Dallas, TX vs Long Beach, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Dallas, TX and Long Beach, CA spend within 1.7% of each other per resident — $34,849 versus $34,250 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Long Beach, CA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 67/100 (grade B) against 57/100 (grade C) for Dallas, TX — a 10-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 Long Beach, CA leads with parks and recreation at $698.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Dallas, TX at 22% of total revenue, whereas Long Beach, CA relies most on other revenue at 12%.
Summary
Dallas spends 1.7% more per capita than Long Beach ($599/person difference). Long Beach, CA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 67/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $9 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $25 | $36 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $1,760 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,223 | $1,688 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $2,424 |
| Other | $584 | $8,836 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,519 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $305 | $0 |
| Highways & Roads | $201 | $0 |
| Education | $62 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $215 | $1,317 |
| Health | $0 | $477 |
| Hospitals | $385 | $2,751 |
| Parks & Recreation | $0 | $698 |
| Housing | $444 | $5,782 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $86 |
| Utilities | $833 | $3,889 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $2,718 |
| General Admin | $25,827 | $0 |
| Other | $5,059 | $16,533 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.