Corpus Christi, TX vs El Paso, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
El Paso, TX outspends Corpus Christi, TX by a wide margin per resident — $24,259 versus $12,479, a 94% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Corpus Christi, TX holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 70/100 (grade B) against 61/100 (grade C) for El Paso, TX — a 9-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
El Paso, TX reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Corpus Christi, TX carries $1,866 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Corpus Christi, TX leads with parks and recreation at $751 per resident, while El Paso, TX leads with police at $1,159.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 13% of total revenue in Corpus Christi, TX and 10% in El Paso, TX.
Summary
El Paso spends 48.6% more per capita than Corpus Christi ($11,780/person difference). Corpus Christi, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 70/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $373 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $346 | $65 |
| Income Tax | $1,344 | $12 |
| Intergovernmental | $6,076 | $690 |
| Charges & Fees | $5,136 | $31 |
| Other | $3,079 | $550 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $52 | $1,159 |
| Fire Protection | $217 | $233 |
| Highways & Roads | $71 | $83 |
| Public Welfare | $672 | $299 |
| Health | $167 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $1,004 | $11 |
| Parks & Recreation | $751 | $151 |
| Housing | $2,573 | $958 |
| Sewerage | $117 | $6 |
| Utilities | $3,402 | $224 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $40 |
| General Admin | $0 | $17,951 |
| Other | $3,452 | $3,145 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.