Chicago, IL vs Oklahoma City, OK
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Chicago, IL outspends Oklahoma City, OK by a wide margin per resident — $34,551 versus $18,074, a 91% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Oklahoma City, OK edges Chicago, IL on the Fiscal Health Score by 4 points — 65/100 (grade B) to 61/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Chicago, IL carries the lighter load at $977 per resident versus $3,520 for Oklahoma City, OK. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Chicago, IL leads with fire protection at $10,754 per resident, while Oklahoma City, OK leads with parks and recreation at $2,014.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Chicago, IL and 19% in Oklahoma City, OK.
Summary
Chicago spends 91.2% more per capita than Oklahoma City ($16,478/person difference). Oklahoma City, OK has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 65/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $26 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $74 | $763 |
| Income Tax | $229 | $1,037 |
| Intergovernmental | $85,083 | $6,852 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,847 | $3,256 |
| Other | $3,463 | $1,836 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $10,754 | $513 |
| Highways & Roads | $930 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,858 | $1,525 |
| Health | $426 | $5 |
| Hospitals | $1,444 | $2,044 |
| Parks & Recreation | $122 | $2,014 |
| Housing | $6,520 | $2,857 |
| Sewerage | $129 | $0 |
| Utilities | $2,983 | $4,523 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $707 |
| Other | $9,385 | $3,886 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.