Lubbock, TX vs Dallas, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Dallas, TX and Lubbock, TX spend within 6.4% of each other per resident — $34,849 versus $32,743 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Dallas, TX edges Lubbock, TX on the Fiscal Health Score by 1 points — 57/100 (grade C) to 56/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Neither city reports outstanding debt per resident in its current Census filing, which removes debt service as a point of difference between them. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: police leads in Lubbock, TX at $322 per resident and in Dallas, TX at $1,519.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Lubbock, TX at 25% of total revenue, whereas Dallas, TX relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 22%.
Summary
Dallas spends 6.0% more per capita than Lubbock ($2,106/person difference). Dallas, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 57/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $9 |
| Sales Tax | $2 | $25 |
| Intergovernmental | $76 | $1,223 |
| Other | $781 | $584 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $322 | $1,519 |
| Fire Protection | $173 | $305 |
| Highways & Roads | $296 | $201 |
| Education | $0 | $62 |
| Public Welfare | $258 | $215 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $385 |
| Parks & Recreation | $13 | $0 |
| Housing | $2,128 | $444 |
| Utilities | $45 | $833 |
| General Admin | $26,777 | $25,827 |
| Other | $2,732 | $5,059 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.