Memphis, TN vs Houston, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Memphis, TN spends 54% more per resident than Houston, TX: $22,111 against $14,400. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Houston, TX holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 83/100 (grade A) against 65/100 (grade B) for Memphis, TN — a 18-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Memphis, TN carries the lighter load at $303 per resident versus $863 for Houston, TX. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Memphis, TN at $1,397 per resident and in Houston, TX at $361.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Memphis, TN at 100% of total revenue, whereas Houston, TX relies most on other revenue at 7%.
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
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| 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)
| 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 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.