspends Arlington, TX by a wide margin per resident — $21,910 versus $11,769, a 86% 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 65/100 (grade B) for Minneapolis, MN — a 18-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Arlington, TX carries the lighter load at $594 per resident versus $644 for Minneapolis, MN. 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 Minneapolis, MN at $3,486.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Arlington, TX at 41% of total revenue, whereas Minneapolis, MN relies most on other revenue at 17%.
Summary
Minneapolis spends 46.3% more per capita than Arlington ($10,141/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 | $1,989 |
| Income Tax | $73 | $994 |
| Intergovernmental | $25,062 | $2,929 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,949 | $2,040 |
| Other | $3,897 | $3,254 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $160 | $683 |
| Highways & Roads | $149 | $221 |
| Public Welfare | $826 | $1,500 |
| Health | $219 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $152 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,352 | $3,486 |
| Housing | $2,981 | $4,133 |
| Sewerage | $141 | $570 |
| Utilities | $1,385 | $2,398 |
| Other | $4,404 | $8,919 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.