Arlington, TX vs Washington, DC
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Washington, DC outspends Arlington, TX by a wide margin per resident — $243,341 versus $11,769, a 1968% 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 41/100 (grade D) for Washington, DC — a 42-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Arlington, TX carries the lighter load at $594 per resident versus $2,516 for Washington, DC. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Arlington, TX leads with parks and recreation at $1,352 per resident, while Washington, DC leads with education at $53,224.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 41% of total revenue in Arlington, TX and 7% in Washington, DC.
Summary
Washington spends 95.2% more per capita than Arlington ($231,572/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 | $25 |
| Sales Tax | $507 | $991 |
| Income Tax | $73 | $141 |
| Intergovernmental | $25,062 | $18,754 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,949 | $4,070 |
| Other | $3,897 | $11,518 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $4,183 |
| Fire Protection | $160 | $4,262 |
| Highways & Roads | $149 | $1,435 |
| Education | $0 | $53,224 |
| Public Welfare | $826 | $2,498 |
| Health | $219 | $1,009 |
| Hospitals | $152 | $17,668 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,352 | $5,459 |
| Housing | $2,981 | $10,296 |
| Sewerage | $141 | $2,881 |
| Utilities | $1,385 | $88,990 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $58 |
| General Admin | $0 | $3,225 |
| Other | $4,404 | $48,155 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.