Dallas, TX vs Chicago, IL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Dallas, TX and Chicago, IL spend within 0.9% of each other per resident — $34,849 versus $34,551 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Chicago, IL edges Dallas, TX on the Fiscal Health Score by 4 points — 61/100 (grade C) to 57/100 (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 Chicago, IL carries $977 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Dallas, TX leads with police at $1,519 per resident, while Chicago, IL leads with fire protection at $10,754.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 22% of total revenue in Dallas, TX and 100% in Chicago, IL.
Summary
Dallas spends 0.9% more per capita than Chicago ($298/person difference). Chicago, IL has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 61/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $9 | $26 |
| Sales Tax | $25 | $74 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $229 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,223 | $85,083 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $2,847 |
| Other | $584 | $3,463 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,519 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $305 | $10,754 |
| Highways & Roads | $201 | $930 |
| Education | $62 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $215 | $1,858 |
| Health | $0 | $426 |
| Hospitals | $385 | $1,444 |
| Parks & Recreation | $0 | $122 |
| Housing | $444 | $6,520 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $129 |
| Utilities | $833 | $2,983 |
| General Admin | $25,827 | $0 |
| Other | $5,059 | $9,385 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.