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

Houston, TX vs Tucson, AZ

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

Summary

Tucson spends 8.6% more per capita than Houston ($1,359/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
Tucson, AZ
Pop. 541,033
C
55/100
Budget Balance71
Debt Burden10
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity0
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Houston
Tucson
Total Spending
$33.1B
$8.5B
Spending / Capita
$14,400
$15,759
Total Revenue
$127.7B
$12.6B
Revenue / Capita
$55,600
$23,276
Total Debt
$2.0B
$833.1M
Debt / Capita
$863
$1,540
Population
2,296,253
541,033
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Houston$295
Tucson$330
Highways & Roads
Houston$175
Tucson$0
Parks & Recreation
Houston$361
Tucson$1,229
Health
Houston$210
Tucson$0

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

HoustonTucson
Property Tax
$0
$5
Sales Tax
$181
$309
Income Tax
$39
$1,107
Intergovernmental
$33
$23,276
Charges & Fees
$3,475
$4,534
Other
$3,960
$952

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

HoustonTucson
Fire Protection
$295
$330
Highways & Roads
$175
$0
Public Welfare
$533
$1,181
Health
$210
$0
Hospitals
$511
$1,314
Parks & Recreation
$361
$1,229
Housing
$4,288
$3,091
Sewerage
$386
$0
Utilities
$1,339
$3,555
Interest on Debt
$0
$1,735
Other
$6,301
$3,322
A
Houston, TX
Fiscal Health Score: 83/100
Excellent fiscal health
C
Tucson, AZ
Fiscal Health Score: 55/100
Average fiscal health

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