Dallas, TX vs Austin, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Dallas, TX outspends Austin, TX by a wide margin per resident — $34,849 versus $21,772, a 60% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Austin, TX holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 75/100 (grade B) against 57/100 (grade C) for Dallas, TX — a 18-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Dallas, TX reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Austin, TX carries $1,229 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Dallas, TX leads with police at $1,519 per resident, while Austin, TX leads with parks and recreation at $1,801.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 22% of total revenue in Dallas, TX and 18% in Austin, TX.
Summary
Dallas spends 60.1% more per capita than Austin ($13,077/person difference). Austin, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 75/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $9 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $25 | $526 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $1,465 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,223 | $14,031 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $3,247 |
| Other | $584 | $5,645 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,519 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $305 | $634 |
| Highways & Roads | $201 | $0 |
| Education | $62 | $51 |
| Public Welfare | $215 | $1,837 |
| Health | $0 | $517 |
| Hospitals | $385 | $664 |
| Parks & Recreation | $0 | $1,801 |
| Housing | $444 | $3,741 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $865 |
| Utilities | $833 | $3,264 |
| General Admin | $25,827 | $0 |
| Other | $5,059 | $8,399 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.