Houston, TX vs Fort Worth, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Fort Worth, TX and Houston, TX spend within 10.7% of each other per resident — $15,939 versus $14,400 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Houston, TX holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 83/100 (grade A) against 63/100 (grade C) for Fort Worth, TX — a 20-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Houston, TX carries the lighter load at $863 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 Houston, TX at $361 per resident and in Fort Worth, TX at $708.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Houston, TX at 7% of total revenue, whereas Fort Worth, TX relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 15%.
Summary
Fort Worth spends 9.7% more per capita than Houston ($1,540/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)
| Sales Tax | $181 | $198 |
| Income Tax | $39 | $851 |
| Intergovernmental | $33 | $4,002 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,475 | $3,594 |
| Other | $3,960 | $3,439 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $295 | $156 |
| Highways & Roads | $175 | $317 |
| Public Welfare | $533 | $869 |
| Health | $210 | $235 |
| Hospitals | $511 | $1,680 |
| Parks & Recreation | $361 | $708 |
| Housing | $4,288 | $4,217 |
| Sewerage | $386 | $267 |
| Utilities | $1,339 | $2,674 |
| Other | $6,301 | $4,817 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.