Chicago, IL vs Tulsa, OK
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Chicago, IL outspends Tulsa, OK by a wide margin per resident — $34,551 versus $5,250, a 558% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Chicago, IL edges Tulsa, OK on the Fiscal Health Score by 5 points — 61/100 (grade C) to 56/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Tulsa, OK 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 Tulsa, OK leads with health at $762.
Summary
Chicago spends 558.1% more per capita than Tulsa ($29,301/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 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $74 | $97 |
| Income Tax | $229 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $85,083 | $0 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,847 | $0 |
| Other | $3,463 | $53 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $628 |
| Fire Protection | $10,754 | $196 |
| Highways & Roads | $930 | $257 |
| Public Welfare | $1,858 | $86 |
| Health | $426 | $762 |
| Hospitals | $1,444 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $122 | $154 |
| Housing | $6,520 | $350 |
| Sewerage | $129 | $27 |
| Utilities | $2,983 | $41 |
| Other | $9,385 | $2,748 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.