Houston, TX vs Miami, FL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Miami, FL outspends Houston, TX by a wide margin per resident — $28,195 versus $14,400, a 96% 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 53/100 (grade C) for Miami, FL — a 30-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Miami, FL reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Houston, TX carries $863 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Houston, TX leads with parks and recreation at $361 per resident, while Miami, FL leads with fire protection at $7,399.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Houston, TX at 7% of total revenue, whereas Miami, FL relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.
Summary
Miami spends 48.9% more per capita than Houston ($13,796/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 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $181 | $1,647 |
| Income Tax | $39 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $33 | $15,037 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,475 | $0 |
| Other | $3,960 | $1,399 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $295 | $7,399 |
| Highways & Roads | $175 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $533 | $109 |
| Health | $210 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $511 | $1,499 |
| Parks & Recreation | $361 | $1,783 |
| Housing | $4,288 | $6,840 |
| Sewerage | $386 | $699 |
| Utilities | $1,339 | $1,295 |
| Other | $6,301 | $8,572 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.