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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Columbus, OH vs Houston, TX

Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)

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

City A
Columbus, OH
Pop. 902,449
C
52/100
Budget Balance32
Debt Burden46
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency94
Revenue Diversity0
Trend Direction50
City B
Houston, TX
Pop. 2,296,253
A
83/100
Budget Balance94
Debt Burden72
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Columbus
Houston
Total Spending
$17.0B
$33.1B
Spending / Capita
$18,858
$14,400
Total Revenue
$0
$127.7B
Revenue / Capita
$0
$55,600
Total Debt
$1.0B
$2.0B
Debt / Capita
$1,145
$863
Population
902,449
2,296,253
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Columbus$1,016
Houston$295
Highways & Roads
Columbus$224
Houston$175
Parks & Recreation
Columbus$2,168
Houston$361
Health
Columbus$0
Houston$210

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

ColumbusHouston
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)

ColumbusHouston
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
C
Columbus, OH
Fiscal Health Score: 52/100
Average fiscal health
A
Houston, TX
Fiscal Health Score: 83/100
Excellent fiscal health

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