Houston, TX vs Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN outspends Houston, TX by a wide margin per resident — $48,948 versus $14,400, a 240% 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 47/100 (grade D) for Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN — a 36-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Houston, TX carries the lighter load at $863 per resident versus $2,292 for Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Houston, TX leads with parks and recreation at $361 per resident, while Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN leads with education at $21,061.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Houston, TX at 7% of total revenue, whereas Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 10%.
Summary
Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance) spends 70.6% more per capita than Houston ($34,548/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 | $373 |
| Income Tax | $39 | $135 |
| Intergovernmental | $33 | $13,787 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,475 | $2,444 |
| Other | $3,960 | $4,617 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $1,519 |
| Fire Protection | $295 | $468 |
| Highways & Roads | $175 | $11 |
| Education | $0 | $21,061 |
| Public Welfare | $533 | $738 |
| Health | $210 | $672 |
| Hospitals | $511 | $2,100 |
| Parks & Recreation | $361 | $1,015 |
| Housing | $4,288 | $4,231 |
| Sewerage | $386 | $217 |
| Utilities | $1,339 | $3,140 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1,667 |
| General Admin | $0 | $2,081 |
| Other | $6,301 | $10,028 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.