Dallas, TX vs Houston, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Dallas, TX outspends Houston, TX by a wide margin per resident — $34,849 versus $14,400, a 142% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Houston, TX holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 83/100 (grade A) against 57/100 (grade C) for Dallas, TX — a 26-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Dallas, TX reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Houston, TX carries $863 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Dallas, TX leads with police at $1,519 per resident, while Houston, TX leads with parks and recreation at $361.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Dallas, TX at 22% of total revenue, whereas Houston, TX relies most on other revenue at 7%.
Summary
Dallas spends 142.0% more per capita than Houston ($20,449/person difference). Houston, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 83/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $9 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $25 | $181 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $39 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,223 | $33 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $3,475 |
| Other | $584 | $3,960 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,519 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $305 | $295 |
| Highways & Roads | $201 | $175 |
| Education | $62 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $215 | $533 |
| Health | $0 | $210 |
| Hospitals | $385 | $511 |
| Parks & Recreation | $0 | $361 |
| Housing | $444 | $4,288 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $386 |
| Utilities | $833 | $1,339 |
| General Admin | $25,827 | $0 |
| Other | $5,059 | $6,301 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.