El Paso, TX vs Columbus, OH
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
El Paso, TX spends 29% more per resident than Columbus, OH: $24,259 against $18,858. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
El Paso, TX holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 61/100 (grade C) against 52/100 (grade C) for Columbus, OH — a 9-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
El Paso, TX reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Columbus, OH carries $1,145 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: El Paso, TX leads with police at $1,159 per resident, while Columbus, OH leads with parks and recreation at $2,168.
Summary
El Paso spends 28.6% more per capita than Columbus ($5,401/person difference). El Paso, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 61/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $10 |
| Sales Tax | $65 | $234 |
| Income Tax | $12 | $1 |
| Intergovernmental | $690 | $0 |
| Charges & Fees | $31 | $2,389 |
| Other | $550 | $5,248 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,159 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $233 | $1,016 |
| Highways & Roads | $83 | $224 |
| Public Welfare | $299 | $878 |
| Hospitals | $11 | $953 |
| Parks & Recreation | $151 | $2,168 |
| Housing | $958 | $4,303 |
| Sewerage | $6 | $1 |
| Utilities | $224 | $1,719 |
| Interest on Debt | $40 | $0 |
| General Admin | $17,951 | $0 |
| Other | $3,145 | $7,595 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.