Dallas, TX vs Lubbock, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Dallas, TX and Lubbock, TX spend within 6.4% of each other per resident — $34,849 versus $32,743 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Dallas, TX edges Lubbock, TX on the Fiscal Health Score by 1 points — 57/100 (grade C) to 56/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
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 Lubbock, TX at $322.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Dallas, TX at 22% of total revenue, whereas Lubbock, TX relies most on other revenue at 25%.
Summary
Dallas spends 6.4% more per capita than Lubbock ($2,106/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 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $25 | $2 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,223 | $76 |
| Other | $584 | $781 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,519 | $322 |
| Fire Protection | $305 | $173 |
| Highways & Roads | $201 | $296 |
| Education | $62 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $215 | $258 |
| Hospitals | $385 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $0 | $13 |
| Housing | $444 | $2,128 |
| Utilities | $833 | $45 |
| General Admin | $25,827 | $26,777 |
| Other | $5,059 | $2,732 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.