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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Houston, TX vs Oakland, CA

Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)

Summary

Oakland spends 52.1% more per capita than Houston ($15,655/person difference). Houston, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 83/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Houston, TX
Pop. 2,296,253
A
83/100
Budget Balance94
Debt Burden72
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50
City B
Oakland, CA
Pop. 437,825
B
72/100
Budget Balance100
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency43
Revenue Diversity0
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Houston
Oakland
Total Spending
$33.1B
$13.2B
Spending / Capita
$14,400
$30,055
Total Revenue
$127.7B
$18.5B
Revenue / Capita
$55,600
$42,277
Total Debt
$2.0B
$0
Debt / Capita
$863
$0
Population
2,296,253
437,825
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Houston$295
Oakland$1
Highways & Roads
Houston$175
Oakland$0
Parks & Recreation
Houston$361
Oakland$955
Health
Houston$210
Oakland$1,016

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

HoustonOakland
Sales Tax
$181
$522
Income Tax
$39
$0
Intergovernmental
$33
$42,277
Charges & Fees
$3,475
$0
Other
$3,960
$4,337

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

HoustonOakland
Fire Protection
$295
$1
Highways & Roads
$175
$0
Public Welfare
$533
$2,426
Health
$210
$1,016
Hospitals
$511
$2,498
Parks & Recreation
$361
$955
Housing
$4,288
$7,811
Sewerage
$386
$1,417
Utilities
$1,339
$0
Other
$6,301
$13,929
A
Houston, TX
Fiscal Health Score: 83/100
Excellent fiscal health
B
Oakland, CA
Fiscal Health Score: 72/100
Good fiscal health

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