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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Baltimore, MD vs Fort Worth, TX

Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)

Reviewed by CitySpend Editorial Team · Updated

Baltimore, MD outspends Fort Worth, TX by a wide margin per resident — $67,935 versus $15,939, a 326% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.

Baltimore, MD edges Fort Worth, TX on the Fiscal Health Score by 7 points — 70/100 (grade B) to 63/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.

Baltimore, MD reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Fort Worth, TX carries $1,921 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Baltimore, MD leads with education at $35,510 per resident, while Fort Worth, TX leads with parks and recreation at $708.

On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 7% of total revenue in Baltimore, MD and 15% in Fort Worth, TX.

Summary

Baltimore spends 326.2% more per capita than Fort Worth ($51,996/person difference). Baltimore, MD has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 70/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Baltimore, MD
Pop. 584,548
B
70/100
Budget Balance79
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency0
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50
City B
Fort Worth, TX
Pop. 924,663
C
63/100
Budget Balance73
Debt Burden0
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Baltimore
Fort Worth
Total Spending
$39.7B
$14.7B
Spending / Capita
$67,935
$15,939
Total Revenue
$41.3B
$24.7B
Revenue / Capita
$70,679
$26,694
Total Debt
$0
$1.8B
Debt / Capita
$0
$1,921
Population
584,548
924,663
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Police
Baltimore$820
Fort Worth$0
Fire Protection
Baltimore$1,214
Fort Worth$156
Highways & Roads
Baltimore$676
Fort Worth$317
Parks & Recreation
Baltimore$384
Fort Worth$708
Education
Baltimore$35,510
Fort Worth$0
Health
Baltimore$757
Fort Worth$235

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

BaltimoreFort Worth
Property Tax
$84
$0
Sales Tax
$55
$198
Income Tax
$375
$851
Intergovernmental
$5,085
$4,002
Charges & Fees
$2,192
$3,594
Other
$4,765
$3,439

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

BaltimoreFort Worth
Police
$820
$0
Fire Protection
$1,214
$156
Highways & Roads
$676
$317
Education
$35,510
$0
Public Welfare
$714
$869
Health
$757
$235
Hospitals
$1,877
$1,680
Parks & Recreation
$384
$708
Housing
$4,087
$4,217
Sewerage
$87
$267
Utilities
$3,809
$2,674
General Admin
$19
$0
Other
$17,981
$4,817
B
Baltimore, MD
Fiscal Health Score: 70/100
Good fiscal health
C
Fort Worth, TX
Fiscal Health Score: 63/100
Average fiscal health

Compare More Cities

Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.