Los Angeles, CA vs Houston, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Los Angeles, CA outspends Houston, TX by a wide margin per resident — $85,432 versus $14,400, a 493% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Houston, 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 Houston, TX carries $863 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 Houston, TX leads with parks and recreation at $361.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 51% of total revenue in Los Angeles, CA and 7% in Houston, TX.
Summary
Los Angeles spends 493.3% more per capita than Houston ($71,033/person difference). Houston, 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 | $181 |
| Income Tax | $307 | $39 |
| Intergovernmental | $134 | $33 |
| Charges & Fees | $459 | $3,475 |
| Other | $9,048 | $3,960 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $4,111 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $1,057 | $295 |
| Highways & Roads | $503 | $175 |
| Education | $829 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,286 | $533 |
| Health | $409 | $210 |
| Hospitals | $2,135 | $511 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,347 | $361 |
| Housing | $6,325 | $4,288 |
| Sewerage | $34 | $386 |
| Utilities | $21,992 | $1,339 |
| Interest on Debt | $630 | $0 |
| General Admin | $11,586 | $0 |
| Other | $33,189 | $6,301 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.