Fort Worth, TX vs Memphis, TN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Memphis, TN spends 39% more per resident than Fort Worth, TX: $22,111 against $15,939. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Memphis, TN edges Fort Worth, TX on the Fiscal Health Score by 2 points — 65/100 (grade B) to 63/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Memphis, TN carries the lighter load at $303 per resident versus $1,921 for Fort Worth, TX. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Fort Worth, TX at $708 per resident and in Memphis, TN at $1,397.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 15% of total revenue in Fort Worth, TX and 100% in Memphis, TN.
Summary
Memphis spends 27.9% more per capita than Fort Worth ($6,172/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 | $0 | $10 |
| Sales Tax | $198 | $496 |
| Income Tax | $851 | $1,218 |
| Intergovernmental | $4,002 | $34,065 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,594 | $2,077 |
| Other | $3,439 | $3,994 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $156 | $469 |
| Highways & Roads | $317 | $277 |
| Public Welfare | $869 | $630 |
| Health | $235 | $391 |
| Hospitals | $1,680 | $1,677 |
| Parks & Recreation | $708 | $1,397 |
| Housing | $4,217 | $4,683 |
| Sewerage | $267 | $0 |
| Utilities | $2,674 | $2,578 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1,158 |
| Other | $4,817 | $8,850 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.