Dallas, TX vs Arlington, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Dallas, TX outspends Arlington, TX by a wide margin per resident — $34,849 versus $11,769, a 196% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Arlington, TX holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 83/100 (grade A) against 57/100 (grade C) for Dallas, TX — a 26-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Dallas, TX reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Arlington, TX carries $594 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Dallas, TX leads with police at $1,519 per resident, while Arlington, TX leads with parks and recreation at $1,352.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 22% of total revenue in Dallas, TX and 41% in Arlington, TX.
Summary
Dallas spends 196.1% more per capita than Arlington ($23,080/person difference). Arlington, 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 | $9 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $25 | $507 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $73 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,223 | $25,062 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $2,949 |
| Other | $584 | $3,897 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,519 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $305 | $160 |
| Highways & Roads | $201 | $149 |
| Education | $62 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $215 | $826 |
| Health | $0 | $219 |
| Hospitals | $385 | $152 |
| Parks & Recreation | $0 | $1,352 |
| Housing | $444 | $2,981 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $141 |
| Utilities | $833 | $1,385 |
| General Admin | $25,827 | $0 |
| Other | $5,059 | $4,404 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.