Corpus Christi, TX vs Houston, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Houston, TX spends 15% more per resident than Corpus Christi, TX: $14,400 against $12,479. 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 70/100 (grade B) for Corpus Christi, TX — a 13-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Houston, TX carries the lighter load at $863 per resident versus $1,866 for Corpus Christi, TX. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Corpus Christi, TX at $751 per resident and in Houston, TX at $361.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Corpus Christi, TX at 13% of total revenue, whereas Houston, TX relies most on other revenue at 7%.
Summary
Houston spends 13.3% more per capita than Corpus Christi ($1,921/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 | $373 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $346 | $181 |
| Income Tax | $1,344 | $39 |
| Intergovernmental | $6,076 | $33 |
| Charges & Fees | $5,136 | $3,475 |
| Other | $3,079 | $3,960 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $52 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $217 | $295 |
| Highways & Roads | $71 | $175 |
| Public Welfare | $672 | $533 |
| Health | $167 | $210 |
| Hospitals | $1,004 | $511 |
| Parks & Recreation | $751 | $361 |
| Housing | $2,573 | $4,288 |
| Sewerage | $117 | $386 |
| Utilities | $3,402 | $1,339 |
| Other | $3,452 | $6,301 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.