Baltimore, MD vs Arlington, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Baltimore, MD outspends Arlington, TX by a wide margin per resident — $67,935 versus $11,769, a 477% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Arlington, TX holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 83/100 (grade A) against 70/100 (grade B) for Baltimore, MD — a 13-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Baltimore, MD reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Arlington, TX carries $594 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Baltimore, MD leads with education at $35,510 per resident, while Arlington, TX leads with parks and recreation at $1,352.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 7% of total revenue in Baltimore, MD and 41% in Arlington, TX.
Summary
Baltimore spends 477.2% more per capita than Arlington ($56,166/person difference). Arlington, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 83/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $84 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $55 | $507 |
| Income Tax | $375 | $73 |
| Intergovernmental | $5,085 | $25,062 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,192 | $2,949 |
| Other | $4,765 | $3,897 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $820 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $1,214 | $160 |
| Highways & Roads | $676 | $149 |
| Education | $35,510 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $714 | $826 |
| Health | $757 | $219 |
| Hospitals | $1,877 | $152 |
| Parks & Recreation | $384 | $1,352 |
| Housing | $4,087 | $2,981 |
| Sewerage | $87 | $141 |
| Utilities | $3,809 | $1,385 |
| General Admin | $19 | $0 |
| Other | $17,981 | $4,404 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.