Dallas, TX vs Atlanta, GA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Dallas, TX spends 37% more per resident than Atlanta, GA: $34,849 against $25,457. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Atlanta, GA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 85/100 (grade A) against 57/100 (grade C) for Dallas, TX — a 28-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Neither city reports outstanding debt per resident in its current Census filing, which removes debt service as a point of difference between them. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Dallas, TX leads with police at $1,519 per resident, while Atlanta, GA leads with parks and recreation at $1,274.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 22% of total revenue in Dallas, TX and 6% in Atlanta, GA.
Summary
Dallas spends 36.9% more per capita than Atlanta ($9,392/person difference). Atlanta, GA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 85/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $9 | $419 |
| Sales Tax | $25 | $0 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $1,292 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,223 | $9,121 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $5,645 |
| Other | $584 | $5,461 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,519 | $315 |
| Fire Protection | $305 | $464 |
| Highways & Roads | $201 | $513 |
| Education | $62 | $25 |
| Public Welfare | $215 | $1,587 |
| Hospitals | $385 | $55 |
| Parks & Recreation | $0 | $1,274 |
| Housing | $444 | $4,594 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $343 |
| Utilities | $833 | $8,026 |
| General Admin | $25,827 | $0 |
| Other | $5,059 | $8,262 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.