Dallas, TX vs Fort Worth, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Dallas, TX outspends Fort Worth, TX by a wide margin per resident — $34,849 versus $15,939, a 119% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Fort Worth, TX edges Dallas, TX on the Fiscal Health Score by 6 points — 63/100 (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 Fort Worth, TX carries $1,921 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Dallas, TX leads with police at $1,519 per resident, while Fort Worth, TX leads with parks and recreation at $708.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 22% of total revenue in Dallas, TX and 15% in Fort Worth, TX.
Summary
Dallas spends 118.6% more per capita than Fort Worth ($18,910/person difference). Fort Worth, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 63/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $9 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $25 | $198 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $851 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,223 | $4,002 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $3,594 |
| Other | $584 | $3,439 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,519 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $305 | $156 |
| Highways & Roads | $201 | $317 |
| Education | $62 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $215 | $869 |
| Health | $0 | $235 |
| Hospitals | $385 | $1,680 |
| Parks & Recreation | $0 | $708 |
| Housing | $444 | $4,217 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $267 |
| Utilities | $833 | $2,674 |
| General Admin | $25,827 | $0 |
| Other | $5,059 | $4,817 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.