Los Angeles, CA vs Arlington, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Los Angeles, CA outspends Arlington, TX by a wide margin per resident — $85,432 versus $11,769, a 626% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Arlington, TX holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 83/100 (grade A) against 47/100 (grade D) for Los Angeles, CA — a 36-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Los Angeles, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Arlington, TX carries $594 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Los Angeles, CA leads with police at $4,111 per resident, while Arlington, TX leads with parks and recreation at $1,352.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Los Angeles, CA at 51% of total revenue, whereas Arlington, TX relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 41%.
Summary
Los Angeles spends 625.9% more per capita than Arlington ($73,663/person difference). Arlington, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 83/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $64 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $77 | $507 |
| Income Tax | $307 | $73 |
| Intergovernmental | $134 | $25,062 |
| Charges & Fees | $459 | $2,949 |
| Other | $9,048 | $3,897 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $4,111 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $1,057 | $160 |
| Highways & Roads | $503 | $149 |
| Education | $829 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,286 | $826 |
| Health | $409 | $219 |
| Hospitals | $2,135 | $152 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,347 | $1,352 |
| Housing | $6,325 | $2,981 |
| Sewerage | $34 | $141 |
| Utilities | $21,992 | $1,385 |
| Interest on Debt | $630 | $0 |
| General Admin | $11,586 | $0 |
| Other | $33,189 | $4,404 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.