Dallas, TX vs Oklahoma City, OK
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Dallas, TX outspends Oklahoma City, OK by a wide margin per resident — $34,849 versus $18,074, a 93% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Oklahoma City, OK 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 Oklahoma City, OK carries $3,520 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Dallas, TX leads with police at $1,519 per resident, while Oklahoma City, OK leads with parks and recreation at $2,014.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 22% of total revenue in Dallas, TX and 19% in Oklahoma City, OK.
Summary
Dallas spends 92.8% more per capita than Oklahoma City ($16,776/person difference). Oklahoma City, OK 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 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $25 | $763 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $1,037 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,223 | $6,852 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $3,256 |
| Other | $584 | $1,836 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,519 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $305 | $513 |
| Highways & Roads | $201 | $0 |
| Education | $62 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $215 | $1,525 |
| Health | $0 | $5 |
| Hospitals | $385 | $2,044 |
| Parks & Recreation | $0 | $2,014 |
| Housing | $444 | $2,857 |
| Utilities | $833 | $4,523 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $707 |
| General Admin | $25,827 | $0 |
| Other | $5,059 | $3,886 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.