Chicago, IL vs Austin, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Chicago, IL spends 59% more per resident than Austin, TX: $34,551 against $21,772. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Austin, TX holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 75/100 (grade B) against 61/100 (grade C) for Chicago, IL — a 14-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Chicago, IL carries the lighter load at $977 per resident versus $1,229 for Austin, TX. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Chicago, IL leads with fire protection at $10,754 per resident, while Austin, TX leads with parks and recreation at $1,801.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Chicago, IL and 18% in Austin, TX.
Summary
Chicago spends 58.7% more per capita than Austin ($12,779/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 | $26 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $74 | $526 |
| Income Tax | $229 | $1,465 |
| Intergovernmental | $85,083 | $14,031 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,847 | $3,247 |
| Other | $3,463 | $5,645 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $10,754 | $634 |
| Highways & Roads | $930 | $0 |
| Education | $0 | $51 |
| Public Welfare | $1,858 | $1,837 |
| Health | $426 | $517 |
| Hospitals | $1,444 | $664 |
| Parks & Recreation | $122 | $1,801 |
| Housing | $6,520 | $3,741 |
| Sewerage | $129 | $865 |
| Utilities | $2,983 | $3,264 |
| Other | $9,385 | $8,399 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.