Houston, TX vs Chicago, IL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Chicago, IL outspends Houston, TX by a wide margin per resident — $34,551 versus $14,400, a 140% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Houston, TX holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 83/100 (grade A) against 61/100 (grade C) for Chicago, IL — a 22-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Houston, TX carries the lighter load at $863 per resident versus $977 for Chicago, IL. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Houston, TX leads with parks and recreation at $361 per resident, while Chicago, IL leads with fire protection at $10,754.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Houston, TX at 7% of total revenue, whereas Chicago, IL relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.
Summary
Chicago spends 58.3% more per capita than Houston ($20,152/person difference). Houston, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 83/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $26 |
| Sales Tax | $181 | $74 |
| Income Tax | $39 | $229 |
| Intergovernmental | $33 | $85,083 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,475 | $2,847 |
| Other | $3,960 | $3,463 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $295 | $10,754 |
| Highways & Roads | $175 | $930 |
| Public Welfare | $533 | $1,858 |
| Health | $210 | $426 |
| Hospitals | $511 | $1,444 |
| Parks & Recreation | $361 | $122 |
| Housing | $4,288 | $6,520 |
| Sewerage | $386 | $129 |
| Utilities | $1,339 | $2,983 |
| Other | $6,301 | $9,385 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.