Austin, TX vs Dallas, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Dallas, TX outspends Austin, TX by a wide margin per resident — $34,849 versus $21,772, a 60% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Austin, TX holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 75/100 (grade B) against 57/100 (grade C) for Dallas, TX — a 18-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Dallas, TX reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Austin, TX carries $1,229 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Austin, TX leads with parks and recreation at $1,801 per resident, while Dallas, TX leads with police at $1,519.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 18% of total revenue in Austin, TX and 22% in Dallas, TX.
Summary
Dallas spends 37.5% more per capita than Austin ($13,077/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 | $9 |
| Sales Tax | $526 | $25 |
| Income Tax | $1,465 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $14,031 | $1,223 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,247 | $0 |
| Other | $5,645 | $584 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $1,519 |
| Fire Protection | $634 | $305 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $201 |
| Education | $51 | $62 |
| Public Welfare | $1,837 | $215 |
| Health | $517 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $664 | $385 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,801 | $0 |
| Housing | $3,741 | $444 |
| Sewerage | $865 | $0 |
| Utilities | $3,264 | $833 |
| General Admin | $0 | $25,827 |
| Other | $8,399 | $5,059 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.