Houston, TX vs Corpus Christi, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Houston, TX spends 15% more per resident than Corpus Christi, TX: $14,400 against $12,479. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Houston, TX holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 83/100 (grade A) against 70/100 (grade B) for Corpus Christi, TX — a 13-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Houston, TX carries the lighter load at $863 per resident versus $1,866 for Corpus Christi, TX. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Houston, TX at $361 per resident and in Corpus Christi, TX at $751.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Houston, TX at 7% of total revenue, whereas Corpus Christi, TX relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 13%.
Summary
Houston spends 15.4% more per capita than Corpus Christi ($1,921/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 | $373 |
| Sales Tax | $181 | $346 |
| Income Tax | $39 | $1,344 |
| Intergovernmental | $33 | $6,076 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,475 | $5,136 |
| Other | $3,960 | $3,079 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $52 |
| Fire Protection | $295 | $217 |
| Highways & Roads | $175 | $71 |
| Public Welfare | $533 | $672 |
| Health | $210 | $167 |
| Hospitals | $511 | $1,004 |
| Parks & Recreation | $361 | $751 |
| Housing | $4,288 | $2,573 |
| Sewerage | $386 | $117 |
| Utilities | $1,339 | $3,402 |
| Other | $6,301 | $3,452 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.