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

Jacksonville, FL vs Houston, TX

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

Summary

Jacksonville spends 118.5% more per capita than Houston ($17,057/person difference). Houston, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 83/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Jacksonville, FL
Pop. 950,203
C
53/100
Budget Balance71
Debt Burden0
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency36
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50
City B
Houston, TX
Pop. 2,296,253
A
83/100
Budget Balance94
Debt Burden72
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Jacksonville
Houston
Total Spending
$29.9B
$33.1B
Spending / Capita
$31,456
$14,400
Total Revenue
$50.9B
$127.7B
Revenue / Capita
$53,517
$55,600
Total Debt
$2.7B
$2.0B
Debt / Capita
$2,821
$863
Population
950,203
2,296,253
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Police
Jacksonville$18
Houston$0
Fire Protection
Jacksonville$9,436
Houston$295
Highways & Roads
Jacksonville$0
Houston$175
Parks & Recreation
Jacksonville$1,329
Houston$361
Health
Jacksonville$332
Houston$210

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

JacksonvilleHouston
Property Tax
$10
$0
Sales Tax
$233
$181
Income Tax
$762
$39
Intergovernmental
$7,348
$33
Charges & Fees
$2,119
$3,475
Other
$4,705
$3,960

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

JacksonvilleHouston
Police
$18
$0
Fire Protection
$9,436
$295
Highways & Roads
$0
$175
Public Welfare
$486
$533
Health
$332
$210
Hospitals
$557
$511
Parks & Recreation
$1,329
$361
Housing
$5,572
$4,288
Sewerage
$176
$386
Utilities
$1,835
$1,339
Interest on Debt
$1,942
$0
Other
$9,771
$6,301
C
Jacksonville, FL
Fiscal Health Score: 53/100
Average fiscal health
A
Houston, TX
Fiscal Health Score: 83/100
Excellent fiscal health

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