Baltimore, MD vs Dallas, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Baltimore, MD outspends Dallas, TX by a wide margin per resident — $67,935 versus $34,849, a 95% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Baltimore, MD holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 70/100 (grade B) against 57/100 (grade C) for Dallas, TX — a 13-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Neither city reports outstanding debt per resident in its current Census filing, which removes debt service as a point of difference between them. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Baltimore, MD leads with education at $35,510 per resident, while Dallas, TX leads with police at $1,519.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 7% of total revenue in Baltimore, MD and 22% in Dallas, TX.
Summary
Baltimore spends 94.9% more per capita than Dallas ($33,086/person difference). Baltimore, MD has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 70/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $84 | $9 |
| Sales Tax | $55 | $25 |
| Income Tax | $375 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $5,085 | $1,223 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,192 | $0 |
| Other | $4,765 | $584 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $820 | $1,519 |
| Fire Protection | $1,214 | $305 |
| Highways & Roads | $676 | $201 |
| Education | $35,510 | $62 |
| Public Welfare | $714 | $215 |
| Health | $757 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $1,877 | $385 |
| Parks & Recreation | $384 | $0 |
| Housing | $4,087 | $444 |
| Sewerage | $87 | $0 |
| Utilities | $3,809 | $833 |
| General Admin | $19 | $25,827 |
| Other | $17,981 | $5,059 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.