Austin, TX vs Chicago, IL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Chicago, IL spends 59% more per resident than Austin, TX: $34,551 against $21,772. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Austin, TX holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 75/100 (grade B) against 61/100 (grade C) for Chicago, IL — a 14-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Chicago, IL carries the lighter load at $977 per resident versus $1,229 for Austin, TX. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Austin, TX leads with parks and recreation at $1,801 per resident, while Chicago, IL leads with fire protection at $10,754.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 18% of total revenue in Austin, TX and 100% in Chicago, IL.
Summary
Chicago spends 37.0% more per capita than Austin ($12,779/person difference). Austin, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 75/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $26 |
| Sales Tax | $526 | $74 |
| Income Tax | $1,465 | $229 |
| Intergovernmental | $14,031 | $85,083 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,247 | $2,847 |
| Other | $5,645 | $3,463 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $634 | $10,754 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $930 |
| Education | $51 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,837 | $1,858 |
| Health | $517 | $426 |
| Hospitals | $664 | $1,444 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,801 | $122 |
| Housing | $3,741 | $6,520 |
| Sewerage | $865 | $129 |
| Utilities | $3,264 | $2,983 |
| Other | $8,399 | $9,385 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.