Houston, TX vs Washington, DC
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Summary
Washington spends 94.1% more per capita than Houston ($228,941/person difference). Houston, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 83/100).
Fiscal Health Score
A
83/100
Budget Balance94
Debt Burden72
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50
D
41/100
Budget Balance45
Debt Burden0
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency0
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50
Key Metrics
Metric
Houston
Washington
Total Spending
$33.1B
$163.2B
Spending / Capita
$14,400
$243,341
Total Revenue
$127.7B
$186.2B
Revenue / Capita
$55,600
$277,701
Total Debt
$2.0B
$1.7B
Debt / Capita
$863
$2,516
Population
2,296,253
670,587
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0
Per Capita Spending by Department
Police
Houston$0
Washington$4,183
Fire Protection
Houston$295
Washington$4,262
Highways & Roads
Houston$175
Washington$1,435
Parks & Recreation
Houston$361
Washington$5,459
Education
Houston$0
Washington$53,224
Health
Houston$210
Washington$1,009
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
HoustonWashington
| Property Tax | $0 | $25 |
| Sales Tax | $181 | $991 |
| Income Tax | $39 | $141 |
| Intergovernmental | $33 | $18,754 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,475 | $4,070 |
| Other | $3,960 | $11,518 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
HoustonWashington
| Police | $0 | $4,183 |
| Fire Protection | $295 | $4,262 |
| Highways & Roads | $175 | $1,435 |
| Education | $0 | $53,224 |
| Public Welfare | $533 | $2,498 |
| Health | $210 | $1,009 |
| Hospitals | $511 | $17,668 |
| Parks & Recreation | $361 | $5,459 |
| Housing | $4,288 | $10,296 |
| Sewerage | $386 | $2,881 |
| Utilities | $1,339 | $88,990 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $58 |
| General Admin | $0 | $3,225 |
| Other | $6,301 | $48,155 |
A
Houston, TX
Fiscal Health Score: 83/100
Excellent fiscal health
D
Washington, DC
Fiscal Health Score: 41/100
Below average fiscal health