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

Houston, TX vs Plano, TX

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

Summary

Plano spends 14.5% more per capita than Houston ($2,442/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
Plano, TX
Pop. 284,948
B
75/100
Budget Balance47
Debt Burden90
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Houston
Plano
Total Spending
$33.1B
$4.8B
Spending / Capita
$14,400
$16,842
Total Revenue
$127.7B
$5.7B
Revenue / Capita
$55,600
$19,840
Total Debt
$2.0B
$188.9M
Debt / Capita
$863
$663
Population
2,296,253
284,948
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Houston$295
Plano$125
Highways & Roads
Houston$175
Plano$319
Parks & Recreation
Houston$361
Plano$1,518
Education
Houston$0
Plano$34
Health
Houston$210
Plano$463

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

HoustonPlano
Sales Tax
$181
$644
Income Tax
$39
$731
Intergovernmental
$33
$2,683
Charges & Fees
$3,475
$3,976
Other
$3,960
$3,004

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

HoustonPlano
Fire Protection
$295
$125
Highways & Roads
$175
$319
Education
$0
$34
Public Welfare
$533
$283
Health
$210
$463
Hospitals
$511
$194
Parks & Recreation
$361
$1,518
Housing
$4,288
$3,356
Sewerage
$386
$145
Utilities
$1,339
$4,137
Other
$6,301
$6,268
A
Houston, TX
Fiscal Health Score: 83/100
Excellent fiscal health
B
Plano, TX
Fiscal Health Score: 75/100
Good fiscal health

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