Chicago, IL vs Las Vegas, NV
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Chicago, IL outspends Las Vegas, NV by a wide margin per resident — $34,551 versus $9,085, a 280% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Las Vegas, NV holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 82/100 (grade A) against 61/100 (grade C) for Chicago, IL — a 21-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Las Vegas, NV 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 Las Vegas, NV leads with parks and recreation at $1,028.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Chicago, IL at 100% of total revenue, whereas Las Vegas, NV relies most on other revenue at 34%.
Summary
Chicago spends 280.3% more per capita than Las Vegas ($25,466/person difference). Las Vegas, NV has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 82/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $26 | $50 |
| Sales Tax | $74 | $386 |
| Income Tax | $229 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $85,083 | $1,137 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,847 | $0 |
| Other | $3,463 | $2,806 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $945 |
| Fire Protection | $10,754 | $280 |
| Highways & Roads | $930 | $45 |
| Public Welfare | $1,858 | $705 |
| Health | $426 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $1,444 | $356 |
| Parks & Recreation | $122 | $1,028 |
| Housing | $6,520 | $23 |
| Sewerage | $129 | $332 |
| Utilities | $2,983 | $129 |
| Other | $9,385 | $5,243 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.