Dallas, TX vs Las Vegas, NV
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Dallas, TX outspends Las Vegas, NV by a wide margin per resident — $34,849 versus $9,085, a 284% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Las Vegas, NV holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 82/100 (grade A) against 57/100 (grade C) for Dallas, TX — a 25-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Neither city reports outstanding debt per resident in its current Census filing, which removes debt service as a point of difference between them. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Dallas, TX leads with police at $1,519 per resident, while Las Vegas, NV leads with parks and recreation at $1,028.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Dallas, TX at 22% of total revenue, whereas Las Vegas, NV relies most on other revenue at 34%.
Summary
Dallas spends 283.6% more per capita than Las Vegas ($25,764/person difference). Las Vegas, NV has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 82/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $9 | $50 |
| Sales Tax | $25 | $386 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,223 | $1,137 |
| Other | $584 | $2,806 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,519 | $945 |
| Fire Protection | $305 | $280 |
| Highways & Roads | $201 | $45 |
| Education | $62 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $215 | $705 |
| Hospitals | $385 | $356 |
| Parks & Recreation | $0 | $1,028 |
| Housing | $444 | $23 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $332 |
| Utilities | $833 | $129 |
| General Admin | $25,827 | $0 |
| Other | $5,059 | $5,243 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.