Fort Worth, TX vs Philadelphia, PA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Philadelphia, PA outspends Fort Worth, TX by a wide margin per resident — $56,272 versus $15,939, a 253% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Fort Worth, TX holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 63/100 (grade C) against 45/100 (grade D) for Philadelphia, PA — a 18-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Philadelphia, PA carries the lighter load at $1,069 per resident versus $1,921 for Fort Worth, TX. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Fort Worth, TX leads with parks and recreation at $708 per resident, while Philadelphia, PA leads with fire protection at $7,082.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 15% of total revenue in Fort Worth, TX and 16% in Philadelphia, PA.
Summary
Philadelphia spends 71.7% more per capita than Fort Worth ($40,333/person difference). Fort Worth, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 63/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $198 | $107 |
| Income Tax | $851 | $8 |
| Intergovernmental | $4,002 | $6,288 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,594 | $2,790 |
| Other | $3,439 | $4,029 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $1,505 |
| Fire Protection | $156 | $7,082 |
| Highways & Roads | $317 | $1,215 |
| Public Welfare | $869 | $1,456 |
| Health | $235 | $229 |
| Hospitals | $1,680 | $4,048 |
| Parks & Recreation | $708 | $593 |
| Housing | $4,217 | $4,902 |
| Sewerage | $267 | $325 |
| Utilities | $2,674 | $4,222 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $3 |
| Other | $4,817 | $30,692 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.