Columbus, OH vs Houston, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Columbus, OH spends 31% more per resident than Houston, TX: $18,858 against $14,400. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Houston, TX holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 83/100 (grade A) against 52/100 (grade C) for Columbus, OH — a 31-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Houston, TX carries the lighter load at $863 per resident versus $1,145 for Columbus, OH. 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 Houston, TX at $361.
Summary
Columbus spends 31.0% more per capita than Houston ($4,458/person difference). Houston, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 83/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $10 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $234 | $181 |
| Income Tax | $1 | $39 |
| Intergovernmental | $0 | $33 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,389 | $3,475 |
| Other | $5,248 | $3,960 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $1,016 | $295 |
| Highways & Roads | $224 | $175 |
| Public Welfare | $878 | $533 |
| Health | $0 | $210 |
| Hospitals | $953 | $511 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,168 | $361 |
| Housing | $4,303 | $4,288 |
| Sewerage | $1 | $386 |
| Utilities | $1,719 | $1,339 |
| Other | $7,595 | $6,301 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.