Chicago, IL vs Dallas, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Dallas, TX and Chicago, IL spend within 0.9% of each other per resident — $34,849 versus $34,551 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Chicago, IL edges Dallas, TX on the Fiscal Health Score by 4 points — 61/100 (grade C) to 57/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Dallas, TX reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Chicago, IL carries $977 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Chicago, IL leads with fire protection at $10,754 per resident, while Dallas, TX leads with police at $1,519.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Chicago, IL and 22% in Dallas, TX.
Summary
Dallas spends 0.9% more per capita than Chicago ($298/person difference). Chicago, IL has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 61/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $26 | $9 |
| Sales Tax | $74 | $25 |
| Income Tax | $229 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $85,083 | $1,223 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,847 | $0 |
| Other | $3,463 | $584 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $1,519 |
| Fire Protection | $10,754 | $305 |
| Highways & Roads | $930 | $201 |
| Education | $0 | $62 |
| Public Welfare | $1,858 | $215 |
| Health | $426 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $1,444 | $385 |
| Parks & Recreation | $122 | $0 |
| Housing | $6,520 | $444 |
| Sewerage | $129 | $0 |
| Utilities | $2,983 | $833 |
| General Admin | $0 | $25,827 |
| Other | $9,385 | $5,059 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.