Memphis, TN vs Houston, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Summary
Memphis spends 53.5% more per capita than Houston ($7,711/person difference). Houston, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 83/100).
Fiscal Health Score
B
65/100
Budget Balance52
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency79
Revenue Diversity0
Trend Direction50
A
83/100
Budget Balance94
Debt Burden72
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50
Key Metrics
Metric
Memphis
Houston
Total Spending
$13.9B
$33.1B
Spending / Capita
$22,111
$14,400
Total Revenue
$21.5B
$127.7B
Revenue / Capita
$34,065
$55,600
Total Debt
$191.2M
$2.0B
Debt / Capita
$303
$863
Population
630,027
2,296,253
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0
Per Capita Spending by Department
Fire Protection
Memphis$469
Houston$295
Highways & Roads
Memphis$277
Houston$175
Parks & Recreation
Memphis$1,397
Houston$361
Health
Memphis$391
Houston$210
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
MemphisHouston
| Property Tax | $10 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $496 | $181 |
| Income Tax | $1,218 | $39 |
| Intergovernmental | $34,065 | $33 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,077 | $3,475 |
| Other | $3,994 | $3,960 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
MemphisHouston
| Fire Protection | $469 | $295 |
| Highways & Roads | $277 | $175 |
| Public Welfare | $630 | $533 |
| Health | $391 | $210 |
| Hospitals | $1,677 | $511 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,397 | $361 |
| Housing | $4,683 | $4,288 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $386 |
| Utilities | $2,578 | $1,339 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,158 | $0 |
| Other | $8,850 | $6,301 |
B
Memphis, TN
Fiscal Health Score: 65/100
Good fiscal health
A
Houston, TX
Fiscal Health Score: 83/100
Excellent fiscal health