Arlington, TX vs Portland, OR
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Portland, OR outspends Arlington, TX by a wide margin per resident — $23,675 versus $11,769, a 101% 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 63/100 (grade C) for Portland, OR — a 20-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Arlington, TX carries the lighter load at $594 per resident versus $1,574 for Portland, OR. 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 Portland, OR at $2,477.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 41% of total revenue in Arlington, TX and 19% in Portland, OR.
Summary
Portland spends 50.3% more per capita than Arlington ($11,905/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 | $1,695 |
| Income Tax | $73 | $130 |
| Intergovernmental | $25,062 | $8,979 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,949 | $3,883 |
| Other | $3,897 | $7,916 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $160 | $1,700 |
| Highways & Roads | $149 | $139 |
| Public Welfare | $826 | $3,607 |
| Health | $219 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $152 | $2,893 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,352 | $2,477 |
| Housing | $2,981 | $3,694 |
| Sewerage | $141 | $630 |
| Utilities | $1,385 | $1,845 |
| Other | $4,404 | $6,689 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.