Dallas, TX vs Philadelphia, PA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Philadelphia, PA outspends Dallas, TX by a wide margin per resident — $56,272 versus $34,849, a 61% 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 45/100 (grade D) for Philadelphia, PA — a 12-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Dallas, TX reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Philadelphia, PA carries $1,069 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Dallas, TX leads with police at $1,519 per resident, while Philadelphia, PA leads with fire protection at $7,082.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 22% of total revenue in Dallas, TX and 16% in Philadelphia, PA.
Summary
Philadelphia spends 38.1% more per capita than Dallas ($21,423/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 | $107 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $8 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,223 | $6,288 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $2,790 |
| Other | $584 | $4,029 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,519 | $1,505 |
| Fire Protection | $305 | $7,082 |
| Highways & Roads | $201 | $1,215 |
| Education | $62 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $215 | $1,456 |
| Health | $0 | $229 |
| Hospitals | $385 | $4,048 |
| Parks & Recreation | $0 | $593 |
| Housing | $444 | $4,902 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $325 |
| Utilities | $833 | $4,222 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $3 |
| General Admin | $25,827 | $0 |
| Other | $5,059 | $30,692 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.