Dallas, TX vs Boston, MA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Boston, MA outspends Dallas, TX by a wide margin per resident — $72,299 versus $34,849, a 107% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Dallas, TX edges Boston, MA on the Fiscal Health Score by 1 points — 57/100 (grade C) to 56/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Dallas, TX reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Boston, MA carries $445 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Dallas, TX leads with police at $1,519 per resident, while Boston, MA leads with education at $30,742.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 22% of total revenue in Dallas, TX and 17% in Boston, MA.
Summary
Boston spends 51.8% more per capita than Dallas ($37,450/person difference). Dallas, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 57/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $9 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $25 | $78 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,223 | $5,357 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $2,784 |
| Other | $584 | $4,557 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,519 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $305 | $1,107 |
| Highways & Roads | $201 | $594 |
| Education | $62 | $30,742 |
| Public Welfare | $215 | $1,110 |
| Health | $0 | $725 |
| Hospitals | $385 | $2,584 |
| Parks & Recreation | $0 | $711 |
| Housing | $444 | $6,614 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $355 |
| Utilities | $833 | $3,402 |
| General Admin | $25,827 | $5,401 |
| Other | $5,059 | $18,955 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.