Atlanta, GA vs Houston, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Atlanta, GA outspends Houston, TX by a wide margin per resident — $25,457 versus $14,400, a 77% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Atlanta, GA edges Houston, 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 Houston, TX carries $863 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 Houston, TX at $361.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Atlanta, GA at 6% of total revenue, whereas Houston, TX relies most on other revenue at 7%.
Summary
Atlanta spends 76.8% more per capita than Houston ($11,057/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 | $181 |
| Income Tax | $1,292 | $39 |
| Intergovernmental | $9,121 | $33 |
| Charges & Fees | $5,645 | $3,475 |
| Other | $5,461 | $3,960 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $315 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $464 | $295 |
| Highways & Roads | $513 | $175 |
| Education | $25 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,587 | $533 |
| Health | $0 | $210 |
| Hospitals | $55 | $511 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,274 | $361 |
| Housing | $4,594 | $4,288 |
| Sewerage | $343 | $386 |
| Utilities | $8,026 | $1,339 |
| Other | $8,262 | $6,301 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.