Las Vegas, NV vs Washington, DC
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Washington, DC outspends Las Vegas, NV by a wide margin per resident — $243,341 versus $9,085, a 2578% 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 41/100 (grade D) for Washington, DC — a 41-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Las Vegas, NV reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Washington, DC carries $2,516 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 Washington, DC leads with education at $53,224.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Las Vegas, NV at 34% of total revenue, whereas Washington, DC relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 7%.
Summary
Washington spends 96.3% more per capita than Las Vegas ($234,255/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 | $25 |
| Sales Tax | $386 | $991 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $141 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,137 | $18,754 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $4,070 |
| Other | $2,806 | $11,518 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $945 | $4,183 |
| Fire Protection | $280 | $4,262 |
| Highways & Roads | $45 | $1,435 |
| Education | $0 | $53,224 |
| Public Welfare | $705 | $2,498 |
| Health | $0 | $1,009 |
| Hospitals | $356 | $17,668 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,028 | $5,459 |
| Housing | $23 | $10,296 |
| Sewerage | $332 | $2,881 |
| Utilities | $129 | $88,990 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $58 |
| General Admin | $0 | $3,225 |
| Other | $5,243 | $48,155 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.