Austin, TX vs New York, NY
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
New York, NY outspends Austin, TX by a wide margin per resident — $129,119 versus $21,772, a 493% 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 64/100 (grade C) for New York, NY — a 11-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, New York, NY carries the lighter load at $462 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 New York, NY leads with education at $37,892.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 18% of total revenue in Austin, TX and 14% in New York, NY.
Summary
New York spends 83.1% more per capita than Austin ($107,347/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 | $5 |
| Sales Tax | $526 | $399 |
| Income Tax | $1,465 | $19 |
| Intergovernmental | $14,031 | $20,520 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,247 | $1,835 |
| Other | $5,645 | $3,593 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $1,512 |
| Fire Protection | $634 | $11,050 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $221 |
| Education | $51 | $37,892 |
| Public Welfare | $1,837 | $1,116 |
| Health | $517 | $417 |
| Hospitals | $664 | $6,467 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,801 | $868 |
| Housing | $3,741 | $7,137 |
| Sewerage | $865 | $315 |
| Utilities | $3,264 | $13,371 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $11,706 |
| General Admin | $0 | $11,668 |
| Other | $8,399 | $25,380 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.