Atlanta, GA vs Arlington, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Atlanta, GA outspends Arlington, TX by a wide margin per resident — $25,457 versus $11,769, a 116% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Atlanta, GA edges Arlington, TX on the Fiscal Health Score by 2 points — 85/100 (grade A) to 83/100 (grade A). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Atlanta, GA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Arlington, TX carries $594 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Atlanta, GA at $1,274 per resident and in Arlington, TX at $1,352.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 6% of total revenue in Atlanta, GA and 41% in Arlington, TX.
Summary
Atlanta spends 116.3% more per capita than Arlington ($13,688/person difference). Atlanta, GA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 85/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $419 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $0 | $507 |
| Income Tax | $1,292 | $73 |
| Intergovernmental | $9,121 | $25,062 |
| Charges & Fees | $5,645 | $2,949 |
| Other | $5,461 | $3,897 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $315 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $464 | $160 |
| Highways & Roads | $513 | $149 |
| Education | $25 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,587 | $826 |
| Health | $0 | $219 |
| Hospitals | $55 | $152 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,274 | $1,352 |
| Housing | $4,594 | $2,981 |
| Sewerage | $343 | $141 |
| Utilities | $8,026 | $1,385 |
| Other | $8,262 | $4,404 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.