Dallas, TX vs Jacksonville, FL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Dallas, TX and Jacksonville, FL spend within 10.8% of each other per resident — $34,849 versus $31,456 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Dallas, TX edges Jacksonville, FL on the Fiscal Health Score by 4 points — 57/100 (grade C) to 53/100 (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 Jacksonville, FL carries $2,821 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Dallas, TX leads with police at $1,519 per resident, while Jacksonville, FL leads with fire protection at $9,436.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 22% of total revenue in Dallas, TX and 14% in Jacksonville, FL.
Summary
Dallas spends 10.8% more per capita than Jacksonville ($3,393/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 | $10 |
| Sales Tax | $25 | $233 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $762 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,223 | $7,348 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $2,119 |
| Other | $584 | $4,705 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,519 | $18 |
| Fire Protection | $305 | $9,436 |
| Highways & Roads | $201 | $0 |
| Education | $62 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $215 | $486 |
| Health | $0 | $332 |
| Hospitals | $385 | $557 |
| Parks & Recreation | $0 | $1,329 |
| Housing | $444 | $5,572 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $176 |
| Utilities | $833 | $1,835 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1,942 |
| General Admin | $25,827 | $0 |
| Other | $5,059 | $9,771 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.