Columbus, OH vs Fort Worth, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Columbus, OH spends 18% more per resident than Fort Worth, TX: $18,858 against $15,939. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Fort Worth, TX holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 63/100 (grade C) against 52/100 (grade C) for Columbus, OH — a 11-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Columbus, OH carries the lighter load at $1,145 per resident versus $1,921 for Fort Worth, TX. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Columbus, OH at $2,168 per resident and in Fort Worth, TX at $708.
Summary
Columbus spends 18.3% more per capita than Fort Worth ($2,919/person difference). Fort Worth, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 63/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $10 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $234 | $198 |
| Income Tax | $1 | $851 |
| Intergovernmental | $0 | $4,002 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,389 | $3,594 |
| Other | $5,248 | $3,439 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $1,016 | $156 |
| Highways & Roads | $224 | $317 |
| Public Welfare | $878 | $869 |
| Health | $0 | $235 |
| Hospitals | $953 | $1,680 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,168 | $708 |
| Housing | $4,303 | $4,217 |
| Sewerage | $1 | $267 |
| Utilities | $1,719 | $2,674 |
| Other | $7,595 | $4,817 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.