Las Vegas, NV vs Chicago, IL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Chicago, IL outspends Las Vegas, NV by a wide margin per resident — $34,551 versus $9,085, a 280% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Las Vegas, NV holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 82/100 (grade A) against 61/100 (grade C) for Chicago, IL — a 21-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Las Vegas, NV reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Chicago, IL carries $977 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Las Vegas, NV leads with parks and recreation at $1,028 per resident, while Chicago, IL leads with fire protection at $10,754.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Las Vegas, NV at 34% of total revenue, whereas Chicago, IL relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.
Summary
Chicago spends 73.7% more per capita than Las Vegas ($25,466/person difference). Las Vegas, NV has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 82/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $50 | $26 |
| Sales Tax | $386 | $74 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $229 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,137 | $85,083 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $2,847 |
| Other | $2,806 | $3,463 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $945 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $280 | $10,754 |
| Highways & Roads | $45 | $930 |
| Public Welfare | $705 | $1,858 |
| Health | $0 | $426 |
| Hospitals | $356 | $1,444 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,028 | $122 |
| Housing | $23 | $6,520 |
| Sewerage | $332 | $129 |
| Utilities | $129 | $2,983 |
| Other | $5,243 | $9,385 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.