Los Angeles, CA vs Austin, TX

Los Angeles, CA outspends Austin, TX by a wide margin per resident — $85,432 versus $21,772, a 292% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.

Austin, TX holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 75/100 (grade B) against 47/100 (grade D) for Los Angeles, CA — a 28-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.

Los Angeles, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Austin, TX carries $1,229 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 Austin, TX leads with parks and recreation at $1,801.

They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Los Angeles, CA at 51% of total revenue, whereas Austin, TX relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 18%.