Dallas, TX vs Memphis, TN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Dallas, TX spends 58% more per resident than Memphis, TN: $34,849 against $22,111. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Memphis, TN holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 65/100 (grade B) against 57/100 (grade C) for Dallas, TX — a 8-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Dallas, TX reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Memphis, TN carries $303 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Dallas, TX leads with police at $1,519 per resident, while Memphis, TN leads with parks and recreation at $1,397.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 22% of total revenue in Dallas, TX and 100% in Memphis, TN.
Summary
Dallas spends 57.6% more per capita than Memphis ($12,738/person difference). Memphis, TN has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 65/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $9 | $10 |
| Sales Tax | $25 | $496 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $1,218 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,223 | $34,065 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $2,077 |
| Other | $584 | $3,994 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,519 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $305 | $469 |
| Highways & Roads | $201 | $277 |
| Education | $62 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $215 | $630 |
| Health | $0 | $391 |
| Hospitals | $385 | $1,677 |
| Parks & Recreation | $0 | $1,397 |
| Housing | $444 | $4,683 |
| Utilities | $833 | $2,578 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1,158 |
| General Admin | $25,827 | $0 |
| Other | $5,059 | $8,850 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.