Lawton, OK vs Oklahoma City, OK
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Oklahoma City, OK outspends Lawton, OK by a wide margin per resident — $18,074 versus $10,275, a 76% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Lawton, OK edges Oklahoma City, OK on the Fiscal Health Score by 7 points — 72/100 (grade B) to 65/100 (grade B). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Lawton, OK carries the lighter load at $147 per resident versus $3,520 for Oklahoma City, OK. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Lawton, OK at $852 per resident and in Oklahoma City, OK at $2,014.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Lawton, OK and 19% in Oklahoma City, OK.
Summary
Oklahoma City spends 43.1% more per capita than Lawton ($7,798/person difference). Lawton, OK has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 72/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $144 | $763 |
| Income Tax | $1,106 | $1,037 |
| Intergovernmental | $9,501 | $6,852 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,888 | $3,256 |
| Other | $2,336 | $1,836 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $126 | $513 |
| Education | $29 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $452 | $1,525 |
| Health | $134 | $5 |
| Hospitals | $440 | $2,044 |
| Parks & Recreation | $852 | $2,014 |
| Housing | $2,674 | $2,857 |
| Utilities | $1,441 | $4,523 |
| Interest on Debt | $391 | $707 |
| Other | $3,736 | $3,886 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.