Dallas, TX vs Los Angeles, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Los Angeles, CA outspends Dallas, TX by a wide margin per resident — $85,432 versus $34,849, a 145% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Dallas, TX holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 57/100 (grade C) against 47/100 (grade D) for Los Angeles, CA — 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. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: police leads in Dallas, TX at $1,519 per resident and in Los Angeles, CA at $4,111.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Dallas, TX at 22% of total revenue, whereas Los Angeles, CA relies most on other revenue at 51%.
Summary
Los Angeles spends 59.2% more per capita than Dallas ($50,583/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 | $64 |
| Sales Tax | $25 | $77 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $307 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,223 | $134 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $459 |
| Other | $584 | $9,048 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,519 | $4,111 |
| Fire Protection | $305 | $1,057 |
| Highways & Roads | $201 | $503 |
| Education | $62 | $829 |
| Public Welfare | $215 | $1,286 |
| Health | $0 | $409 |
| Hospitals | $385 | $2,135 |
| Parks & Recreation | $0 | $1,347 |
| Housing | $444 | $6,325 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $34 |
| Utilities | $833 | $21,992 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $630 |
| General Admin | $25,827 | $11,586 |
| Other | $5,059 | $33,189 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.